FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Guide: Everything you need to know about football’s all new event | Football News

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Guide: The new tournament in the footballing calendar, the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup kicked off in earnest on Sunday in the USA with a goalless draw between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly. FIFA hopes the four-yearly event will be to club football what the World Cup is to international soccer and establish itself as one of the biggest and wealthiest tournaments in sport.But the tournament had already faced backlash with players and coaches alike, lambasting it as a soul-less cash grab in an already congested football calendar which is detrimental to players’ performance and health. The new Club World Cup is a supersized version of what used to be a short tournament with only seven teams. The new edition includes 32 teams from around the world and will be held every four years, starting next summer in the United States from June 14 to July 13. As its name suggests, it’s envisioned to be club version of the World Cup for national teams.
That means top players will have a monthlong tournament on top of their domestic league season three out of every four years. With more games also added to the Champions League in Europe this season as well as the next World Cup in 2026, the calendar is filling up quickly.
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What is the format?
The Club World Cup has been expanded from seven teams to 32 and will emulate the men’s and women’s World Cups. Eight groups of four teams will play in a round robin mini league, with the top two advancing to a knockout stage, which runs from the round of 16 through to the final.
Which are the teams and the groups?
Group A: Al Ahly (Egypt), Porto (Portugal), Palmeiras (Brazil), Inter Miami (United States)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil), Seattle Sounders (United States)
Group C: Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Benfica (Portugal)Story continues below this ad
Group D: Flamengo (Brazil), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), LAFC (United States)
Group E: River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Monterrey (Mexico), Inter Milan (Italy)
Group F: Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan HD (Republic of Korea), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Group G: Manchester City (England), Wydad AC (Morocco), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Juventus (Italy)Story continues below this ad
Group H: Real Madrid (Spain), Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)

Club World  Cup Schedule ()
Group stage
Sunday, June 15
Al Ahly vs Inter Miami – 5:30 AMBayern Munich vs Auckland City – 9:30 PM
Monday, June 16
Paris Saint-Germain vs Atlético Madrid – 12:30 AMPalmeiras vs Porto – 3:30 AMBotafogo vs Seattle Sounders – 7:30 AM
Tuesday, June 17
Chelsea vs. LAFC – 12:30 AMBoca Juniors vs Benfica – 3:30 AMFlamengo vs Espérance Sportive de Tunis – 6:30 AMFluminense vs Borussia Dortmund – 9:30 PM
Wednesday, June 18Story continues below this ad
River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds – 12:30 AMUlsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns – 3:30 AMMonterrey vs Inter Milan – 6:30 AMManchester City vs Wydad AC – 9:30 PM
Thursday, June 19
Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal – 12:30 AMPachuca vs Red Bull Salzburg – 3:30 AMAl Ain vs Juventus – 6:30 AMPalmeiras vs Al Ahly
Friday, June 20
Inter Miami vs Porto – 12:30 AMSeattle Sounders vs Atlético Madrid – 3:30 AMParis Saint-Germain vs Botafogo – 6:30 AMBenfica vs Auckland City – 9:30 PMFlamengo vs Chelsea – 11:30 PM
Saturday, June 21
LAFC vs Espérance Sportive de Tunis – 3:30 AMBayern Munich vs Boca Juniors – 6:30 AMMamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund – 9:30 PM
Sunday, June 22Story continues below this ad
Inter Milan vs Urawa Red Diamonds – 12:30 AMFluminense vs Ulsan HD – 3:30 AMRiver Plate vs Monterrey – 6:30 AMJuventus vs Wydad AC – 9:30 PM
Monday, June 23
Real Madrid vs Pachuca – 12:30 AMRed Bull Salzburg vs Al-Hilal – 3:30 AMManchester City vs Al Ain – 6:30 AM
Tuesday, June 24
Seattle Sounders vs Paris Saint-Germain – 12:30 AMAtlético Madrid vs Botafogo – 12:30 AMInter Miami vs Palmeiras – 6:30 AMPorto vs Al Ahly – 6:30 AM
Wednesday, June 25
Auckland City vs Boca Juniors – 12:30 AMBenfica vs Bayern Munich – 12:30 AMLAFC vs Flamengo – 6:30 AMGroup D: Espérance Sportive de Tunis vs Chelsea – 6:30 AM
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Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan HD – 12:30 AMMamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense – 12:30 AMInter Milan vs River Plate – 6:30 AMUrawa Red Diamonds vs Monterrey – 6:30 AM
Friday, June 27
Juventus vs Manchester City – 12:30 AMWydad AC vs Al Ain – 12:30 AMAl-Hilal vs Pachuca – 6:30 AMRed Bull Salzburg vs Real Madrid – 6:30 AM
Knockout stage
Saturday, June 28
Winner of Group A vs Runner-up Group B – 9:30 PM
Sunday, June 29
Winner of Group C vs Runner-up Group D – 1:30 AMWinner of Group E vs Runner-up Group F – 9:30 PM
Monday, June 30
Winner Group G vs Runner-up Group H – 1:30 AM
Tuesday, July 1
Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A – 12:30 AMWinner Group D vs Runner-up Group C – 6:30 AM
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Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group E – 12:30 AMWinner Group H vs Runner-up Group G – 6:30 AM
Saturday, July 5
Quarter-final 1 – 12:30 AMQuarter-final 2 – 6:30 AMQuarter-final 3 – 9:30 PM
Sunday, July 6
Quarter-final 4 – 1:30 AM
Wednesday, July 9
Semi-final 1 – 12:30 AM
Thursday, July 10
Semi-final 1 – 12:30 AM
Monday, July 14
Final – 12:30 AM
Prize money
With a total prize fund of $1 billion, the winner of the Club World Cup could earn $125 million.
FIFA said in March that it had allocated $525 million in guaranteed fees for teams taking part. That ranges from $38.19 million to the top-ranked European team to $3.58 million for the representative from Oceania, Auckland City.
A further $475 million is earned results in the 63 games, with $2 million paid for winning group stage games, $7.5 million for playing in the round of 16 and $40 million to the team that wins the final.Story continues below this ad
When and where to watch the Club World Cup in India?
Indian fans can livestream the Club World Cup on the DAZN app.
(With agency inputs)