- The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will run from 14 June to 13 July across 12 iconic stadiums in the United States.
- 32 elite clubs will compete, including UEFA Champions League winners PSG, Premier League giants Chelsea, and Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid.
- Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami also joins the lineup, bringing global star appeal to the inaugural edition.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to kick off on 14 June 2025, with 32 elite teams descending on the United States to compete for the prestigious title of the world’s finest club over the last four seasons, with 63 fixtures packed into 29 days
The 32 clubs include the recently crowned UEFA Champions League winners PSG, multiple-time Premier League titans Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid, all of whom earned the right to feature in this inaugural tournament through consistent excellence.
Also joining them is Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, adding star power to the competition.
What is the format of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?
Just like the old UEFA Champions League structure and the traditional format of the FIFA World Cup, this tournament will see the 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, with each team vying for a place in the knockout phase the Round of 16.
In the group stage, the top two teams -the group winner and the runner-up, will progress to the Round of 16.
The Round of 16 will mark the start of the single-elimination knockout rounds, progressing through the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and culminating in the final. There will be no third-place playoff between the semi-final losers.
How did the 32 teams qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup?
Africa will be represented by clubs that shone in the CAF Champions League.
The Egyptian giants Al Ahly earned automatic qualification due to their dominant performances, clinching titles in the 2020–2021, 2022–2023, and 2023–2024 seasons.
Wydad Casablanca from Morocco also qualified by winning the 2021–2022 season.
ES Tunis from Tunisia and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa complete Africa’s quartet, both securing their spots via the CAF ranking pathway.
Europe will be represented by 12 powerhouses which is more than any other continent with 4 clubs qualifying via the Champions League Pathway and 8 through the UEFA Ranking Pathway:
- Chelsea (England)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Manchester City (England)
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- Inter Milan (Italy)
- Porto (Portugal)
- Benfica (Portugal)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Juventus (Italy)
- Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- FC Salzburg (Austria)
North and South America will each send four clubs through the CONCACAF Champions Cup:
- Monterrey (Mexico) – 2021 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners
- Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners
- LAFC – 2025 CONCACAF playoff winners, replacing Club León
- Pachuca (Mexico) – 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners
Asia will have four representatives, with three qualifying via the AFC Champions League and one through the AFC Ranking Pathway:
- Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) – 2021 AFC Champions League winners
- Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) – 2022 AFC Champions League winners
- Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) – 2023/24 AFC Champions League winners
- Ulsan Hyundai FC (South Korea) – qualified via the AFC Ranking Pathway
South America will send six clubs – four through the CONMEBOL Libertadores and two via the Ranking Pathway:
- Palmeiras (Brazil) – 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners
- Flamengo (Brazil) – 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners
- Fluminense (Brazil) – 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners
- River Plate (Argentina) – CONMEBOL Ranking Pathway
- Boca Juniors (Argentina) – CONMEBOL Ranking Pathway
- 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners (TBD)
Oceania will have one representative:
- Auckland City (New Zealand) – qualified through the OFC Ranking Pathway
The 32nd place at the Club World Cup is reserved for a representative of the host country, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on October 18 that Inter Miami CF had been invited.
Why was Club Leon ousted?
Club Leon had secured qualification for the Club World Cup by winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.
However, since Leon and Pachuca are both under Grupo Pachuca ownership, and FIFA prohibits multiple clubs with shared ownership from participating in the same tournament, León was disqualified.
Pachuca’s participation remains intact. Leon was initially slated to be in the same group as Chelsea.
To fill the vacancy, FIFA arranged a playoff between LAFC (runners-up of the 2023 CONCACAF final) and Club America, the highest-ranked team during the qualifying period.
The playoff was held on Saturday, May 31 at LAFC’s BMO Stadium, where LAFC came from behind to win 2-1 in extra time.
When and where is the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?
The tournament begins on June 14, although the first match between Al Ahly and Inter Miami kicks off at 3.00am EAT on June 15 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Where?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will unfold across 12 iconic stadiums in the United States:
- Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte – 74,860
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 71,000
- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia – 69,879
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami – 64,760
- Camping World Stadium, Orlando – 60,219
- Rose Bowl, Los Angeles – 89,702
- Lumen Field, Seattle – 68,740
- Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando – 25,500
- GEODIS Park, Nashville – 30,109
- TQL Stadium, Cincinnati – 26,000
- Audi Field, Washington, D.C. – 20,000
- MetLife Stadium, New Jersey – 82,500 (Final venue)
What’s at stake for FIFA Club world Cup participants?
Prize money totalling £774 million ($1 billion / KSh 129.5 billion) will be distributed among the 32 clubs:
- £406 million ($525 million / KSh 67.8 billion) as a participation fee, shared based on sporting and commercial performance.
- £368 million ($475 million / KSh 61.5 billion) will be awarded based on on-field success.
- The eventual champions stand to receive up to £97 million ($125 million / KSh 16.2 billion) from FIFA.
Note: Currency conversions reflect the current rate of $1 = KSh 128.5.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 – Full schedule & match dates
- Note: All times are in East Africa Time (EAT)
Group Stage
Sunday, June 15
- Group A: Al Ahly vs Inter Miami – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 3:00am
- Group C: Bayern Munich vs Auckland City – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group B: PSG vs Atletico Madrid – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group A: Palmeiras vs Porto – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 1:00am
Monday, June 16
- Group B: Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders – Lumen Field, Seattle; kick-off at 5:00am
- Group D: Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group C: Boca Juniors vs Benfica – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 1:00am
Tuesday, June 17
- Group D: Flamengo vs Esperance de Tunis – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group F: Fluminense vs Borussia Dortmund – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group E: River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds – Lumen Field, Seattle; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group F: Ulsan Hyundai vs Mamelodi Sundowns – Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando; kick-off at 1:00am
WednesdayJune 18
- Group E: Monterrey vs Inter Milan – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group G: Manchester City vs Wydad AC – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group H: Real Madrid vs Al Hilal – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group H: CF Pachuca vs FC Salzburg – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick-off at 1:00am
Thursday, June 19
- Group G: Al Ain vs Juventus – Audi Field, Washington, D.C.; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group A: Palmeiras vs Al Ahly – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group A: Inter Miami vs Porto – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group B: Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid – Lumen Field, Seattle; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group B: PSG vs Botafogo – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick-off at 1:00am
Friday, June 20
- Group C: Benfica vs Auckland City – Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group D: Flamengo vs Chelsea – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 9:00pm
- Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Esperance de Tunis – GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick-off at 1:00am
Saturday, June 21
- Group C: Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group E: Inter Milan vs Urawa Red Diamonds – Lumen Field, Seattle; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group F: Fluminense vs Ulsan Hyundai – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 1:00am
- Group E: River Plate vs Monterrey – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick-off at 1:00am
Sunday, June 22
- Group G: Juventus vs Wydad AC – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group H: Real Madrid vs CF Pachuca – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group H: FC Salzburg vs Al Hilal – Audi Field, Washington, D.C.; kick-off at 1:00pm
Monday, June 23
- Group G: Manchester City vs Al Ain – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group B: Seattle Sounders vs PSG – Lumen Field, Seattle; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Group B: Atletico Madrid vs Botafogo – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick-off at 7:00pm
Tuesday, June 24
- Group A: Inter Miami vs Palmeiras – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group A: Porto vs Al Ahly – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group C: Auckland City vs Boca Juniors – GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group C: Benfica vs Bayern Munich – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick-off at 10:00pm
Wednesday, June 25
- Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Flamengo – Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group D: Esperance de Tunis vs Chelsea – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 4:00am
- Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan Hyundai – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group E: Inter Milan vs River Plate – Lumen Field, Seattle; kick-off at 1:00am
- Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs Monterrey – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick-off at 1:00am
Thursday, June 26
- Group G: Juventus vs Manchester City – Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group G: Wydad AC vs Al Ain – Audi Field, Washington, D.C.; kick-off at 10:00pm
- Group H: Al Hilal vs CF Pachuca – GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick-off at 4:00am
Friday, June 27
- Group H: FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 4:00am
Knockout Stage – Round of 16
Saturday, June 28
- Match 49: Group A winners vs Group B runners-up – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Match 50: Group C winners vs Group D runners-up – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick-off at 1:00am
Sunday, June 29
- Match 51: Group B winners vs Group A runners-up – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Match 52: Group D winners vs Group C runners-up – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 1:00am
Monday, June 30
- Match 53: Group E winners vs Group F runners-up – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick-off at 10:00pm
Tuesday, July 1
- Match 54: Group G winners vs Group H runners-up – Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick-off at 4:00am
Wednesday, July 2
- Match 55: Group H winners vs Group G runners-up – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick-off at 10:00pm
Thursday, July 3
- Match 56: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick-off at 4:00am
Quarter-Finals
Friday, July 4
- Match 57: Winner Match 53 vs Winner Match 54 – Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick-off at 10:00pm
Saturday, July 5
- Match 58: Winner Match 49 vs Winner Match 50 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick-off at 4:00am
- Match 59: Winner Match 51 vs Winner Match 52 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick-off at 7:00pm
- Match 60: Winner Match 55 vs Winner Match 56 – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 1:00am
Semi-Finals
Tuesday, July 8
- Match 61: Winner Match 57 vs Winner Match 58 – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 10:00pm
Wednesday, July 9
- Match 62: Winner Match 59 vs Winner Match 60 – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 10:00pm
Final – FIFA Club World Cup 2025
- Sunday, July 13
- Match 63: Winner Match 61 vs Winner Match 62 – MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey; kick-off at 10:00pm