The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to kick off on June 14th, 2025, in the United States, marking the first edition of the expanded 32-team tournament. This revamped competition, mirroring the format of the FIFA World Cup, promises a month of thrilling matches across 11 cities, culminating in the final on July 13th.
The tournament begins with a group stage, running from June 14th to June 26th, where the 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four. Each team will play three matches in a round-robin format within their group. The top two teams from each group will then advance to the knockout stage, starting with the round of 16 from June 28th to July 1st. The quarterfinals are scheduled for July 4th and 5th, followed by the semi-finals on July 8th and 9th. The final showdown will take place on July 13th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The opening match will feature Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, against Al Ahly of Egypt at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Other notable early matches include Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City in Cincinnati, PSG vs. Atletico Madrid in Pasadena, and Chelsea vs. LAFC in Atlanta. Manchester City, the defending champions from the previous seven-team format in 2023, will begin their campaign against Wydad AC, Al Ain, and Juventus.
The participating teams represent all six FIFA confederations. Europe (UEFA) has 12 slots, filled by recent Champions League winners like Chelsea (2021), Real Madrid (2022, 2024), and Manchester City (2023), as well as teams based on UEFA ranking, such as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and PSG. South America (CONMEBOL) has six slots, including Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo, along with River Plate and Boca Juniors. Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), and North and Central America (CONCACAF) each have four representatives, while Oceania (OFC) has one, Auckland City.
Several factors determined qualification for the tournament. In most cases, the winners of the premier club competition in each confederation from 2021-2024 earned a spot. Some slots were also filled based on club ranking over the four-year period.
The tournament will be hosted across 12 venues in 11 cities across the USA: Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C. This widespread hosting aims to bring the excitement of the Club World Cup to fans across the country, serving also as a prelude to the 2026 FIFA World Cup which the USA will co-host.
With a prize pool of $1 billion USD up for grabs, the stakes are high. The winner will not only claim the title of the world's best club team but also secure a substantial financial reward. All 63 matches will be available live on Kayo Sports and Foxtel in Australia, with a dedicated 24/7 channel, highlights, and supplementary programming. DAZN will also provide global coverage, with TNT Sports co-broadcasting 24 games in a special deal.
The expanded format and increased participation from across the globe aim to make the FIFA Club World Cup a true celebration of international club football.
