The 2025 Club World Cup was the 21st edition of this competition and was held in the United States, with the final taking place on 13th July.
This competition has had a major revamp and will look very different to previous tournaments. The new format means 32 teams from different countries and confederations will fight for the title in a competition that, as with the World Cup, will now be held every four years.
However, the new competition is not without its critics. A new four-week tournament, scheduled between the main European domestic league seasons, means that there are concerns for players’ welfare, given the additional amount of matches in which some teams will be competing.
The quirks of the format mean that a maximum of two clubs from any country can qualify. The likes of Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen were amongst some of the higher profile clubs not to get a spot in the competition.
We’ll take a deep look into the how the teams have qualified, the format of the tournament, which teams were drawn in each group and the match schedule.
Take a seat and enjoy our guide to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
How have clubs qualified for the tournament?
Each of the six international football confederations will be represented: Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), North and Central America (CONCACAF), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (OFC) and Europe (UEFA).
UEFA gets the highest representation with 12 allocated places. These are calculated based on clubs’ performances in the Champions League over the previous four seasons, with the winners automatically included. As both Chelsea and Manchester City have won the Champions League in the last four years, and no European country is permitted to provide more than two teams, no further English clubs were considered. South America was awarded six slots; Asia, Africa and North and Central America get four slots each; Oceania gets one slot; and the host nation also gets one slot.
Clubs from each confederation amass points over the previous four years based on their performance in their continental club competitions, with the slots being awarded based on those points.
The competition place awarded for the host nation went to Inter Miami. This was a controversial choice given that, although Inter Miami had the best record in the MLS regular season and thus won the MLS Supporters’ Shield, they were subsequently eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. LA Galaxy were ultimately crowned the winners after defeating NY Red Bulls in the MLS Cup final. However, the decision to include Inter Miami did mean that Lionel Messi would be playing in the Club World Cup, which will massively increase interest in the competition in the host country.
Mexican side León had originally qualified for the 2025 Club World Club by virtue of winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. However, they were removed from the competition on 21st March due to the tournament rules on multi-club ownership, as they and Pachuca have the same owner.
León’s expulsion was confirmed by FIFA after an appeal, and their place will be taken by Los Angeles FC, who defeated Club América in a play-in match on 31st May.
Which teams will compete in the Club World Cup and how did they qualify?
| Club | Country | Conf. | Qualifying Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | England | UEFA | 2020/21 Champions League winner |
| Manchester City | England | UEFA | 2022/23 Champions League winner |
| Real Madrid | Spain | UEFA | 2021/22 & 2023/24 Champions League winner |
| Atlético Madrid | Spain | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Bayern Munich | Germany | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Borussia Dortmund | Germany | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Inter Milan | Italy | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Juventus | Italy | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Paris Saint-Germain | France | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Porto | Portugal | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Benfica | Portugal | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Salzburg | Austria | UEFA | UEFA 4-year ranking |
| Palmeiras | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 2021 Copa Libertadores |
| Flamengo | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 2022 Copa Libertadores |
| Fluminense | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 2023 Copa Libertadores |
| Botafogo | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 2024 Copa Libertadores |
| River Plate | Argentina | CONMEBOL | CONMEBOL 4-year ranking |
| Boca Juniors | Argentina | CONMEBOL | CONMEBOL 4-year ranking |
| Inter Miami | United States | Host | 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield winner |
| Monterrey | Mexico | CONCACAF | 2021 CONCACAF Champions League winner |
| Pachuca | Mexico | CONCACAF | 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner |
| Seattle Sounders | United States | CONCACAF | 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winner |
| Los Angeles FC | United States | CONCACAF | Play-in match winner |
| Al Hilal | Saudi Arabia | AFC | 2021 AFC Champions League winner |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | Japan | AFC | 2022 AFC Champions League winner |
| Al Ain | UAE | AFC | 2023/24 AFC Champions League winner |
| Ulsan | South Korea | AFC | AFC 4-year ranking |
| Al Ahly | Egypt | CAF | 2020/21, 2022/23 & 2023/24 CAF Champions League winner |
| Wydad | Morocco | CAF | 2021/22 CAF Champions League winner |
| Espérance de Tunis | Tunisia | CAF | CAF 4-year ranking |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | South Africa | CAF | CAF 4-year ranking |
| Auckland City | New Zealand | OFC | Highest 4-year ranked OFC Champions League winner |
How is the UEFA four-year ranking for clubs calculated?
The ranking is based on their previous performance over the last four years in the premier club competition. This is the Champions League in the case of UEFA.
The ranking was based on points allotted according to the following criteria:
• Two points for a win, one point for a draw
• Four points for qualification for the group stage
• Five points for qualification for the round of 16
• One additional point for progress to each stage of the competition thereafter
A maximum of two clubs from each European nation are allowed. Therefore, although Liverpool were in eighth place, RB Leipzig were in 11th and Barcelona were in 12th in the ranking table, all three sides missed out, as there were two teams who had amassed a higher total of ranking points from England, Germany and Spain respectively. Salzburg gained the 12th and final spot in the Club World Cup despite a ranking of 18th in the overall table.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match schedule
Club World Cup Final
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA. Sunday, 13th July. Kick-off 19:00 GMT.
🏴 Chelsea 3-0 Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷
Goals: Cole Palmer (2), João Pedro
Yellow cards (Chelsea): Pedro Neto, Moisés Caicedo, Malo Gusto, Levi Colwill.
Yellow cards (PSG): Ousmane Dembélé, Nuno Mendes.
Red cards (PSG): João Neves.
Man of the Match: Cole Palmer
Chelsea overcame the odds by comfortably defeating PSG 3-0 in the Club World Cup final. In a dominant performance from the Blues, three goals virtually sealed the match outcome by the half-time break, and there was to be no second-half comeback by the Champions League winners, as they couldn’t find a way past the resolute Chelsea defence.
Enzo Maresca got his side’s tactics spot-on, as they hassled and harried PSG with aggressive gameplay and intense pressing from the kick off. Cole Palmer was also back to his best with two superb goals that established a lead for the Blues, and he then set up João Pedro for the third just before the interval.
PSG created little in the second half, and by the time João Neves was shown a straight red card for a petulant hair-pull of Marc Cucurella’s flowing locks in the final few minutes, the match was well and truly out of reach for the Paris-based side.
Can Chelsea build on this success by challenging for the EPL and Champions League titles this season?
Semi-Finals
🇧🇷 Fluminense 0-2 Chelsea 🏴
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Real Madrid 🇪🇸
Quarter-Finals
🇧🇷 Fluminense 2-1 Al Hilal 🇸🇦
🇧🇷 Palmeiras 1-2 Chelsea 🏴
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Bayern Munich 🇩🇪
🇪🇸 Real Madrid 3-2 Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪
Round of 16
🇧🇷 Palmeiras 1-0 Botafogo 🇧🇷 (after extra time)
🇵🇹 Benfica 1-4 Chelsea 🏴 (after extra time)
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Inter Miami 🇺🇸
🇧🇷 Flamengo 2-4 Bayern Munich 🇩🇪
🇮🇹 Inter Milan 0-2 Fluminense 🇧🇷
🏴 Manchester City 3-4 Al Hilal 🇸🇦 (after extra time)
🇪🇸 Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus 🇮🇹
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Monterrey 🇲🇽
Group Stage
The 32 teams were split into four pots prior to the draw for the groups. This was to ensure, as best as possible, an equal split of teams of a similar ranking across the eight groups.
Group A: teams
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇵🇹 Porto
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇺🇸 Inter Miami
Group A: matches
Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami
Palmeiras 0-0 Porto
Palmeiras 2-0 Al Ahly
Inter Miami 2-1 Porto
Inter Miami 2-2 Palmeiras
Porto 4-4 Al Ahly
Final Group A Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palmeiras | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 |
| 2 | Inter Miami | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 5 |
| 3 | Porto | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 2 |
| 4 | Al Ahly | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 2 |
Group B: teams
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇧🇷 Botafogo
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
Group B: matches
Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders 1-3 Atlético Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Botafogo
Seattle Sounders 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain
Atlético Madrid 1-0 Botafogo
Final Group B Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 |
| 2 | Botafogo | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 6 |
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 6 |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
Group C: teams
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇳🇿 Auckland City
🇦🇷 Boca Juniors
🇵🇹 Benfica
Group C: matches
Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City
Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
Benfica 6-0 Auckland City
Bayern Munich 2-1 Boca Juniors
Auckland City 1-1 Boca Juniors
Benfica 1-0 Bayern Munich
Final Group C Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benfica | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 7 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 6 |
| 3 | Boca Juniors | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 2 |
| 4 | Auckland City | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 17 | -16 | 1 |
Group D: teams
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇹🇳 Espérance de Tunis
🏴 Chelsea
🇺🇸 Los Angeles FC
Group D: matches
Chelsea 2-0 Los Angeles FC
Flamengo 2-0 Espérance de Tunis
Flamengo 3-1 Chelsea
Los Angeles FC 0-1 Espérance de Tunis
Los Angeles FC 1-1 Flamengo
Espérance de Tunis 0-3 Chelsea
Final Group D Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flamengo | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Espérance de Tunis | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 3 |
| 4 | Los Angeles FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 1 |
Group E: teams
🇦🇷 River Plate
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
Group E: matches
River Plate 3-1 Urawa Red Diamonds
Monterrey 1-1 Inter Milan
Inter Milan 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds
River Plate 0-0 Monterrey
Inter Milan 2-0 River Plate
Urawa Red Diamonds 0-4 Monterrey
Final Group E Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Milan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 |
| 2 | Monterrey | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 5 |
| 3 | River Plate | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 0 |
Group F: teams
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇿🇦 Mamelodi Sundowns
Group F: matches
Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund
Ulsan 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns 3-4 Borussia Dortmund
Fluminense 4-2 Ulsan
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Ulsan
Mamelodi Sundowns 0-0 Fluminense
Final Group F Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| 2 | Fluminense | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Ulsan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 0 |
Group G: teams
🏴 Manchester City
🇲🇦 Wydad
🇦🇪 Al Ain
🇮🇹 Juventus
Group G: matches
Manchester City 2-0 Wydad
Al Ain 0-5 Juventus
Juventus 4-1 Wydad
Manchester City 6-0 Al Ain
Juventus 2-5 Manchester City
Wydad 1-2 Al Ain
Final Group G Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 9 |
| 2 | Juventus | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 6 |
| 3 | Al Ain | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 3 |
| 4 | Wydad | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 0 |
Group H: teams
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇸🇦 Al Hilal
🇲🇽 Pachuca
🇦🇹 Salzburg
Group H: matches
Real Madrid 1-1 Al Hilal
Pachuca 1-2 Salzburg
Real Madrid 3-1 Pachuca
Salzburg 0-0 Al Hilal
Al Hilal 2-0 Pachuca
Salzburg 0-3 Real Madrid
Final Group H Table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 |
| 2 | Al Hilal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Salzburg | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | Pachuca | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
Club World Cup 2025 awards
At the conclusion of the tournament, the following awards were announced:
Golden Ball: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Silver Ball: Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
Bronze Ball: Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea)
Golden Boot: Gonzalo García (Real Madrid).
Note: Serhou Guirassy, Marcos Leonardo and Ángel Di María also scored four goals each, but García won the award as he also contributed one assist.
Golden Glove: Robert Sánchez (Chelsea).
FIFA Best Young Player: Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain)
FIFA Fair Play Trophy: Bayern Munich
Club World Cup tournament schedule
⚽ Group stage: 14th June – 26th June ✅
⚽ Round of 16: 28th June – 1st July ✅
⚽ Quarter-finals: 4th and 5th July ✅
⚽ Semi-finals: 8th and 9th July ✅
🏆 Final: 13th July ✅
Competing teams records in the Club World Cup
| Team | Wins | Runners-Up | Times Taken Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Bayern Munich | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Chelsea | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Inter Milan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Manchester City | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Boca Juniors | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| River Plate | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Al Ain | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Flamengo | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Palmeiras | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Al-Hilal | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Fluminense | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Auckland City | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Al Ahly | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Monterrey | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Pachuca | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Espérance de Tunis | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Wydad | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ulsan | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Seattle Sounders | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Atlético Madrid | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Benfica | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Borussia Dortmund | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Botafogo | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Inter Miami | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Juventus | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Los Angeles FC | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Porto | 0 | 0 | Debut |
| Salzburg | 0 | 0 | Debut |
Which stadiums will host matches in the 2025 Club World Cup?
The 12 stadiums hosting the matches are:
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
• TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, California
• Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
• Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee
• MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
• Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
• Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida
• Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
• Audi Field, Washington, DC
FIFA Club World Cup FAQs
What is the FIFA Club World Cup?
The Club World Cup is an international football tournament comprising clubs from each of the different football confederations.
When will the 2025 Club World Cup take place?
The opening match is on the 14th of June 2025, with the final taking place on 13th July.
Where will the 2025 Club World Cup be held?
The tournament will be held in the United States.
How many teams will compete in the 2025 Club World Cup?
The tournament format has changed, with 32 teams now competing in the tournament.
How do teams qualify for the Club World Cup?
Qualification is based on success in the premier club competition of each confederation, alongside a ranking system to fill the additional spots in the tournament. You can see how each team qualified in the table here. (link to table at start of article)
What is the format of the 2025 Club World Cup?
The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group progress to the round of 16.
How often does the Club World Cup take place?
Since 2005, the Club World Cup has been held yearly, with either six or seven teams taking part. With the new expanded format of 32 teams, the competition will now take place every four years.
When did the draw take place to decide the Club World Cup groups?
The draw for the group stage was made on 5th December in Miami, Florida.
When was the first Club World Cup?
The first tournament took place in 2000 and was hosted in Brazil. Corinthians beat Vasco da Gama in an all-Brazilian final.
Who are the current Club World Cup champions?
Manchester City defeated Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 Club World Cup final, which took place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Where will the 2025 Club World Cup final be played?
The 2025 Club World Cup final will be played at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium is the home ground of NFL teams the New York Giants and the New York Jets and is also scheduled to host the final of the 2026 Football World Cup.
How many venues will host 2025 Club World Cup matches?
There will be 12 different venues used throughout the tournament, spread across 11 cities.
Which teams have won the 2025 Club World Cup more than once?
Real Madrid have won five titles, followed by Barcelona with three. Corinthians and Bayern Munich have each won the tournament twice.
The Club World Cup is one of a whole host of fantastic sporting events taking place throughout the year. You can see the full schedule in our Sports Calendar.
