5️⃣ things you need to know about the new FIFA Club World Cup™ format | OneFootball

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™ will be the first of its kind in history.

Here are five things you must know about the tournament's new format.

The biggest Club World Cup ever

For the past 20 or so years, the annual FIFA Club World Cup™ was comprised of just six clubs - the six reigning continental champions from around the globe.

But this year, for the first time, 32 clubs from around the world will descend upon the United States for what will be the biggest FIFA Club World Cup™ in history.

This format mirrors the FIFA World Cup™, which features international teams, although that tournament will also be expanded to 48 teams when it hits the United States in the summer of 2026.

Like the World Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup™ will now take place every four years instead of annually.

The 32 FIFA Club World Cup™ teams will be divided into eight groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stages. Then we will have Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, before the winner of the final will lift the trophy on 13th July.

It should make for a very interesting watch.

How the teams qualified

📸 Scott Taetsch - 2025 Getty Images

Teams qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup™ through their performance in continental competitions and FIFA rankings over a four-year period.

So winning a competition like the UEFA Champions League or the Copa Libertadores leads to automatic Club World Cup qualification, but you can also qualify simply by performing consistently well in those competitions over the four years leading up to the FIFA Club World Cup™ (in this case 2020 to 2024).

Europe (or rather, the UEFA federation) will be represented by 12 clubs this year, including 2024 Champions League winners Real Madrid.

CONMEBOL (the South American federation) will have six clubs, including 2024 Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo.

Four clubs each will come from the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa) and CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) federations, while New Zealand's Auckland City will be the sole representative of the Oceania Football Confederation.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will appear at the FIFA Club World Cup™ as a specially designated host nation club.

And lastly, a special play-in match between Los Angeles FC and Club América was won by the MLS side to determine the final participant at the tournament.

Multi-club ownership rules

The reason for that aforementioned play-in match between LAFC and Club América was because FIFA enforces strict rules to prevent conflicts of interest from clubs owned by the same entity.

It meant Mexican club León were unfortunately disqualified from the tournament before it had even begun due to being in the same ownership group as another FIFA Club World Cup™ qualifier, Pachuca.

As a result of winning that play-in match, LAFC will enter Group D, where they will face Chelsea, ES Tunis and Flamengo.

Record-breaking prize money at stake

FIFA has unveiled a record-breaking prize and solidarity model for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™, offering USD 1 billion in total prize money to the 32 participating clubs.

Winners can earn up to USD 125 million, with additional funds distributed based on performance and continental representation.

Meanwhile, a separate USD 250 million global solidarity initiative aims to support club football development worldwide.

FIFA will not retain any revenue nor use its reserves, ensuring all income benefits club football.

This marks the largest financial commitment ever for a football tournament and reinforces FIFA's goal of making the sport truly global.

12 stadiums across 11 cities

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™ will be the biggest soccer tournament held in the United States since the 1994 FIFA World Cup™, and it promises to be a truly nationwide event.

Fixtures are set to be played in 12 different stadiums across 11 cities.

The opening match will see Inter Miami taking on Egyptian side Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami on June 14th, with the final taking place at New Jersey's 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium on July 13th.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™ will provide the perfect preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, which takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

📸 Brennan Asplen - 2024 Getty Images