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The FIFA Club World Cup is an expanded international tournament featuring 32 club teams from six confederations, plus one host nation representative. Think of it as the “World Cup for clubs” rather than countries.
- Date: June–July 2025
- Host: United States
- Format: Group stage (8 groups of 4), then knockout rounds (last 16 onward)
- Games: 63 total matches
- Duration: Four weeks
How Is This Different From the Old Club World Cup?
- Old Format: 6–7 teams, short knockout tournament over 10 days
- New Format: 32 teams, month-long event similar to the men’s national World Cup
Who’s Playing?
Teams qualified by winning their continental titles or being among the best-ranked from the past four years. Breakdown by confederation:
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UEFA (Europe) – 12 Teams
- Real Madrid 🇪🇸
- Manchester City
- Chelsea
- Bayern Munich 🇩🇪
- PSG 🇫🇷
- Inter Milan 🇮🇹
- Juventus 🇮🇹
- Porto 🇵🇹
- Benfica 🇵🇹
- Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪
- Atlético Madrid 🇪🇸
- RB Salzburg 🇦🇹
CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 Teams
- Palmeiras 🇧🇷
- Flamengo 🇧🇷
- Fluminense 🇧🇷
- Botafogo 🇧🇷
- River Plate 🇦🇷
- Boca Juniors 🇦🇷
CONCACAF (North/Central America & Caribbean) – 4 Teams
- Monterrey 🇲🇽
- Seattle Sounders 🇺🇸
- Pachuca 🇲🇽
- Los Angeles FC 🇺🇸
CAF (Africa) – 4 Teams
- Al Ahly 🇪🇬
- Wydad 🇲🇦
- Espérance de Tunis 🇹🇳
- Mamelodi Sundowns 🇿🇦
AFC (Asia) – 4 Teams
- Al-Hilal 🇸🇦
- Urawa Red Diamonds 🇯🇵
- Al Ain 🇦🇪
- Ulsan 🇰🇷
OFC (Oceania) – 1 Team
- Auckland City 🇳🇿
Host Nation (USA) – 1 Team
- Inter Miami 🇺🇸 (MLS Supporters’ Shield winner – regular-season champions)
How to Watch
- Global Streaming: DAZN (all games, all regions)
- US TV: TNT Sports (English), Univision/TUDN/UniMas (Spanish)
- UK TV: Channel 5 (select games, including knockout rounds)
- Australia: Foxtel and Kayo Sports
Prize Money
- Total: $1 billion
- Appearance fees:
- Oceania: $3.58m
- Africa, Asia, North America: $9.55m
- South America: $15.21m
- Europe: $12.81m–$38.19m
- Performance payouts:
- Win in group: $2m | Draw: $1m
- Round of 16: $7.5m
- Quarter-final: $13.1m
- Semi-final: $21m
- Finalist: $30m
- Winner: $40m
Key Fixtures (Group Stage)
Saturday, 14 June
- Al Ahly vs Inter Miami – 8pm ET / 1am BST (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
Sunday, 15 June
- Bayern Munich vs Auckland City – 12pm ET / 5pm BST
- PSG vs Atlético Madrid – 3pm ET / 8pm BST
- Palmeiras vs Porto – 6pm ET / 11pm BST
- Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders – 10pm ET / 3am BST
…and many more games from June 14 to July 11.
Players to Watch
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): The GOAT, still dazzling in pink.
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid): Star attraction, out to prove himself.
- Ousmane Dembélé (PSG): Key to PSG’s Champions League success.
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea): Young leader of Chelsea’s new generation.
- Denis Bouanga (LAFC): MLS’s standout attacker.
- Franco Mastantuono (River Plate): 17-year-old prodigy.
- Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich): Final hurrah with Bayern.
- Estêvão (Palmeiras): Future Chelsea star, electric talent.
- Weston McKennie (Juventus): Homegrown hero.
- Omar Marmoush (Man City): Breakout star, recently signed from Frankfurt.
Venues Across 11 Cities
Major Stadiums:
- MetLife Stadium (Final) – New Jersey (82,500)
- Rose Bowl – Los Angeles (88,500)
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta (75,000)
- Hard Rock Stadium – Miami (65,000)
- Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia (69,000)
Smaller MLS-specific venues:
- Geodis Park (Nashville), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Audi Field (DC), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
🇺🇸 Political Context
- Trump’s Travel Ban: Uncertainty over whether exemptions for World Cup athletes also apply to this tournament.
- FIFA-Trump Connection: Infantino met with Trump earlier this year; unpredictability looms over how Trump may engage with the event.
Will It Be Popular?
- Initial signs: low ticket sales, even for Messi-led Inter Miami
- Matches featuring big European clubs (Real Madrid, PSG, Chelsea) expected to draw bigger crowds
Who’s Likely to Win
- Favorites: PSG, Real Madrid, Manchester City
- Dark Horses: River Plate, Porto, Palmeiras
- Long Shots: Inter Miami, Auckland City
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