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FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Full Preview, Format, Teams & Fixtures

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FIFA Club World Cup 2025 trophy

FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Full Preview, Format, Teams & Fixtures

FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Full Preview, Format, Teams & Fixtures

By Sportypoll Staff I June 4, 2025

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 trophy

Truth be told, the FIFA Club World Cup has never been one of football’s headline acts. FIFA wants to change that by giving the tournament a full-scale makeover this summer — and for the inaugural edition, global icon Lionel Messi will be right at the heart of it.

The old seven-team format has been scrapped. A Champions League-style spectacle will be held in its place: 32 clubs, 63 matches, and 29 days of action across the United States.
It’s FIFA’s boldest club competition yet. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The FIFA Club World Cup brings together the top-performing football clubs from across the globe — and in 2025, the tournament is set for its biggest edition yet.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Format

For the first time in the tournament’s 24-year history, the FIFA Club World Cup will feature 32 teams — adopting the same group-and-knockout format used in the international World Cup. The old format featured just seven sides: one from each continent and an extra from the host nation. Now, the expanded field better reflects the global club landscape. Also, for the first time, the tournament will be held every four years instead of annually.
Qualification was determined by continental silverware, including UEFA Champions League winners, and four-year rankings from each confederation.
Europe leads the way, with 12 clubs, while South America (CONMEBOL) sends six. Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), and North, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) each have four representatives. Oceania (OFC) has one, and the final spot goes to the host nation’s domestic champion — in this case, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, even though there is some controversy there, more on that later!
The 32 clubs will be split into eight groups of four, playing one match against each group opponent. The top two from each group will advance to the knockout rounds.
Inter Miami will kick off the tournament on 14 June 2025 against Egypt’s Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The final will be held on 13 July at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16, setting up a straight knockout path to the final, complete with extra time and penalties for any drawn ties. Unlike its international counterpart, the Club World Cup will not feature a third-place play-off.

How Have Teams Qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?

Representatives from each of football’s six global confederations will compete in the Club World Cup: AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania), and UEFA (Europe).

With 12 spots on offer, Europe has the largest allocation of places. These spots are awarded based on clubs’ performances in the UEFA Champions League over the last four seasons.

As a result, recent winners Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid have all earned their spots in the tournament.
Additional European places are awarded through UEFA’s ranking system, which takes into account club performances over the last four seasons. With only two teams per nation allowed, Liverpool, runners-up in the 2022 Champions League, did not qualify.
Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, now known as FC Salzburg due to FIFA’s sponsorship regulations, will also take part.
Each of the Asian, African, and North and Central American federations will have four clubs represented. South America secures six spots, while Oceania will have one.
Clubs earned their places based on points accumulated over the past four seasons, reflecting their performances in continental club competitions.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Prize Money

A total prize pot of £775 million will be shared among the 32 participating clubs, with the eventual winners able to pocket up to £97 million.
Each club will receive set amounts depending on their progression through the tournament:
  • Group stage: £1.5m per win, £800k per draw
  • Round of 16: £5.8m
  • Quarter-finals: £10.1m
  • Semi-finals: £16.2m
  • Finalists: £23.2m
  • Winner: £30.0m
Every team will also receive a participation payment, adjusted based on both sporting merit and commercial value.
Unsurprisingly, European clubs lead the earnings table, with UEFA representatives receiving between £9.9m and £29.6m just for participating.

Why Lionel Messi and Inter Miami Are Playing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed on October 18 that Inter Miami would fill the 32nd spot, reserved for a host nation club. That ensures Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest footballer of all time, will headline the first ever expanded Club World Cup, if he is fit to play.

Inter Miami’s inclusion has raised eyebrows, as they are not the reigning MLS Cup winners — the title typically recognised as the league’s top honour. Though they won the Supporters’ Shield with a record-breaking 74 points, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Atlanta United, falling short of true championship status.

Some see FIFA’s early invitation to Inter Miami — issued before the MLS season wrapped up — as a calculated effort to ensure Lionel Messi’s participation in the Club World Cup, a tournament that has historically struggled to capture public attention.

What Happens to the Original Club World Cup?

The new Club World Cup is essentially the ‘best of the best’ competition, adopting the name of the old tournament. But the original December tournament and format has not disappeared, it exists as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Despite the shift to a summer showpiece, FIFA still handed out a global crown in winter. The rebranded Intercontinental Cup ran across the first half of the season, starting in September with home-leg ties in the early rounds. The recent tournament concluded in Qatar, where Real Madrid beat Pachuca 3–0 in the final in Lusail on December 18.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Venues

These are the stadiums that will host matches during the summer showpiece event:

  • Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)
  • MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)
  • Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)
  • Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
  • Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
  • TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)
  • GEODIS Park (Nashville, TN)
  • Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL)
  • Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, FL)
  • Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 - Full Schedule

All times listed in local times: EDT (GMT-4), CDT (GMT-5), PDT (GMT-7) therford – 3:00 PM EDT)

Saturday, 14 June

Group A: Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami (Miami – 8:00 pm EDT)

Sunday, 15 June

Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City (Cincinnati – 12:00 PM EDT)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético de Madrid (Pasadena – 12:00 PM PDT)
Group A: Palmeiras vs. Porto (East Rutherford – 6:00 PM EDT)
Group B: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders (Seattle – 7:00 PM PDT)

Monday, 16 June

Group C: Chelsea vs. TBC* (Atlanta – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group D: Boca Juniors vs. Benfica (Miami – 6:00 PM EDT)
Group C: Flamengo vs. Espérance de Tunis (Philadelphia – 9:00 PM EDT)

Tuesday, 17 June

Group F: Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund (East Rutherford – 12:00 PM EDT)
Group E : River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds (Seattle – 12:00 PM PDT)
Group F: Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns (Orlando – 6:00 PM EDT)
Group E: Monterrey vs. Inter Milan (Pasadena – 6:00 PM PDT)

Wednesday, 18 June

Group G: Manchester City vs. Wydad AC (Philadelphia – 12:00 PM EDT)
Group H: Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal (Miami – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group H: Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg (Cincinnati – 6:00 PM EDT)
Group G: Al Ain vs. Juventus (Washington – 9:00 PM EDT)

Thursday, 19 June

Group A: Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly (East Rutherford – 12:00 PM EDT)
Group A: Inter Miami vs. Porto (Atlanta – 3:00 PM EDT)

Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético de Madrid (Seattle – 3:00 PM PDT)

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo (Pasadena – 6:00 PM PDT)

Friday, 20 June

Group C: Benfica vs. Auckland City (Orlando – 12:00 PM EDT)

Group D: Flamengo vs. Chelsea (Philadelphia – 2:00 PM EDT)
Group D: TBC* vs. Espérance de Tunis (Nashville – 5:00 PM CDT)
Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors (Miami – 9:00 PM EDT)

Saturday, 21 June

Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund (Cincinnati 12:00 PM EDT)
Group E: Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds (Seattle – 12:00 PM PDT)
Group F: Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD (East Rutherford – 6:00 PM – EDT)
Group E: River Plate vs. Monterrey (Pasadena – 6:00 PM – PDT)

Sunday, 22 June

Group G: Juventus vs. Wydad AC (Philadelphia – 12:00 PM EDT)
Group H: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca (Charlotte – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Al Hilal (Washington – 6:00 PM EDT)
Group G: Manchester City vs. Al Ain (Atlanta – 9:00 PM EDT)

Monday, 23 June

Group B: Atlético de Madrid vs. Botafogo (Pasadena – 12:00 PM PDT)
Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain (Seattle – 12:00 PM PDT)
Group A: Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras (Miami Gardens – 9:00 PM EDT)
Group A: Porto vs. Al Ahly (East Rutherford – 9:00 PM EDT)

Tuesday, 24 June

Group C: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich (Charlotte – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group C: Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors (Nashville – 2:00 PM CDT)
Group D: Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea (Philadelphia – 9:00 PM EDT)
Group D: TBC* vs. Flamengo (Orlando – 9:00 PM EDT)

Wednesday, 25 June

Group E: Inter Milan vs. River Plate (Seattle – 6:00 PM PDT)
Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey (Pasadena – 6:00 PM PDT)
Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD (Cincinnati – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense (Miami – 3:00 PM EDT)

Thursday, 26 June

Group G: Wydad AC vs. Al Ain (Washington – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group G: Juventus vs. Manchester City (Orlando – 3:00 PM EDT)
Group H: Al Hilal vs. Mexico Pachuca (Nashville – 9:00 PM EDT)
Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid (Philadelphia – 9:00 PM EDT)

Round of 16

Saturday, 28 June

Winners of Group A vs. Runners-up of Group B (Philadelphia – 12:00 PM EDT)
Winners of Group C vs. Runners-up of Group D (Charlotte – 4:00 PM EDT)

Sunday, 29 June

Winners of Group B vs. Runners-up of Group A (Atlanta – 12:00 PM EDT)
Winners of Group D vs. Runners-up of Group C (Miami – 4:00 PM EDT)

Monday, 30 June

Winners of Group E vs. Runners-up of Group F (Charlotte – 3:00 PM EDT)
Winners of Group G vs. Runners-up of Group H (Orlando – 9:00 PM EDT)

Tuesday, 1 July

Winners of Group H vs. Runners-up of Group G (Miami – 3:00 PM EDT)

Winners of Group F vs. Runners-up of Group E (Atlanta – 9:00 PM EDT)

Quarterfinals

Friday, 4 July

Winners of Match 53 vs. Winners of Match 54 (Orlando – 3:00 PM EDT)
Winners of Match 49 vs. Winners of Match 50 (Philadelphia – 9:00 PM EDT)

Saturday, 5 July

Winners of Match 51 vs. Winners of Match 52 (Atlanta – 12:00 PM EDT)
Winners of Match 55 vs. Winners of Match 56 (East Rutherford – 4:00 PM EDT) Semi-finals

Tuesday, 8 July

Winners of Match 57 vs. Winners of Match 58 (East Rutherford – 3:00 PM EDT)

Wednesday, 9 July

Winners of Match 59 vs. Winners of Match 60 (East Rutherford – 3:00 PM EDT) Final

Sunday, 13 July

Winners of Match 61 vs. Winners of Match 62 (East Rutherford – 3:00 PM EDT)

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