After a year of anticipation, the FIFA Club World Cup is back, but not as you know it. The 2025 edition marks the dawn of a new era for global club football, launching a brand-new, expanded 32-team format that transforms the competition into a true “World Cup of clubs.” Hosted across the United States, this month-long spectacle will bring together the champions of every continent, along with other top-ranked teams, to battle for the ultimate prize in club football and a share of a staggering $1 billion prize purse.
This ambitious new tournament is not without its controversies, but it promises to be a spectacular festival of football. This definitive guide explains everything you need to know about the new format, the host cities, the key storylines, and the teams involved in this game-changing event.
What is the New Club World Cup? Understanding the Format
The most significant change is the tournament’s scale and frequency. The old format, a small seven-team competition held annually, has been replaced by a massive 32-team event that will take place every four years, just like the national team World Cup. This new structure is designed to increase the prestige, commercial value, and global appeal of the competition.
The format itself will be very familiar to football fans. The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four. They will play each other once in a round-robin style, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the next stage. From there, the tournament becomes a 16-team, single-elimination knockout bracket—Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and the Final—until a world champion is crowned. There will be no third-place playoff match.
Qualification for this inaugural tournament was based on a four-year cycle of performance in each confederation’s premier club competition. This includes the winners of competitions like the UEFA Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, and the AFC Champions League, as well as other high-ranking clubs based on a points system. This ensures that the tournament features not just recent champions, but also consistently excellent teams from around the globe.
The American Prelude: A Test Run for the 2026 World Cup
The decision to host the inaugural expanded Club World Cup in the United States is a highly strategic one by FIFA. With the USA set to co-host the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2026 alongside Canada and Mexico, this tournament will serve as a crucial dress rehearsal. It provides FIFA and the host cities with a perfect opportunity to test infrastructure, security, transportation, and overall operational readiness on a grand scale. The tournament will be played across 11 host cities, many of which will also be venues for the 2026 World Cup.
This connection is further emphasized by the choice of venue for the final. The 2025 Club World Cup final on July 13 will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the very same stadium that has been selected to host the 2026 World Cup Final. For FIFA, this event is not just a standalone competition; it’s a vital part of the long-term strategy to build excitement and momentum in the lucrative North American market ahead of the sport’s biggest showpiece.
The Calendar Controversy: Player Welfare vs. FIFA’s Ambition
While the new tournament promises excitement and prestige, its creation has not been without significant controversy. The primary criticism has come from player unions, most notably FIFPRO, who have voiced serious concerns about player welfare. The global football calendar is already incredibly saturated, and the addition of a month-long, high-intensity tournament during the traditional summer break period places an even greater physical and mental burden on the world’s top players. Critics argue that this relentless schedule increases the risk of injuries and burnout, leaving elite players with virtually no off-season to rest and recover.
This has created a clear conflict between FIFA’s commercial ambitions and the well-being of the athletes. While the governing body sees the tournament as a major new revenue stream and a way to grow the game, player associations see it as a step too far, pushing their members to their physical limits. This debate over the congested calendar is one of the most pressing issues in modern football, and the success and impact of this first expanded Club World Cup will be closely watched by all stakeholders.
The Complete 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Groups
The draw has produced several intriguing groups and potential matchups, pitting continental champions against each other and setting the stage for some fascinating stories.
- Group A: Inter Miami (USA), Palmeiras (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Seattle Sounders (USA), Botafogo (Brazil)
- Group C: Bayern Munich (Germany), Benfica (Portugal), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Auckland City (New Zealand)
- Group D: Chelsea (England), LAFC (USA), Flamengo (Brazil), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
- Group E: Inter Milan (Italy), River Plate (Argentina), Monterrey (Mexico), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
- Group F: Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Fluminense (Brazil), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Group G: Manchester City (England), Juventus (Italy), Al Ain (UAE), Wydad AC (Morocco)
- Group H: Real Madrid (Spain), Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), RB Salzburg (Austria)
