The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to be a groundbreaking event, marking the first edition of the expanded 32-team format. Scheduled from June 14 to July 13, 2025, the tournament will take place across 12 venues in 11 cities throughout the United States. This revamped competition promises a global celebration of club football, bringing together the most successful teams from six international confederations: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA.
The expanded format mirrors that of the FIFA World Cup, with 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. Each team will play the other three sides in their group once, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. The knockout stage will consist of a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. Unlike the FIFA World Cup, there will be no third-place play-off.
Among the qualified teams are Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester City, who secured their spots by winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Chelsea finds themselves in Group D alongside Flamengo, LAFC, and Espérance Sportive de Tunis. Their group stage fixtures are set to take place in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Manchester City is in Group G, where they will face Wydad AC. Other notable teams include Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, River Plate, and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, who controversially earned a spot as a representative of the host nation.
The venues for the tournament span across the United States, showcasing the nation's diverse and vibrant cities. The opening match, featuring Inter Miami against Al Ahly, took place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 14. The final is scheduled for July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, which will also host both semi-finals. Other venues include the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Lumen Field in Seattle, and the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 represents a significant shift from its previous format, which involved only six to eight teams. This expansion aims to create a more inclusive and competitive tournament, providing a platform for clubs from around the world to showcase their talent on a global stage. With a prize pool of $1 billion USD, the stakes are high, and the competition is expected to be fierce. Football fans around the world can anticipate a thrilling month of matches, as the world's best club teams battle it out for the title of world champion. DAZN will broadcast all 63 matches of the tournament live.
