FIFA is putting $1 billion on the table and inviting 32 clubs from football’s six federations to play in the United States this summer at the newest show in town: the Club World Cup.
So what’s the deal? Read on to have all your burning questions answered…
What is this new Club World Cup, then?
Funny you should ask. It’s a new mega-tournament courtesy of FIFA, featuring 32 teams from across the globe. It launches in the United States this summer.
Wait, isn’t there already a Club World Cup?
There was. But this is the big-budget reboot: more teams, more games, more prize money. The old version featured just seven teams and ran every year, with the European champions only rocking up for two matches and nearly always carting off the trophy.
This new edition happens once every four years and is designed to feel more like an international tournament, with FIFA hoping it will grow the game worldwide.
Who’s playing?
In 2025, 32 teams from six confederations – AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and, of course, UEFA – will be split into eight groups of four. The top two in each group advance to the last 16, then it’s a straight knockout until the final.
Matches are being played across 12 venues in 11 US cities, including New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
Go on then, reveal the teams and tell me the groups…
With pleasure:
Group A
- Palmeiras
- Porto
- Al Ahly
- Inter Miami CF
Group B
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Atletico Madrid
- Botafogo
- Seattle Sounders FC
Group C
- Bayern Munich
- Auckland City
- Boca Juniors
- Benfica
Group D
- Flamengo
- Esperance de Tunis
- Chelsea
- Los Angeles FC
Group E
- River Plate
- Urawa Red Diamonds
- Monterrey
- Internazionale
Group F
- Fluminense
- Borussia Dortmund
- Ulsan HD
- Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G
- Manchester City
- Wydad AC
- Al Ain
- Juventus
Group H
- Real Madrid
- Al-Hilal
- Pachuca
- Red Bull Salzburg
How have Chelsea and Man City qualified? And hang on… what are Red Bull Salzburg doing there?!
It’s quite the assortment, isn’t it?
The European spots were awarded based on Champions League performances between the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons. All the winners – Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid – got automatic entry, while the rest came via the little-known UEFA four-year ranking.
That’s how clubs like Porto, Benfica and Salzburg made the cut.
But… Salzburg? Surely bigger clubs were above them in the ranking?
There were – but FIFA imposed a two-club limit per country (unless all entrants were continental champions, as with Brazil’s quadruple threat). That meant heavyweights like Liverpool, Napoli, Barcelona, Sevilla and AC Milan all missed out, despite higher rankings.
So Salzburg got the final spot thanks to their consistency in qualifying for the Champions League, plus a brief foray into the knockout phase in the 2021/22 season.
Fair play. So when does this all kick off?
June 14. Inter Miami play Egyptian giants Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Wait… Inter Miami? That’s Lionel Messi’s team, right?
Correct. An opaque selection process saw Inter Miami controversially announced as hosts after they won the MLS Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the club in MLS that had the best regular season.
Did they win the actual MLS Cup? Well, no, they actually lost in the first round of the play-offs, but by that point they were already confirmed in the tournament.
Are there plans to get Cristiano Ronaldo involved too?
Possibly. FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed “discussions” were underway to get Ronaldo into the tournament last month.
Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s Saudi club, didn’t qualify – so he’d have to move elsewhere.
Could that actually happen?
Ronaldo’s contract expires on June 30, so there’s a chance. He’s been loosely linked with Brazilian clubs, while Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal are in the tournament – creating the prospect of the spiciest of debuts against former club Real Madrid.
Even Botafogo’s manager, Renato Paiva, has entertained the idea: “You can’t say no to a star like that.”
OK, enough about the GOATs. When does the Club World Cup finish?
July 13, with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
But… that doesn’t give the players much holiday before next season.
It gives them no holiday – at least for those playing in Europe.
Pre-season usually starts in early July. Even if clubs give their stars a short break, they’ll return undercooked for the new campaign.
So when does next season start?
Let’s focus on Europe. The Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 are slated to return the weekend of August 15-17, with the Bundesliga and Serie A starting a week later.
If say, Real Madrid or Man City reach the final, their players would have just 33 days to fly home, rest, do pre-season and be ready for the new campaign.
PSG could have it even worse – there are only 31 days between the Club World Cup final and the UEFA Super Cup on August 13. Maybe it’s not such a daunting task for Tottenham after all.
OK, but not everyone will go that far…
True, but most European giants are likely to make the knockouts.
The round of 16 starts on June 28, quarters on July 4, semis on July 8. The deeper you go, the more pre-season suffers.
At least they can sleep next summer, right?
Nope! Next summer is the actual World Cup – a 48-team extravaganza in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Imagine that first proper lie-in in June 2027…
That’s a lot of pain. What’s the gain?
Global exposure – and money. Lots of it.
The total prize pot is $1 billion, with the winners set to bank around $125 million – similar to what PSG earned from winning the Champions League.
When’s the next one?
2029. After this, the Club World Cup becomes a quadrennial event. The next hosts haven’t been announced yet – but expect more money and possibly even more Messi…