2025 Club World Cup: A New Era of Club Football

Afolabi Ezekiel - December 13, 2024

Competition Overview

The newly expanded Club World Cup of 32 teams will be played in the United States from June 15-July 13, 2025, and most of the matches in the competition will be played in the eastern part of the USA. This tournament is a precursor to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While the tournament attracts top clubs from around the world, several top clubs will not be participating due to the competition’s rule limiting each country to two representatives.

One of the tricky choices FIFA made was to include Inter Miami in the competition. The club broke into the top team list despite their early elimination in the MLS playoffs due to winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield. Usually, FIFA regulations allocate places according to domestic league triumphs, but this inclusion has been controversial.

In addition, the unveiling of the trophy in Miami with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and with the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sparked controversy as the trophy has Infantino’s name engraved on the main side.

Format and Qualification

The previous Club World Cup format included just seven teams: The title holders of the six continental competitions and the league winners of the host nation of the tournament.

The new format increases the number of participants to 32 teams, who will be divided into eight groups of four teams each. Each team plays three group-stage matches, and the top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 16. The knockout rounds consist of single-elimination matches, starting with the Round of 16, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then the final.

The initial seven-team format will continue under a new name, the Intercontinental Cup. The tournament will commence in Qatar this year. It includes a play-off on December 14 and concludes with the final on December 18.

Group Stage Draw

• Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al 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, Esperance de Tunis, Chelsea, Club Leon
• Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter
• Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
• Group G: Manchester City, Wydad AC, Al Ain, Juventus
• Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Red Bull Salzburg

Host Cities and Venues

Twelve venues across eleven U.S. cities will host the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup matches. They include:

1. MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
2. Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
3. Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
4. TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
5. Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)
6. Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
7. GEODIS Park (Nashville)
8. Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
9. Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
10. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
11. Lumen Field (Seattle)
12. Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)

The final match will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13, 2025.

Broadcasting and Access

FIFA has partnered with DAZN to stream all 63 matches free of charge, overcoming earlier struggles to secure broadcast deals.

What’s Next?

Club World Cup has now been revamped to present an exciting build up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the format of which will be similar in an effort to raise the level of competition and global interest. Bidding increases, teams and fans eagerly await high-level football during the summer in the United States of America.