Soccer’s largest global club tournament is set to take place in the United States next year, with the draw for the 32-team group stage scheduled for Thursday.
Among the teams participating in FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup are European powerhouses Real Madrid and Manchester City, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, South American champion Botafogo, and leading clubs from Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The tournament, which previously occurred annually in December, will be held in 11 U.S. cities from June 15 to July 13, featuring an expanded format with 32 teams instead of the previous seven. Going forward, the Club World Cup will be held every four years, similar to the World Cup for national teams, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada in 2026.
What to Know About the Club World Cup Draw
The draw will take place in Miami at 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Thursday. The 2025 Club World Cup represents FIFA’s most ambitious project to date, creating a month-long tournament in the traditional mid-June to mid-July timeframe used for the men’s World Cup, which attracts some of the largest global audiences.
The new competition will utilize the 32-team format that was in place for the World Cup from 1998 to 2022, consisting of eight round-robin groups of four teams each, with the top two advancing to a knockout stage of 16. In allocating the 32 spots, FIFA aimed to balance competitiveness with inclusivity, allowing teams from around the world to participate and develop.
Europe will have 12 entries, South America six, while Africa, Asia, and North America will each have four. Oceania will receive one spot, as will the host nation, which will rotate with each edition. Teams qualify by winning their continental championships from 2021 to 2024 or by achieving high rankings over those seasons. Countries are limited to two entries unless they have multiple champions. Brazil will send four different Copa Libertadores winners, while Mexico will provide three CONCACAF champions, including the Seattle Sounders as the other North American representative.
Participating Teams
Prominent European clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain are confirmed participants. However, several current leaders from major European leagues, including Liverpool, Barcelona, Napoli, and Sporting Lisbon, will not compete. Salzburg secured the final European spot last season based on FIFA’s ranking system, although it is currently ranked 32nd in the new 36-team Champions League standings.
Argentina’s top clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors, will participate, alongside Brazil’s Fluminense and Mexico’s Pachuca, both of which are currently mid-table in their respective leagues. African representatives include Egypt’s Al Ahly, a three-time African champion in the last four years, and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, owned by FIFA vice president Patrice Motsepe. Saudi Arabia will be represented by Al-Hilal, the 2021 Asian champion, which recently won its domestic league despite the long-term injury of star player Neymar.
The tournament is expected to showcase a new generation of stars, including Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid, Erling Haaland from Manchester City, and Jamal Musiala from Bayern Munich. Messi’s Inter Miami will also compete, having been granted the host nation’s entry in October. Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Barcelona, featuring Robert Lewandowski, failed to qualify through their continental competitions.
Why Inter Miami is Competing
In previous editions, the Club World Cup included a spot for the host nation’s champion. However, FIFA did not wait for the outcome of the MLS Cup, which will see LA Galaxy face the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Instead, Inter Miami was awarded a spot based on regular-season performance, allowing the team to play three group-stage matches in Florida, including the tournament’s opening game at Hard Rock Stadium.
What’s at Stake
Teams will compete for both prize money and the coveted trophy, although the value of each is a topic of debate among club owners. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised hundreds of millions in prize money, with reports suggesting guarantees of $50 million for top European clubs, though funding sources remain unclear.
FIFA recently signed a global broadcasting deal with streaming service DAZN, which will make all 63 tournament games available for free. The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but DAZN will have the rights to sell broadcasts to public networks. The service has established ties with Saudi Arabia, which is expected to provide financial support for the tournament following the confirmation of the kingdom as the host of the 2034 World Cup.
The new gold trophy, designed by Tiffany, features Infantino’s name engraved twice, along with his signature.
Tournament History
Historically, the champions of Europe and South America faced off in the Intercontinental Cup, held in Japan from 1980 to 2004. FIFA launched a Club World Championship in 2000, but it was not held again for nearly six years. From 2005 until last year, the FIFA Club World Cup was played annually in December, utilizing a seven-team knockout format that included six continental champions and the host nation’s domestic champion. Hosts rotated among Japan, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, Qatar, and, most recently, Saudi Arabia.
This annual event often lacked enthusiasm in Europe, where the UEFA Champions League winner typically participated in just two matches over four days, with Chelsea in 2012 being the only European team to lose in the past 17 years.
When elected in 2016, Infantino emphasized FIFA’s need for a larger, more appealing club event. His previous experience as UEFA general secretary included organizing the Champions League during peak years for stars like Messi and Ronaldo.
Initially, Infantino proposed a $25 billion deal for new tournaments, including a 24-team Club World Cup worth $3 billion every four years starting in 2021, but it faced opposition from European soccer officials. An agreement was reached for a 24-team tournament in June 2021 in China, but it was ultimately scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the failed Super League project in April 2021, FIFA successfully negotiated for a 32-team Club World Cup.
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