FIFA Club World Cup 2025 – Teams, Groups, Schedule, and Host Cities

The summer of 2025 promises to be action-packed, even without any major national team tournaments. That's because this year will mark the debut of the FIFA Club World Cup in its new, expanded format.

TelecomAsia Sport brings you everything you need to know about the biggest football tournament of the summer: all participating teams, tournament format, group stage draw, match schedule, and the host cities.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025

When and Where the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Will Take Place

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be held from June 15 to July 13 in the United States. Matches will be played across 12 stadiums in 11 American cities.

The opening match of the Club World Cup will be held on June 15 in Miami Gardens, and the final will take place on July 13 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Tournament Format and Team Qualification

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be the 21st edition of the tournament, but the first to be played in an expanded format. The main change is the increase in the number of teams from 7 to 32.

The format will be familiar to fans of the FIFA World Cup. The 32 clubs will be divided into eight groups of four, with each team playing three matches in the group stage. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, starting from the Round of 16.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Tournament stages:

• Group stage: June 15 – June 27
• Round of 16: June 28 – July 2
• Quarter-finals: July 4 – July 5
• Semi-finals: July 8 – July 9
• Final: July 13

Despite the format change, the core idea of the Club World Cup remains the same — it's a competition between the best clubs from each continent. With the increase in the number of participants, the number of slots per confederation has also expanded:

• UEFA (Europe): 12 teams
• CONMEBOL (South America): 6 teams
• CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean): 5 teams
• AFC (Asia): 4 teams
• CAF (Africa): 4 teams
• OFC (Oceania): 1 team

Qualification was based on performance from 2021 to 2024. For European clubs, UEFA club rankings were taken into account. Each national association could send no more than two clubs, and Champions League winners from the past four seasons (such as Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City) received automatic qualification.

As a result, some top clubs — like Liverpool (Premier League champions) and Barcelona — will not participate, as they were overtaken by Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid in UEFA rankings.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup Participants

A total of 32 clubs will take part in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. UEFA has the largest representation with 12 clubs, while Brazil has the most clubs from a single country with 4 teams.

Real Madrid vs Man City

Undoubtedly, most of the fans' attention will be focused on Europe’s top clubs. Giants like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund will all feature at the 2025 Club World Cup. One thing is certain — we’ll see the reigning UEFA Champions League winner in action, with PSG and Inter Milan also heading to the U.S.

There will also be plenty of excitement surrounding clubs from other continents. South America is sending its strongest teams from Brazil and Argentina, along with their passionate fanbases. From the other side of the world comes the star-studded Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia, rumored to have Cristiano Ronaldo temporarily joining the squad for the tournament. And of course, we can’t forget about Lionel Messi, who will definitely take part in the Club World Cup as part of Inter Miami.

Total Payout for Club World Cup Participants Will Reach 1 Billion Euros

2025 FIFA Club World Cup – Group Stage

The group stage will feature 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four clubs each. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.

Key to the table:

P – Played | W – Wins | D – Draws | L – Losses | GF-GA – Goals For/Against | Pts – Points

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Group H

Match Schedule and Tournament Calendar

Please note that the opening match of the 2025 Club World Cup will take place on June 15 at 02:00 CET. The semifinals and the final will be held on July 8, 9, and 13, respectively. The decisive matches will start at 21:00 CET.

Below is the schedule for all tournament matches. Match start times are given in Central European Time (CET).

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final

Where to Watch the 2025 Club World Cup Worldwide

The 2025 Club World Cup (CWC) will be broadcast globally across various networks and streaming platforms. Here’s an overview by region:

Europe:

Key broadcasters include BT Sport in the UK, DAZN in Italy, Spain, and Germany, RMC Sport in France, and ARD/ZDF in Germany for selected matches. Many offer online streaming on their official websites.

North America:

In the USA and Canada, ESPN+ will cover most matches, with Fox Sports broadcasting select games and highlights. In Mexico, Televisa Deportes and Azteca Deportes hold the rights.

Latin America:

Matches will air on DirecTV Sports, ESPN Latin America, and Fox Sports Latin America across the region.

Asia:

beIN Sports will cover the Middle East and North Africa. In India, viewers can watch on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. For Japan, DAZN or local sports channels are expected to broadcast. In China, coverage depends on rights acquisition, potentially via CCTV or PPTV.

Africa:

beIN Sports will cover North Africa, while SuperSport will broadcast in South Africa. Other African countries may have local sports channels airing matches.

Australia and Oceania:

Viewers can watch on Fox Sports Australia and via the streaming service Kayo Sports.

It is advisable to check local listings and streaming platforms closer to the tournament, as broadcasting rights and schedules may be updated. Official FIFA channels may also offer live streams or highlights.

Prize Fund and Tournament Trophy

Why will teams “kill” their preseason cycle and spend an extra month of summer training instead of resting? The prize fund for the 2025 Club World Cup will reach a record $1 billion! Of this amount, $475 million will be distributed based on sporting achievements, and $525 million for participation.

Thus, the first-ever winner of the revamped Club World Cup can earn up to $125 million! This is even more than the UEFA Champions League winner receives. And the champion will play only seven matches in the tournament.

The main trophy was unveiled to the world in November 2024. It is a shield made of several discs that unfold into an orbital structure. The trophy is coated with 24-carat gold and engraved with a world map featuring various football symbols.

Club World Cup

Additionally, the trophy displays the approximate positions of the planets on the date FIFA was founded (May 21, 1904, in Paris) and on the date of the 2025 Club World Cup opening match (June 15, 2025, in Miami). The trophy also bears an inspiring message to the champions: