The FIFA 2025 Club World Cup kicks off in the United States on Saturday, with 32 teams vying for the title in the new-look expanded intercontinental club competition. Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.
What is the FIFA Club World Cup?
Until 2023, the FIFA Club World Cup was staged as an annual tournament every December and participation was limited to the winners of the continental club competitions, with the number ranging between six to eight clubs. Starting in 2025, football’s governing body expanded the tournament to 32 teams and decided to run the revamped competition on a quadrennial cycle instead, similar to its showpiece FIFA World Cup. A new FIFA Intercontinental Cup replaced the old Club World Cup as an annual competition in December 2024 with Real Madrid winning the inaugural edition held in Qatar.
How Does the New Format of the Competition work?
Historically, the Club World Cup has featured no more than eight teams, but the 2025 edition is vastly different. This year’s edition on US soil will be the first in the tournament’s 24-year history to feature 32 clubs – the same number of teams as recent FIFA World Cups – including the winners of the four previous continental championships. The teams will be divided into eight groups of four competing in a round-robin group stage with the top two clubs from each group advancing to the knockouts, which begin with the round of 16 and end with the final.
When is the FIFA Club World Cup?
The competition will begin on 14 June, with the final scheduled for 13 July.
Group stage: 14 to 26 June
Round of 16: 28 June to 1 July
Quarterfinals: 4 and 5 July
Semifinals: 8 and 9 July
Final: 13 July
Which Teams Will Participate in the Club World Cup?
Football fans in the US will enjoy watching popular clubs, including last season’s UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid. Other notable teams include Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, ten-time English champions Manchester City, and Italian heavyweights Inter Milan. Qualified teams were determined by winners of continental club competitions, such as the Champions League, and confederation rankings. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami controversially earned a spot as a representative of the host nation. Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.
Of the 32 clubs, Europe (UEFA) boasts the most representation with 12 teams, followed by South America (CONMEBOL) with six. Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), and North, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) each have four teams. Oceania is represented by one club, while the final slot goes to the host nation’s representative, Inter Miami. Mexican club Leon qualified by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2023 but was removed by FIFA due to an ownership rule breach. FIFA stated that Club Leon and another Mexican club, Pachuca, did not meet regulations on multi-club ownership. Pachuca’s spot in the competition remained unaffected.
After the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Leon’s appeal, FIFA confirmed a playoff between Los Angeles FC and Mexican side Club America. Los Angeles FC won that playoff.
Here is a list of the eight groups:
- Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Ahly, Inter Miami
- Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
- Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
- Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Los Angeles FC
- Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
- Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan Hyundai, Mamelodi Sundowns
- Group G: Manchester City, Wydad Casablanca, Al-Ain, Juventus
- Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, FC Salzburg
Why Are Barcelona and Liverpool Out?
FIFA rules for the Club World Cup state that only two teams from each country can participate. European clubs’ participation was determined by their performances in the Champions League over the last four seasons. Manchester City (2023) and Chelsea (2021) won the Champions League during that period, securing the two spots. Other popular clubs, such as Napoli, AC Milan, Barcelona, RB Leipzig, and Sevilla, missed out due to UEFA’s four-year club coefficient rankings and two-team restrictions.
What Are the Club World Cup Venues?
The 63 matches will occur across 12 venues in 11 cities. The opening match, Ahly vs. Inter Miami, will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which has a capacity of 65,000. MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets, will host both the semifinals and the final. MetLife Stadium can accommodate 82,500 spectators and was also chosen as the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, known for college American football, is the largest stadium with a capacity of 88,500. It has hosted significant events, including the football gold medal match at the Los Angeles Games in 1984 and the men’s World Cup final a decade later. The Rose Bowl will also serve as a venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Here’s the full list of venues:
MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, Florida)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington)
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles, California)
GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee)
Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Inter & Co Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Audi Field (Washington, DC)
Will the GOATS Messi, Ronaldo Take Part in the FIFA Club World Cup?
Messi will participate, thanks to Inter Miami’s surprise qualification after securing a place as the team with the most points in Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season. Inter Miami broke MLS’s regular-season points record with a 6-2 win over New England Revolution, reaching 74 points. New England had set the previous record in 2021 with 73 points.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo and his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr did not qualify for the tournament. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino suggested that the Portugal star could switch to one of the participating teams. “Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup,” Infantino told online streamer IShowSpeed in late May. “There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, who knows? Still, a few weeks’ time, will be fun.”
However, Ronaldo clarified his position, stating, “You can’t take part in everything. You have to think about the short, medium, and long term. It’s a decision practically made on my part not to go to the Club World Cup, but I’ve had quite a few invitations to go.”
How Much is the Prize Money for the Tournament?
The total prize pot is $1 billion, with champions earning up to $125 million. About half of the $1 billion will distribute among the 32 clubs, with amounts based on sporting and commercial criteria. This means clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid will receive a greater percentage than smaller clubs, according to a model FIFA developed with the European Club Association. An additional $475 million will award based on performance. Therefore, the team with the most wins over a potential seven matches will earn more cash, with a maximum of $125 million available.
How to Follow and Stream the Club World Cup Live?
We will provide live photo and text commentary for a selection of the biggest group stage and knockout games. Online provider DAZN will stream the tournament worldwide, with territorial sublicensing to local free-to-air linear broadcast networks possible.
