FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Preview: Who's Playing in New-Look Soccer Tourney?

The new-look FIFA Club World Cup is upon us as we explore the format, schedule, and what to expect from the 32 participating teams.

Gary Pearson

Last updated: June 11, 2025 11:27 AM EDT • 7 min read

FIFA Club World Cup Format, Schedule, Teams: Why Should You Watch Club World Cup? — Pictured: Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid. Photo by Antonio Pozo via Imagn Images .

For the first time, 32 of the world's best club teams will descend upon the United States to battle for soccer supremacy. FIFA presents its newest and shiniest version of the Club World Cup, which takes place from Saturday, June 14 to Sunday, July 13.

We have you covered with all your pressing questions, including what the adapted format looks like, which teams will participate, and whether the tournament - which comes at the end of a long and grueling European campaign - will be worth tuning in for.

🌍 FIFA Club World Cup 2025 format

👉 For more coverage, check out our Club World Cup AI predictions and the FIFA Club World Cup odds:

The powers that be have implemented a format mirroring the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League before those tournaments had a fresh coat of paint slapped on, adapting them to new iterations.

The previous Club World Cup format featured seven teams from six FIFA federations competing in seven matches over 11 days at a single destination.

Now, 32 teams from across the globe form eight groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages.

The knockout stages consist of the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The tournament takes place in 12 cities across the United States, consisting of 63 matches and spanning 29 days.

👊 How did teams qualify for FIFA Club World Cup?

I bet you're wondering how teams punched their FIFA Club World Cup tickets. Well, here's the lowdown.

Teams could qualify in one of two ways:

Winners of a continental tournament, such as the Champions League or CONMEBOL Libertadores, over the last four seasons gained automatic qualification. If a team won more than once in those four years, the spot was reallocated into the second option below.
Non-winners with the highest performance rankings from elite continental tournaments like the Champions League over the four years.

Each football confederation is allocated a certain number of spots based on the overall strength of the competition. For example, UEFA, Europe's confederation, receives the most berths (12) due to its superior competition level.

12 teams from Europe (UEFA)
6 teams from South America (CONMEBOL)
4 teams from Concacaf (North, Central America)
4 teams from Asia (AFC)
4 teams from Africa (CAF)
1 team from Oceania (OFC)
1 team from host nation

🥂 Who qualified for FIFA Club World Cup?

Don't worry; there will be no shortage of eye-popping talent on display. Most of the European behemoths are involved, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid.

Reds' supporters will notice immediately the absence of Liverpool. To that, I say, too bad. Liverpool fans have enjoyed enough glory in recent memory to sit this one out.

The participants' list also includes South American giants Palmeiras, Flamengo, River Plate, and Boca Juniors. The USA is well-represented, with LAFC, Seattle Sounders FC, and Inter Miami.

But how did Inter Miami get past the impenetrable gatekeeper and gain entrance into the tournament? A bit about that later.

For an expansive look at which teams are in the tournament, along with their groups and best bets from our top sports betting sites, check out our overview of each Club World Cup group.

⚽ Club World Cup Group A odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group B odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group C odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group D odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group E odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group F odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group G odds
⚽ Club World Cup Group H odds

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⚽ What to expect from FIFA Club World Cup 2025

While I'm no mind reader, I presume the thought on most people's minds is: Will the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup be worth watching?

I'm not sure about you, but I'll jump at any opportunity to watch the world's best club teams square off in a competitive setting. What makes it must-see TV is that these teams rarely get the chance to pit their skill sets against one another.

This tournament, in its new iteration, offers that chance.

In addition, the prize pool has swelled to a staggering $1 billion, so teams should be taking the tournament seriously. Further indication of that fact is how early some of the participating teams have made significant transfer splashes, providing themselves the best chance of success.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to be aware of:

Schedule burnout: The world's elite soccer players get about as much rest as a single mother of three kids, one of whom is a newborn. Yes, I know; boo-hoo to the commodities that make tens of millions or more annually. But seriously, the soccer schedule has become ludicrous, with players jet-setting from place to place with almost no respite.
Lack of parity: While I intend no offense to Oceania or its sole representative, Auckland City Football Club, they stick out like a fish flapping on the beach. They aren't alone in their inferiority either. Don't be surprised to see some fairly lopsided scores in the opening round.

☀️ Why are Inter Miami, Lionel Messi involved?

That's a great question.

And there's only one viable answer: Lionel Messi.

Let's be honest. There was about as much chance of FIFA excluding the best player of all time from the tournament as Elon Musk and Donald Trump riding off merrily in tandem into the sunset. Messi represents big money, and FIFA is all about money, cash, and anything resembling plunder.

Inter Miami didn't win the MLS Cup. In fact, they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

LA Galaxy, who did win the 2024 MLS Cup, were snubbed. Yes, Inter Miami won the Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record, and broke the MLS record for most points (74) in a single season.

But that's like saying the Winnipeg Jets should be awarded the Stanley Cup for winning the Presidents' Trophy. Then again, who really cares how they secured passage?

I hope that I speak for everyone other than Galaxy supporters by saying I'd much rather watch the maestro pulling the strings than anyone else in the continent, let alone on Los Angeles' roster.

📅 FIFA Club World Cup 2025 schedule

The new-look tournament will be played in the following 12 cities:

🏟️ Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
🏟️ MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford)
🏟️ Lumen Field (Seattle)
🏟️ Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
🏟️ Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
🏟️ TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
🏟️ Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)
🏟️ GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee)
🏟️ Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
🏟️ Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
🏟️ Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
🏟️ Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).

The tournament starts on Saturday, June 14, with the opening match featuring Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The final is on Sunday, July 13, from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. You can check out the entire fixture list here. The tournament will be played every four years, a year prior to the World Cup.

🧐 FIFA Club World Cup picks & info

💵 Best soccer betting sites

Want to bet on the Club World Cup? Here are the best soccer betting sites and best sportsbook promos:

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Written By:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.