The expanded FIFA Club World Cup is about to get underway, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami involved.
The new-look Club World Cup features 32 teams and will be played every four years from the summer of 2025. It is an expansion of the previous version of the tournament, which took place every year and involved just seven teams from around the world.
When is the 2025 Club World Cup?
The tournament starts on June 14, though the first game between Al Ahly and Messi’s Inter Miami kicks off at 1am UK time on June 15 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in the opening match. See the full Club World Cup schedule.
The final takes place on July 13.
Where is the 2025 Club World Cup?
The 2025 Club World Cup takes place in the United States across 12 stadiums:
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)GEODIS Park (Nashville)Camping World Stadium (Orlando)Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)Lumen Field (Seattle)Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
Who qualifies for the Club World Cup?
Europe has 12 clubs in the 32-team tournament and the spaces are allocated based on performances in the Champions League over four seasons from 2020/21 up to and including this season.
For the 2025 competition, the winners of the Champions League over the last three seasons – Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City – will be joined by the best-performing sides in the tournament in the same period, with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan qualifying through the ranking route.
Man City won the Club World Cup in 2023
The Asian Football Confederation, African Federation and the North American Federation get four teams each based on the winners and best-performing teams in their respective Champions League competitions, while the South American federation will get six teams who perform best in the Copa Libertadores.
One slot goes to one team from the Oceania Football Confederation – the best performing team in the OFC Champions League over the last four years, with the final slot going to an additional team from the host nation. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami have taken that spot after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.
Messi has won the Club World Cup on three occasions – 2009, 2011, 2015 – but while he is set to join the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the States, Cristiano Ronaldo will miss out, with Al Hilal the only Saudi Arabian side to qualify.
Los Angeles FC secured late entry to the tournament after beating Mexico’s Club America in a play-off on June 1 to decide who would replace Club Leon after they were removed for breaking multi-club ownership rules.
List of qualified teams for 2025 Club World Cup
Europe
Manchester CityReal MadridChelseaBayern MunichParis Saint-GermainInter MilanPortoBenficaBorussia DortmundJuventusRed Ball SalzburgAtletico Madrid
Oceania
South America
PalmeirasFlamengoFluminenseRiver PlateBoca JuniorsBotafogo (Copa Libertadores winner)
North America
MonterreySeattle SoundersPachucaInter Miami (host nation slot)Los Angeles FC
Africa
Al AhlyWydadEsperance de TunisMamelodi Sundowns
Asia
Al HilalUrawa Red DiamondsAl AinUlsan HD
Club World Cup groups and format
The draw for the 2025 Club World Cup took place on December 5, 2024.
Defending champions Manchester City have been grouped with Juventus, while Chelsea have been drawn in the same group as Flamengo.
The top two teams in each group qualifying to the knockout stage.
The last-16 stage – the first single knockout round – then moves to the quarter-final, semi-final and then final. There is no third-placed play-off between the two losing semi-final teams.
Group A: Palmeiras (Brz), Porto (Por), Al Ahly (Egy), Inter Miami (USA)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra), Atletico Madrid (Esp), Botafogo (Brz), Seattle Sounders (USA)
Group C: Bayern Munich (Ger), Benfica (Por), Boca Juniors (Arg), Auckland City (Nzl)
Group D: Flamengo (Brz), Chelsea (Eng), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tun), Los Angeles FC (USA)
Group E: River Plate (Arg), Inter Milan (Ita), CF Monterrey (Mex), Urawa Red Diamonds (Jpn)
Group F: Fluminense (Brz), Borussia Dortmund (Ger), Ulsan HD (Kor), Mamelodi Sundowns (Rsa)
Group G: Man City (Eng), Juventus (Ita), Wydad AC (Mor), Al Ain (UAE)
Group H: Real Madrid (Esp), FC Salzburg (Aut), Al Hilal (Rsa), CF Pachuca (Mex)
Is the transfer window being moved forward?
Yes, Premier League clubs have agreed to open the transfer window early due to an exceptional registration period for the expanded Club World Cup.
The window will open between June 1 and June 10, before closing and then re-opening on June 16.
Deadline Day will be on Monday September 1.
What is the prize money for the 2025 Club World Cup?
The winners of the Club World Cup will receive up to £97m ($125m) from FIFA.
Prize money of £774m ($1bn) is to be shared between the 32 clubs – with a £406m ($525m) participation fee shared based on sporting and commercial criteria, and £368m ($475m) shared based on sporting performance.
FIFA are not keeping any revenue and it expects to share another £200m ($250m) with clubs across the world as solidarity payments.
New tournament, new innovations!
Referees will wear body cameras during the Club World Cup, with some footage shown to audiences
Referees wearing body cameras and an upgraded offside detection system will be among the headline innovations at the Club World Cup in the United States, FIFA has revealed.
For the first time at a FIFA tournament, match officials will wear body cameras, with selected footage broadcast live to audiences.
A new, advanced version of semi-automated offside technology – combining Artificial Intelligence, multiple cameras and ball sensors – will be deployed to speed up decision-making while maintaining VAR oversight for marginal calls.
“However, for challenging offside scenarios, the video assistant referee will still validate the information provided by the system before the decision is taken,” FIFA said in a statement.
The tournament will serve as a major testing ground for both systems, the governing body said.
Who are the current Club World Cup champions?
Manchester City added the Club World Cup to their trophy collection in 2023 as Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden helped them breeze to a 4-0 final win over Fluminense.
And what’s this about Robbie Williams at the Club World Cup?
Robbie Williams will perform at the Club World Cup as part of his ambassadorial role at FIFA.
The singer has been named as music ambassador for football’s governing body and will work with FIFA at future events and tournaments.
He performed at the Club World Cup launch event earlier in January and FIFA has confirmed to Sky Sports News that he will be performing at this summer’s tournament.
