The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be unlike any other, as more teams have joined the prestigious club competition. FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed expanding the tournament to 32 teams, and he got his wish. The 32 qualified teams will convene in the United States and battle for all the marbles starting next month.
Manchester City are the defending champions, having won their first title in the last tournament under the old format in 2023. Pep Guardiola’s side is expected to face stiff competition because of their subpar form this season and the addition of new slots.
SBOTOP football fans residing in the United States are in for a huge treat since the games will be played across 12 venues: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Lumen Field in Seattle, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Geodis Park in Nashville, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, and Audi Field in Washington DC.
List of qualified teams
AFC (4 slots): Al-Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds, Al-Ain, Ulsan HD
CAF (4 slots): Al-Ahly, Wydad AC, Esperance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns
CONCACAF (4 slots): Monterrey, Seattle Sounders FC, Pachuca, LAFC/Club America
CONMEBOL (6 slots): Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, River Plate, Boca Juniors
OFC (1 slot): Auckland City
UEFA (12 slots): Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, RB Salzburg
Host (1 slot): Inter Miami CF
Leon were originally set to participate in the tournament as the winner of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. However, they were removed from the competition since Leon and Pachuca are under the same ownership. Earlier this month, FIFA will give the final CONCACAF berth to the winner of the playoff match between LAFC and Club America, which will happen on May 31.
Group stage
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al-Ahly, Inter Miami CF
Group B: PSG, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders FC
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
Group D: Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis, Chelsea, LAFC/Club America
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad AC, Al-Ain, Juventus
Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, RB Salzburg
Just like in most FIFA-sanctioned tournaments, the top two teams in each group will qualify for the next round. The 16 qualified teams will face off in the knockout phase, and the last team standing will take home the Club World Cup trophy.
Notable clubs that didn’t make the cut include Liverpool, Arsenal, Napoli, Barcelona, AC Milan, RB Leipzig, and Tottenham, among others. Either way, football fans will still get their fair share of Club World Cup 2025 highlights.
European clubs are favoured by the Club World Cup 2025 odds because they have dominated this tournament since 2013, with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City winning titles here. Corinthians were the last non-UEFA team to win it all in 2012.
Media and players reaction
FIFPRO, a global union of professional players, as well as the World Leagues Forum, which represents professional leagues, criticized the expansion of the Club World Cup. Both organizations raised questions about player welfare due to the added fixtures in an already congested football calendar.
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne recently revealed “he won’t play” in the Club World Cup, criticizing FIFA for staging the competition when contracts are on the verge of running out this summer. On the other hand, the media views the Club World Cup as another “cash grab” initiated by president Gianni Infantino at the expense of the players’ health.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” De Bruyne said. “But that happens when you push in new tournaments in the middle of a contract situation. I have to take care of myself because if I get injured in the Club World Cup, what am I going to do? Nobody’s going to take care of me at that point. So, there’s a big chance I probably won’t play it. I don’t make the rules, I can’t do anything about it.”
“FIFA argues that this would be a noble redistribution of wealth. Critics argue it’s a “cash grab”; part of a personal battle between Infantino and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin; and a ploy to reinforce Infantino’s political power — because the presidents of the 200-plus national soccer federations sharing the spoils double as FIFA’s electorate,” wrote Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports.
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