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2025 FIFA Club World Cup

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2025 FIFA Club World Cup
Take it to the World
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
DatesJune 15 – July 13, 2025
Teams32 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)12 (in 11 host cities)
← 2023
2029 →

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is the planned 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized by FIFA. The tournament is scheduled to be played in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. It is planned to be the first under an expanded format with 32 teams,[1] including the winners of the four previous continental championships.[2]

Manchester City is the defending champion, having won its first title in the last tournament under the old format in 2023.

Background and format

Since its return from hiatus in 2005, the FIFA Club World Cup had been held annually in December and limited to the winners of continental club competitions.[3] As early as late 2016, FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested expanding the Club World Cup to 32 teams beginning in 2019 and rescheduling it to June/July to be more balanced and more attractive to broadcasters and sponsors.[4] In late 2017, FIFA discussed proposals to expand the competition to 24 teams and have it be played every four years by 2021, replacing the FIFA Confederations Cup.[5] The expanded format and schedule of Club World Cup, to be played in June and July 2021, was confirmed at the March 2019 FIFA Council meeting in Miami.[6][7] China was appointed as host in October 2019,[8] but the 2021 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10]

On June 23, 2023, FIFA confirmed that the United States would host the 2025 tournament as a prelude to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[11] The host cities for the tournament remained undecided.[12] The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four teams with the top two teams in each group qualifying to the knockout stage.[13] The format will be the same of that used in the FIFA World Cup between 1998 and 2022, with the exception of a third-place play-off.[14]

In January 2024, it was reported that the tournament would take place on the East Coast to be closer to European broadcasters and viewers while also avoiding conflicts with the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will also take place primarily in the United States around the same time but on the West Coast.[15]

Slot allocation

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Location of the non-UEFA teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
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Location of the UEFA teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

On February 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation for the 2025 tournament based on a "set of objective metrics and criteria". UEFA was awarded the most slots with twelve, while CONMEBOL was given the second most with six. The AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF were all given four slots, while the OFC and the host association were given one slot each.[16] On March 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the key principles of the access list for the tournament.[17] The principles are as follows, considering competitions completed during a four-year period from 2021 to 2024:[18]

  • CONMEBOL and UEFA (more than four slots): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024, with additional teams to be determined by a club ranking of the four-year period.[18]
  • AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF (four slots each): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024.[18][note 1]
  • OFC (one slot): access for the highest-ranked club among the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024.[18][note 2]
  • Host country (one slot): this was determined at a later stage.

If a club wins two or more seasons of its confederation's top club competition, additional teams will be determined by a club ranking over the four-year period. Furthermore, a restriction of two clubs per association will be applied, with the exception of champion clubs if more than two clubs from the same association win their confederation's top club competition. The calculation method for the four-year club rankings within each confederation was based on the teams' performance in their respective continental tournaments during seasons completed between 2021 and 2024.[21]

For confederations other than UEFA, the method was as follows:[21]

  • 3 points for a win
  • 1 point for a draw
  • 3 points for successful progression to each new stage of the competition

In the case of UEFA, due to the existence of the well-established UEFA club coefficient system, the method used by UEFA to calculate the club coefficient was "exceptionally applied" to rank the European teams.[21][note 3]

Teams

Qualified teams

The following teams have qualified for the tournament:[22][23][24][18]

Confederation Team(s) Qualification Qualified date(s) Participation
AFC (4 slots) Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal Winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 4th (Previous: 2019, 2021, 2022)
Japan Urawa Red Diamonds Winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League May 6, 2023 4th (Previous: 2007, 2017, 2023)
United Arab Emirates Al Ain Winners of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League May 25, 2024 2nd (Previous: 2018)
South Korea Ulsan HD AFC 4-year ranking April 17, 2024 3rd (Previous: 2012, 2020)
CAF (4 slots) Egypt Al Ahly Winners of the 2020–21, 2022–23, and 2023–24 CAF Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 10th (Previous: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Morocco Wydad AC Winners of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 3rd (Previous: 2017, 2022)
Tunisia Espérance de Tunis CAF 4-year ranking April 26, 2024 4th (Previous: 2011, 2018, 2019)
South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns CAF 4-year ranking April 26, 2024 2nd (Previous: 2016)
CONCACAF (4 slots) Mexico Monterrey Winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 6th (Previous: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021)
United States Seattle Sounders FC Winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 2nd (Previous: 2022)
Mexico León Winners of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League June 4, 2023 2nd (Previous: 2023)
Mexico Pachuca Winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup June 1, 2024 5th (Previous: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017)
CONMEBOL (6 slots) Brazil Palmeiras Winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores March 14, 2023[note 4] 3rd (Previous: 2020, 2021)
Brazil Flamengo Winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores March 14, 2023[note 4] 3rd (Previous: 2019, 2022)
Brazil Fluminense Winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores November 4, 2023 2nd (Previous: 2023)
Brazil TBD Winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores November 30, 2024 TBC
Argentina River Plate CONMEBOL 4-year ranking May 14, 2024[25] 3rd (Previous: 2015, 2018)
Argentina Boca Juniors CONMEBOL 4-year ranking August 22, 2024 2nd (Previous: 2007)
OFC (1 slot) New Zealand Auckland City Best OFC Champions League winners in the OFC 4-year ranking[note 2] December 17, 2023 12th (Previous: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023)
UEFA (12 slots) England Chelsea Winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 3rd (Previous: 2012, 2021)
Spain Real Madrid Winners of the 2021–22 and 2023–24 UEFA Champions League March 14, 2023[note 4] 7th (Previous: 2000, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022)
England Manchester City Winners of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League June 10, 2023 2nd (Previous: 2023)
Germany Bayern Munich UEFA 4-year ranking December 17, 2023[note 5] 3rd (Previous: 2013, 2020)
France Paris Saint-Germain UEFA 4-year ranking December 17, 2023[note 5] 1st
Italy Inter Milan UEFA 4-year ranking December 17, 2023[note 5] 2nd (Previous: 2010)
Portugal Porto UEFA 4-year ranking December 17, 2023[note 5] 1st
Portugal Benfica UEFA 4-year ranking December 17, 2023[note 5] 1st
Germany Borussia Dortmund UEFA 4-year ranking March 6, 2024 1st
Italy Juventus UEFA 4-year ranking March 12, 2024 1st
Spain Atlético Madrid UEFA 4-year ranking April 16, 2024 1st
Austria Red Bull Salzburg UEFA 4-year ranking April 17, 2024 1st
Host (1 slot) United States Inter Miami CF Winners of the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield October 19, 2024[26] 1st

Draw

The draw is scheduled to be held in December 2024.[27]

Venues

On September 28, 2024, FIFA announced the selection of twelve venues in eleven cities for the tournament: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Audi Field in Washington D.C., Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which will host the opening match,[28] Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will host the final.[29] Lumen Field will host all three group stage matches for Seattle Sounders FC.[27] Of these selected stadiums, five will be used in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup venues
Pasadena, California
(Los Angeles Area) 		East Rutherford, New Jersey
(New York City Area) 		Charlotte, North Carolina
Rose Bowl MetLife Stadium Bank of America Stadium
Capacity: 88,500 Capacity: 82,500 Capacity: 75,000
Atlanta, Georgia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Seattle, Washington
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Lincoln Financial Field Lumen Field
Capacity: 75,000 Capacity: 69,000 Capacity: 69,000
Miami Gardens, Florida
(Miami Area) 		Orlando, Florida
Hard Rock Stadium Camping World Stadium Inter&Co Stadium
Capacity: 65,000 Capacity: 65,000 Capacity: 25,000
Nashville, Tennessee Cincinnati, Ohio Washington D.C.
Geodis Park TQL Stadium Audi Field
Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 26,000 Capacity: 20,000
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
1200km
820miles
11
Washington D.C.
10
Seattle
9
Philadelphia
8
Pasadena
7
Orlando
6
Nashville
5
Miami Gardens
4
East Rutherford
3
Cincinnati
2
Charlotte
1
Atlanta
Location of the host cities of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Broadcasting

On July 15, 2024, media rights tender for FIFA's new top club competition open for the Americas, Asia, and Middle East & North Africa for 2025 editions.[30] FIFA published an "invitation to tender in the Americas, Asia, and Middle East & North Africa" weeks after talks with tech giant Apple over an exclusive $1 billion global rights deal for the tournament, which was said to be a quarter of FIFA's broadcasting target value for the tournament reportedly stalled.[31][32][33] On September 19, 2024, FIFA called an emergency meeting to discuss broadcasting rights as a deal was still not reached.[34]

Marketing

Branding

On September 4, 2024, FIFA released the official emblem and audio signature of the tournament. The emblem takes inspiration from the ball, football history and culture, with the initials of the tournament abstracted into a circular icon.[35] The official audio will feature Italian singer Gala's song "Freed from Desire".[36]

Sponsorship

FIFA partners FIFA Club World Cup sponsors

Criticism

Impact of added fixtures

The proposed expansion was criticized by FIFPRO, a global union of professional players, as well as the World Leagues Forum, which represents professional leagues; both organizations raised concerns about player welfare due to the added fixtures in an already congested playing calendar.[45][46] The Spanish top division league, La Liga, also criticized the plan and said in a statement that it would consider legal action to block the expansion.[47] Many clubs and national federations have opposed its scheduling, accusing FIFA of prioritizing money over the health of the players.[48]

The addition of the annual FIFA Intercontinental Cup tournament was also criticized for creating an overload of competitions that would further put the health of the players at risk.[49] In May 2024, FIFPRO and the World Leagues Forum published a letter they sent to FIFA that calls on a rescheduling of the tournament as well as a reform to the FIFA International Match Calendar to give players more time to rest between major competitions, which have also seen expansions. The organizations also stated in the letter that they would advise member clubs to seek legal action or other options in the event that schedule congestion is not addressed.[49][50] On June 13, 2024, FIFPRO announced that England's Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and France's Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNPF) submitted a legal claim with the Business Court in Brussels to protest the tournament.[51]

In a written response to criticism of the added fixtures stated in the letter sent by the FIFPRO and World League Forms FIFA stated that the accusations stated in the letter were "not supported by facts" and that the schedule for the Club World Cup was aligned with the FIFA International Match Calendar to assure enough time between the tournament final and the start of domestic leagues to ensure player welfare.[52]

Impact of transfers and free agency

The potential impact of transfers on the tournament was questioned, as the summer transfer window will be open in many leagues during the tournament, and thus players in the tournament could potentially be moved to a different club during including to other teams playing in the tournament. In addition, many player contracts in Europe expire on June 30, which could affect the participation of some players.[52]

On October 3, 2024, FIFA announced that an optional transfer window from June 1–10 will be allowed for the member associations whose clubs have qualified for the tournament. Should this window be implemented, it would be available for all clubs from the concerned associations and not only to those participating in the Club World Cup. To address the contract issue, FIFA stated that there would be a "restricted in-competition period" from June 27 to July 3 "within a set limit and according to specific limitations" when the clubs may replace players whose contracts are slated to expire.[53]

Impact of multi-club ownership

In an issue not unique to the Club World Cup, some teams in the tournament are owned by multi-club ownership groups including tournament qualifiers Pachuca and León which are both owned by Grupo Pachuca which may raise conflict of interest concerns. In a statement in response to this concern FIFA stated that “Regarding elements of regulation of the competition, including participation, all appropriate measures will be taken within the regulatory framework which will be put in place to ensure the integrity of the competition, as has always been the case for all of FIFA’s competitions.”[52]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As the AFC Champions League was shifted from an intra-year schedule to an inter-year schedule starting from 2023–24, only three seasons of the AFC Champions League were completed within the 2021 to 2024 timeframe, resulting in the remaining slot allocated using the 4-year club ranking.[18]
  2. ^ a b As the 2021 OFC Champions League was canceled, the slot was awarded to the best club in the OFC's 4-year ranking that won the competition between 2022 and 2024.[18][19][20]
  3. ^ For further information on how UEFA club coefficient is determined, see UEFA coefficient#Men's club coefficient.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i The teams' participation was confirmed on March 14, 2023, with the approval of the access list. However, the teams won the competitions (that eventually qualified them for the Club World Cup) on the following dates: Al-Hilal (November 23, 2021), Al Ahly (July 17, 2021), Wydad AC (May 30, 2022), Monterrey (October 28, 2021), Seattle Sounders FC (May 4, 2022), Palmeiras (November 27, 2021), Flamengo (October 29, 2022), Chelsea (May 29, 2021), and Real Madrid (May 28, 2022).
  5. ^ a b c d e Five eligible teams qualified on December 17, 2023, via 4-year confederations ranking, when the qualifying procedure was confirmed. These teams were both guaranteed a place in the top eight and could not be made ineligible by two teams from their own federation accumulating more points.[18]

References

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  34. ^ Crafton, Adam (September 19, 2024). "Infantino calls emergency meeting with broadcasters over lack of FIFA Club World Cup deal". The New York Times.
  35. ^ "FIFA unveils emblem and audio signature for new FIFA Club World Cup". FIFA. September 4, 2024.
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