Everything you need to know about FIFA’s new Club World Cup

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·12 de junho de 2025

Everything you need to know about FIFA’s new Club World Cup

We are now just days away from the beginning of the new-look FIFA Club World Cup, but how will it all work?

Some of the best teams and best players in the world will take part in the competition. Here is everything else that you need to know about the tournament:

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The competition will take place in the USA, with 12 stadiums hosting matches in 11 different cities.

The four-week tournament will kick off this Saturday, on the 14th of June. The opening match sees Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami take on Egyptian champions Al Ahly. The final is scheduled to take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday the 13th of July.

Who will take part?

The competition is designed to bring together the best clubs from across the planet. Consequently, slots have been granted to each continental football federation. Every team in the tournament has earned their spot during the four-year period between 2021 and 2024.

12 UEFA teams

Europe is the best-represented continent in the competition, with 12 clubs heading to the USA. These teams are the four most recent Champions League winners, with remaining spots being awarded to eight sides through FIFA’s ranking system.

6 CONMEBOL teams

South America will be represented by six sides at the summer tournament. These consist of four Copa Libertadores winners, with two more teams earning their position through rankings.

5 CONCACAF teams

North America, Central America and the Caribbean will have five sides entered into the competition. Three of these are CONCACAF Champions Cup winners and one is from a play-in match. An additional spot was made available to a team from the USA as the host nation of the tournament.

4 AFC teams

Asia will have four clubs in the tournament. Three of these are winners of the AFC Champions League and the fourth has qualified through rankings.

4 CAF teams

Similarly to Asia, Africa will also have four sides at the Club World Cup. These are three winners of the CAF Champions League, with a fourth spot determined by rankings.

1 OFC team

Oceania will have a sole representative at the competition and this team has been decided based on rankings.

How will it work?

The tournament will follow a fairly simple structure. The 32 teams have been split into eight groups of four, with no more than two sides from the same continent in a group.

Each team will face off once in a round-robin group stage. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages.

The knockout stages will begin with a round of 16. Each tie will be decided in a single leg, with extra time and penalties taking place if required. The tournament will continue like this until the end, following the same format as the World Cup.