The newly restructured FIFA club World Cup is expected to take place in the United States this summer from June 15 to July 13.
There have been major changes in the tournament, which previously took place each year with only seven teams, but will now have 32 teams and will take place every four years.
The tournament will showcase clubs of the six football confederations: Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), North and Central America (Concacaf), South America (Conmebol), Oceania (OFC) and Europe (UEFA).
European clubs have received 12 places, the highest among the confederations. The qualification has been determined by the performance of the club in the Champions League in the last four seasons, which means that the former winners such as Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid have obtained their place.
Additional European teams have qualified through the UEFA classification system, although a limit of two clubs per country meant that Liverpool missed despite their high performance in the 2022 Champions League.
Asia, Africa and the Federations of North America and North America, each have four allocated locations, while South America has six and Oceania has one.
How is the World Cup of FIFA structured?
The structure of the Repudé Club World Cup reflects that of FIFA international tournaments.
The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four, each team playing the others in a round format.
The first two of each group are advancing at the direct elimination stages. However, unlike the World Cup, this tournament will not include third place. The final is scheduled for July 13, 2025.
32 clubs, a world champion.
The road to #Fifacwc Glory starts in 100 days! 🗺️🇺🇸#Takeittotheworld
– FIFA club World Cup (@fifacwc) March 6, 2025
Who participates in the FIFA club World Cup?
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, Tunis Sports Esperance, Chelsea, Club Leon
Group E: River plate, Urawwa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg
Why do Lionel Messi and Inter Miami play in the FIFA club World Cup?
A place in the tournament is reserved for a club of the host nation, and FIFA allocated this place to Inter Miami on the basis of their Shield victory for supporters of 2024 MLS, given to the team with the best regular season record.
Although Inter Miami was eliminated in the MLS qualifiers and are not the league champions, their invitation has triggered a debate, some interpreting it as FIFA’s efforts to ensure the participation of Lionel Messi in a tournament that has not yet generated excitement.
– FIFA club World Cup (@fifacwc) March 18, 2025
Where will FIFA club World Cup matches be played?
The tournament will be held in 12 stadiums in the United States, a year before the nation co-hosts the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. The matches will be played in:
Atlanta: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Charlotte: TQL stadium
Cincinnati: Bank of America Stadium
Los Angeles: Rose stadium
Miami: Hard Rock Stadium (opening match)
Nashville: Geodis Park
New Jersey: Metlife Stadium (final match)
Orlando: Camping World Stadium & Inter & Co Stadium
Philadelphia: Lincoln Financial Field
Seattle: Field of light
Washington DC: Audi field
Where to watch the FIFA club world cup: television channel, online flow
The Dazn streaming platform has obtained exclusive broadcasting rights and will broadcast the 63 games for free. There is also the potential for sub-booking for free local broadcasters.
Why is the FIFA World Cup controversial?
FIFA is currently facing legal action by unions and players of players due to planning problems.
Critics argue that the football calendar becomes “supersaturated”, which increases the risks for the security and well-being of players.
Some players, such as Alisson de Liverpool and Rodri de Manchester City, openly expressed concerns about the growing number of games. The time of the tournament is another problem, because there are only five weeks between the Club World Cup final and the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season on August 16.
The club World Cup also partially rides the Euro 2025 women, which takes place from July 2 to 27.
