FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is the brainchild of Gianni Infantino
Gianni Infantino FIFA
Ever since its revival in 2005, the FIFA Club World Cup has been an annual tournament where the winners of the continental club competitions would face off against each other to be crowned the best in the world. However, owing to Gianni Infantino’s ambitions, the tournament is going to see a major revamp and the 2025 FIFA World Cup is now set to become a one-month summer spectacle.
This new look tournament was initially set to be played in 2021 with China being the host. However, those plans were scrapped due to the pandemic and after four years, the format is finally set to launch.
As with any new tournament or change, there are dozens of unanswered questions doing the rounds so we have decided to summarise them to make it easier for everyone to wrap their heads around the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 edition.
FIFA Club World Cup Schedule and Format:
Dates: June 14 – July 13, 2025
Host Country: United States
Number of Stadiums: 12
Final Venue: MetLife Stadium, New York
Participating Teams: 32 teams divided into 8 groups of 4 each and the top 2 teams from each group advance to the Round of 16.
Club World Cup 2025 Prize Money: The total prize pool for the tournament is a record-breaking $1 billion. The winner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to receive $125 million.
Broadcasting:
DAZN has acquired the exclusive broadcasting rights for all 63 matches in a landmark deal of $1 billion.
All matches will be streamed globally free of charge making this the most widely accessible club football tournament in history.
Confederation Allocation:
UEFA: 12 teams
CONMEBOL: 6 teams
AFC, CAF, CONCACAF: 4 teams each
OFC: 1 team
Host Nation: 1 team
MetLife Stadium, New York is set to host the final of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
MetLife Stadium, New York
How have all the teams been selected to play in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?
UEFA (Europe):
Chelsea (England) – 2020–21 UEFA Champions League winners
Real Madrid (Spain) – 2021–22 UEFA Champions League winners
Manchester City (England) – 2022–23 UEFA Champions League winners
Bayern Munich (Germany) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Paris Saint-Germain (France) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Inter Milan (Italy) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Porto (Portugal) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Benfica (Portugal) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Juventus (Italy) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Atlético Madrid (Spain) – UEFA 4-year ranking
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) – UEFA 4-year ranking
AFC (Asia) – 4 Teams
Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) – 2021 AFC Champions League winners
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) – 2022 AFC Champions League winners
Al Ain (UAE) – 2023–24 AFC Champions League winners
Ulsan HD (South Korea) – AFC 4-year ranking
CAF (Africa) – 4 Teams
Al Ahly (Egypt) – 2020–21, 2022–23, and 2023–24 CAF Champions League winners
Wydad AC (Morocco) – 2021–22 CAF Champions League winners
Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) – CAF 4-year ranking
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) – CAF 4-year ranking
CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 Teams
Palmeiras (Brazil) – 2021 Copa Libertadores winners
Flamengo (Brazil) – 2022 Copa Libertadores winners
Fluminense (Brazil) – 2023 Copa Libertadores winners
Botafogo (Brazil) – 2024 Copa Libertadores winners
River Plate (Argentina) – CONMEBOL 4-year ranking
Boca Juniors (Argentina) – CONMEBOL 4-year ranking
CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean) – 4 Teams
Monterrey (Mexico) – 2021 CONCACAF Champions League winners
Seattle Sounders FC (USA) – 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners
Pachuca (Mexico) – 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners
Alajuelense (Costa Rica) – CONCACAF 4-year ranking
OFC (Oceania) – 1 Team
Auckland City (New Zealand) – OFC 4-year ranking
Host Nation Slot – 1 Team
Inter Miami CF (USA) – 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners
What are the FIFA Club World Cup Groups?
Group A: Palmeiras (Brazil), FC Porto (Portugal), Al Ahly (Egypt), Inter Miami CF (USA)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil), Seattle Sounders FC (USA)
Group C: Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Benfica (Portugal)
Group D: Flamengo (Brazil), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), either Los Angeles FC or Club America (USA/Mexico)
Group F: Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Group G:Manchester City (England), Wydad AC (Morocco), Al Ain FC (United Arab Emirates), Juventus (Italy)
Group H: Real Madrid (Spain), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), and Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
Team Replacement:
Club Leon was disqualified because of multi-club ownership and the vacant spot will be decided by a playoff between Los Angeles FC and Club America.
Impact on the Summer Transfer Window:
Due to this month-long FIFA Club World Cup, the summer transfer window is set to be hampered. To solve this issue, the Premier League and some other European leagues are going to implement a split transfer window.
The first window will remain active from June 1 until June 10, right before the start of the 2025 FIFA World Cup.
The second window will start on June 16 and will continue until September 1.
A special window will be open from June 27 until July 3 where clubs can replace players whose contracts expire during the tournament.
Players signed during the first window will be eligible to play in the Club World Cup.
Notable FIFA Club World Cup 2025 fixtures in the group stages:
PSG vs Atletico Madrid
Boca Juniors vs Benfica
Real Madrid vs Al Hilal
Inter Miami vs FC Porto
Boca Juniors vs Bayern Munich
Inter vs River Plate
Juventus vs Man City
FIFA Cup World Cup 2025 Trophy
FIFA Cup World Cup 2025 Trophy
What will be the impact of this new CWC tournament?
The first and most obvious impact will be on the players who will get almost no time to rest and recharge themselves for the next season. Fatigue and stress injuries have been on the rise in recent years due to all the added fixtures and this month-long tournament will only add to the woes of the players.
FIFPRO and the World League Forum have already raised concerns over player fatigue and fixture congestion.
Teams which are playing in the Club World Cup will definitely get a chance to showcase their talent to a global audience but this is actually a headache for all the elite European teams. Teams like Real Madrid, PSG and Chelsea have been making elaborate plans for the next seasons but one unwanted injury in the Club World Cup and their whole transfer blueprint will be thrown into disarray.
In reality, European powerhouses who aren’t playing in this tournament are actually better off because they will get the whole summer to prepare and rest their squad.
Conclusion:
Whether this revamped 2025 FIFA Club World Cup turns into spectacle or ends up being yet another burden on an already overloaded football calendar remains to be seen but one thing is for sure, FIFA have found out the ideal way to squeeze every penny out of the beautiful game.