We explain the format of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where the matches will take place, which teams are in each group and how to watch on TV.
Domestic seasons are coming to a close across the globe and there is plenty of excitement about this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, which has been expanded to 32 teams for the first time.
We have produced a guide of everything you need to know about the revamped tournament and how it works, from which teams are taking part to where the matches are being played and how much prize money is up for grabs.
Read on for more, and make sure to check out our full breakdown of the Club World Cup fixtures, and our football betting page for all the latest Club World Cup odds, markets and specials.
When will the 2025 Club World Cup take place?
This year’s Club World Cup will take place between June 15-July 13, 2025 and the tournament will now be held every four years rather than each season.
Who will be playing in the 2025 Club World Cup?
As a result of the new revamp, there will be 32 teams taking place in this summer’s Club World Cup and the entrants will come from all six of FIFA’s confederations: Asia, Africa, CONCACAF (North & Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), Oceania and Europe.
Europe will have the greatest number of entrants with 12 and the qualified teams have been selected based on their records in the last four Champions Leagues and their UEFA ranking.
However, they are restricted to just two entrants from each country so Chelsea and Manchester City will be the Premier League’s sole representatives.
There will be six clubs from South America, four each from Africa, Asia and CONCACAF, while Auckland City will be the sole Oceania outfit.
There is one place available to the host nation, which went to Inter Miami, the team who had the best regular-season record in Major League Soccer, which means Lionel Messi should be involved.
Where will the Club World Cup matches be played?
The matches are set to take place in the United States and will be hosted at the following stadia:
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
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TQL Stadium, Charlotte
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Bank of America Stadium, Cincinnati
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Rose Bowl, Los Angeles
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Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
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GEODIS Park, Nashville
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MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
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Camping World Stadium, Orlando
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Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando
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Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
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Lumen Field, Seattle
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Audi Field, Washington
The first game will be played in Miami and the final will be in New Jersey.
What will be the new format of the Club World Cup?
With 32 teams taking part in the tournament, it will have a familiar look to those who have watched previous international World Cups.
The teams are divided into eight groups of four with the top two progressing to the last-16, where the knockout stage will begin.
The winners of each match will progress until the final is played between the two remaining teams.
Unlike the international World Cup, there will be no third-place playoff.
Here are the details of who will be in which group:
Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
Group D: Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, Chelsea, Club Leon
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg
What was the previous format of the Club World Cup?
The predecessor to the Club World Cup started life as the InterContinental Cup in 1960 as a two-legged affair between the winners of the European Cup and the South American equivalent the Copa Libertadores.
That continued until 1979, but often the European Cup winners would cite scheduling issues as a reason not to play and, when they did take place, the matches were generally and notoriously bad-tempered.
The one-off format started in 1980 when Nottingham Forest lost to Penarol in Tokyo and the tournament stayed in Japan until it was finally amalgamated with the Club World Cup in 2004.
There was one Club World Cup in Brazil in 2000 when eight teams played in two groups.
Manchester United were among them having begrudgingly taken part under pressure from the FA, who were anxious not to upset FIFA as they were bidding for the 2006 World Cup, which eventually took place in Germany.
The winners of the six Confederation titles were invited to the first tournament in 2004 and the format was changed once again in 2007.
Then, the champions of the host nation would face the champions of Oceania to join the Asian, African and CONCACAF champions in the quarter-finals. The winners would then face the European and South American champions in the semi-finals.
Where to watch matches in the Club World Cup?
The exclusive rights for the tournament have been bought by DAZN, who will be showing all 63 matches free-to-view on their platforms.
A total of 23 matches will also be shown in the UK on Channel 5.
What is the prize money at the Club World Cup?
There is a total of £775m up for grabs in the tournament with prize money being awarded for group wins, draws and general progress in the competition. The winners will receive the first prize of £30m.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: https://blog.betway.com/football/how-does-the-new-club-world-cup-format-work/
