The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup ushers in a new era for global club football. For the first time ever this prestigious club competition is expanded to 32 teams (from every continent) and staged over a month-long summer schedule. The tournament will be hosted by the United States from mid-June to mid-July 2025 (officially June 14–July 13) (FIFA.com). Previously run in a small winter format, the 2025 edition is now a quadrennial flagship event featuring heavyweights from Europe, South America, North America, Asia and Africa. FIFA Club Worldcup’s decision to overhaul the event was announced years earlier as part of a push to globalize the sport (Sky Sports). For context, Manchester City won the 2023 edition and is the defending champion. The expanded format and record $1 billion prize fund (Reuters) mean that global stars like Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Erling Haaland (Man City), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) and others will vie for the title.
FIFA Club Worldcup Tournament Overview and Context
The 2025 edition marks the 21st Club World Cup, but the first under the vastly expanded format (FIFA.com). Held every four years rather than annually (BBC Sport), it replaces the old seven-team model with a World Cup–style layout: 32 clubs in eight groups of four, followed by knockout rounds. In total 63 matches will be played in 12 U.S. venues (in 11 cities) (ESPN), from group-stage games to the final at MetLife Stadium (NJ). Prior editions were limited to continental champions and a host team (7 clubs total), but FIFA Club Worldcup’s new structure brings in many additional top clubs (FIFA.com). The expanded tournament format – approved by FIFA Club Worldcup Council – is intended as a global showcase of elite club soccer.
FIFA Club Worldcup Participating Teams and Groups
FIFA Club Worldcup’s 32 tournament slots are filled by continental champions plus additional qualifiers. The slots are allocated by confederation: UEFA (Europe) 12 teams, CONMEBOL (South America) 6, CONCACAF (North/Central America) 5 (including host USA), AFC (Asia) 4, CAF (Africa) 4, and OFC (Oceania) 1 (FIFA.com). The qualified clubs include the 2024 continental winners (e.g. Champions League, Libertadores) as well as the next-best teams from Europe and South America by performance ranking. Notable participants are former winners like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, perennial finalists like River Plate and Flamengo, and Inter Miami (USA), which qualified as MLS’s host representative (CBS Sports).
The 32 clubs are drawn into eight official groups (A–H). The draw produced the following group composition (FIFA.com):
- Group A: Palmeiras (Brazil, CONMEBOL), FC Porto (Portugal, UEFA), Al Ahly (Egypt, CAF), Inter Miami (USA, CONCACAF).
- Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (France, UEFA), Atlético Madrid (Spain, UEFA), Botafogo (Brazil, CONMEBOL), Seattle Sounders (USA, CONCACAF).
- Group C: Bayern Munich (Germany, UEFA), Benfica (Portugal, UEFA), Boca Juniors (Argentina, CONMEBOL), Auckland City (New Zealand, OFC).
- Group D: Flamengo (Brazil, CONMEBOL), Chelsea (England, UEFA), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia, CAF), LAFC (USA, CONCACAF).
- Group E: River Plate (Argentina, CONMEBOL), Inter Milan (Italy, UEFA), CF Monterrey (Mexico, CONCACAF), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan, AFC).
- Group F: Fluminense (Brazil, CONMEBOL), Borussia Dortmund (Germany, UEFA), Ulsan Hyundai (Korea, AFC), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa, CAF).
- Group G: Manchester City (England, UEFA), Juventus (Italy, UEFA), Wydad AC (Morocco, CAF), Al Ain (UAE, AFC).
- Group H: Real Madrid (Spain, UEFA), FC Salzburg (Austria, UEFA), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia, AFC), Pachuca (Mexico, CONCACAF).
FIFA Club Worldcup Tournament Structure and Schedule
The competition begins with round-robin play within each group (6 matches per group). The top two from each group advance to the knockout phase (16 teams). In the Round of 16, group winners play runners-up from other groups, then winners progress to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. (There is no third-place match in this edition, unlike past World Cups) (ESPN). The bracket is a straight elimination, so each knockout game is win-or-go-home.
All 63 matches are in the USA from June 14 to July 13, 2025 (FIFA.com). Twelve stadiums in 11 cities are in use (e.g. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the opener, MetLife in New Jersey for the final) (Sky Sports). According to FIFA Club Worldcup’s official announcements, matchups and schedules were finalized in a draw held in 2024 (CBS Sports). Teams will face long-distance travel across North America, but squads generally expect sufficient rest days between games.
FIFA Club Worldcup Prize Money Breakdown
FIFA Club Worldcup has underlined the tournament’s significance with unprecedented payouts. The total prize fund is US$1 billion, to be split among the 32 clubs (Reuters). The champion club will receive up to $125 million – the largest single-club prize in football history. Every participant also earns a huge sum: FIFA Club Worldcup’s breakdown is roughly:
- Performance rewards (~$475 million): Clubs earn bonuses for results. In group play, each win is worth $2M (draw $1M). In knockouts the bonuses jump: a Round-of-16 win nets $7.5M, quarterfinal $13.125M, and semifinal $21M (FIFA.com).
- Participation fees (~$525 million): UEFA’s qualifiers get $12.8–$38.2M each (depending on seeding), CONMEBOL clubs about $15.2M each, and all other clubs $9.55M (Sky Sports).
In addition, FIFA Club Worldcup has set aside $250 million in solidarity grants for clubs worldwide (FIFA.com).
FIFA Club Worldcup Advantages of Winning
- Sporting prestige: Being crowned club world champion grants a team the official title of world champion and the right to wear FIFA Club Worldcup’s golden Champions Badge on its jersey (FIFA.com).
- Financial and commercial benefits: Besides the $125M champion’s prize, winners (and even other participants) see big boosts in revenue. FIFA states that champion clubs earn higher merchandise sales, sponsorships, and fan growth (Reuters).
- Long-term legacy: Winning the FIFA Club Worldcup increases club value, boosts global recognition, and strengthens future player recruitment.
FIFA Club Worldcup Predictions and Top Contenders
The Opta “Supercomputer” simulation gives Paris Saint-Germain an 18.5% chance of winning, followed by Manchester City with 17.8% (The Analyst). Other top contenders include Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. Sports Illustrated echoes this, citing squad depth and recent continental form as key factors (Sports Illustrated).
Dark horses include Pachuca (Mexico), Botafogo (Brazil), and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), all of whom have built competitive squads. Inter Miami is expected to advance from the group stage, with ESPN predicting them to finish second in Group A, largely thanks to Messi and Suárez (ESPN).
Sources: FIFA’s official announcementsinside.fifa.cominside.fifa.com; coverage from ESPN and Sky Sportsespn.comnews.sky.com; analysis from The Analyst (Opta)theanalyst.com and Sports Illustratedsi.comsi.com. (Prize money, format and schedules are based on official FIFA communications.)