5️⃣ things to know about the Club World Cup 🌍 | OneFootball

FIFA is about to write a new chapter in its history with the first 32-team Club World Cup, which will take place from June 14 to July 13, 2025, in the United States.

This marks a major turning point for club football, now inspired by the iconic format of the national World Cup.

Here is everything you need to know.

⚽ A Competition on a Global Scale

For two decades, the Club World Cup brought together only the six continental champions.

This summer, 32 clubs will compete on American soil. This change in scale reflects the growing strength of club football worldwide.

This new format is modeled after the World Cup: eight groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to the round of 16, followed by a knockout stage all the way to the final. The final will be held on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Another major change: the tournament will now take place only every four years, just like the national World Cup.

✅ How the Clubs Qualified

The selection of participating teams is based on two criteria:

Victories in major continental competitions (such as the Champions League or Copa Libertadores).

Consistency over four seasons (2020 to 2024), assessed via FIFA rankings.

🔎 Here are the groups:

Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica

Group D: Flamengo, Espérance de Tunis, Chelsea, Los Angeles FC

Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad Casablanca, Al-Ain FC, Juventus

Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, RB Salzburg

💰 A Historic Jackpot at Stake

FIFA has announced a record prize pool of one billion dollars, distributed among the 32 participating clubs.

The winner could take home up to 125 million dollars, or about 110 million euros.

🏟️ 12 Stadiums, 11 Cities, a National Celebration

To host this unprecedented tournament, the United States is mobilizing 12 stadiums in 11 major cities across the country. Here is the list of selected venues:

Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Charlotte – Bank of America Stadium

Cincinnati – TQL Stadium

Los Angeles – Rose Bowl

Miami – Hard Rock Stadium

Nashville – GEODIS Park

New Jersey – MetLife Stadium

Orlando – Camping World Stadium & Inter&Co Stadium

Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field

Seattle – Lumen Field

Washington DC – Audi Field

The opening match will see Inter Miami face Al Ahly (Egypt) at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on June 14. The final will take place at the legendary MetLife Stadium, which has a capacity of 82,500 seats.

🛡️ Rules to Ensure Fairness

FIFA has implemented strict rules regarding club multi-ownership. This led to the exclusion of Mexican club León, due to its ownership ties with Pachuca, which also qualified.

A play-in match was therefore organized between LAFC and Club América to determine the last CONCACAF representative.

📅 A Dress Rehearsal Before 2026

With such scale, the 2025 Club World Cup promises to be the largest club competition ever held on American soil. It will also serve as a full-scale test ahead of the

2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 Luke Hales - 2025 Getty Images