Rio to bid for FIFA Club World Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO - Rio de Janeiro is preparing a bid to host this year's FIFA Club World Cup after Japan relinquished its right to stage the tournament, officials in the Brazilian city said on Thursday.

The announcement came as COVID-19 restrictions in Brazil ease amid a fall in infection rates and fatalities related to the pandemic.

"We are starting talks so that the final of the Club World Cup can be held [here]," Rio's finance and planning secretary Pedro Paulo told Band News.

He added that matches could be played at both the Maracana and Olympic stadiums.

"We are working together with Flamengo [one of the Maracana's tenants], the Brazilian Football Confederation, and also with FIFA so that the city can compete to host the final," he added.

Last week, the Japanese Football Association told FIFA that it was not in a position to stage the event, which will run from December 9 to 19, because of coronavirus concerns.

Al-Ahly, Chelsea and Auckland City have already qualified for this year's Club World Cup as the champions of Africa, Europe and Oceania, respectively. The competition will also feature the winners of this year's continental club tournaments in Asia, South America and North and Central America and the Caribbean, as well as the reigning champions of the host nation's top league.