Club World Cup 2025: Prize money, fixtures and how to watch FIFA’s revamped tournament

We are only a few months away from the new-look 2025 men’s Club World Cup.

World football’s governing body FIFA had wanted to launch its revamped version of the tournament in 2021 — with the idea first mentioned by president Gianni Infantino in 2016 — but that was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2023, FIFA announced the first edition of the new Club World Cup was to take place in the summer of 2025 in the United States.

However, concerns over player welfare and increased workload, as well as who would broadcast the Club World Cup, have taken up much of the discourse ahead of time. FIFA’s recent announcement that a $1billion (£787m) prize fund will be available for the tournament also raised questions about how that money will be distributed between the 32 participating teams.

Here, The Athletic explains all you need to know ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup.

---

The Club World Cup used to take place every December and was contested by the winners of the six continental club competitions, as well as the host nation’s domestic league champions. It featured a team from each of FIFA’s confederations: the winners of the AFC Champions League (Asia), CAF Champions League (Africa), Concacaf Champions League (North America, Central America and the Caribbean), Copa Libertadores (South America), OFC Champions League (Oceania) and UEFA Champions League (Europe).

The new competition follows the 32-team format from the old FIFA World Cup. Teams will be drawn into eight groups of four, with each side playing their group opponents once. The top two of each group will progress to the round of 16 and from there it will be single-match knockouts through to the final.

FIFA’s Intercontinental Cup replaces the annual Club World Cup and will see the UEFA Champions League winner (Real Madrid this year) face the winner of the FIFA Challenger Cup, a team who will have come through intercontinental play-offs, for a one-off match. Qatar hosted this year’s final with Madrid beating Pachuca to claim the title.

---

Who is playing this year?

Of the 32 places, 31 have been filled with clubs qualifying via either a ranking pathway based on performances over a four-year period or by winning continental titles between 2021 and 2024. The only exception is Inter Miami, which we will come to later.

For example, Chelsea have qualified as the 2021 UEFA Champions League winners, despite finishing sixth in the Premier League and failing to win a trophy last season.

FIFA’s two-club limit on teams from a single country — except if more than two clubs from the same country had won the Champions League — meant some of Europe’s more renowned teams, such as Barcelona and Liverpool, missed out even though they were ranked higher on the pathway than, for example, Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg.

The 32 teams were then split into four pots to “ensure competitive balance and geographical diversity”, according to FIFA.

Pot 1 was an even split of the highest-ranked teams from Europe and South America, with Pot 2 containing the remaining eight European teams. The two highest-ranked teams from the AFC, the CAF and Concacaf were put in Pot 3, which is completed with the other two South American teams. That leaves Pot 4, which has the remaining teams from Asia, Africa and the North America, Central America and Caribbean region, plus Oceania’s sole representative and Inter Miami, who are representing the hosts.

Pot 1: Manchester City (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Flamengo (Brazil), Palmeiras (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina), Fluminense (Brazil).

Pot 2: Chelsea (England), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Inter (Italy), Porto (Portugal), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Benfica (Portugal), Juventus (Italy), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria).

Pot 3: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Al Ahly (Eygpt), Wydad (Morocco), Monterrey (Mexico), Leon (Mexico), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Botafogo (Brazil).

Pot 4: Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Pachuca (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (United States), Auckland City (New Zealand), Inter Miami (United States).

Who is playing who? We will get to that shortly.

---

Why did Inter Miami’s inclusion raise eyebrows?

The host nation was given a club representative in previous Club World Cups, and the 2025 edition will take a similar approach. However, in the past, the extra place was awarded to the champions of the host nation’s top league.

Inter Miami will not be the 2024 national champions in the United States but have qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the MLS team with the best regular-season record.

The winners of the MLS Cup, a play-off tournament based on regular-season rankings, are typically regarded as the U.S. national champions. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were knocked out of that competition in the first round by Atlanta United.

---

And there’s more controversy…

In an unprecedented move in October, Europe’s top leagues and FIFPro, the global players union, filed a complaint against FIFA with the European Commission, an executive branch of the European Union, over what it claims is the world governing body’s “conflict of interest as a competition organiser and a governing body”, and mentioned the men’s international calendar and the Club World Cup in claiming FIFA had broken EU competition law.

In addition, the European Leagues, which represents more than 30 countries across Europe, and FIFPro Europe, the umbrella body of European player unions, agreed to take legal action in July over what they claim was an “unsustainable” international calendar that “risks players’ health”. FIFA, in response, said there had been “comprehensive and inclusive consultation” over the football calendar.

A FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic that the governing body had been in regular contact with participating clubs and in meetings senior club executives, even in Europe, had been “extremely supportive of the tournament and its competitive nature”.

---

How much will teams make from the Club World Cup?

On March 5, FIFA announced a $1bn prize fund for the 2025 Club World Cup.

World football’s governing body has not yet confirmed how the money will be distributed between the 32 participating teams but explained in a statement that a “solidarity” pot for clubs outside the competition would also be introduced. Concerns had been raised that excessive prize money exclusively for teams in the tournament could distort domestic leagues.

---

When and where will it take place?

The opening game will be held at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on June 15 and the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — where the 2026 World Cup final will be held — on July 13.

Games will take place in Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, North Carolina, Ohio, California, Tennessee and Washington D.C.

The Concacaf men’s Gold Cup — the continental tournament held between the North American nations — will also be held in the U.S. between June 14 and July, with matches in that tournament being held in Texas, California, Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada, and Missouri.

---

How can I watch it?

After initially struggling to sell broadcast rights, FIFA announced a deal with DAZN in December 2024, claiming it to be worth around $1bn. Every match will be free to watch on DAZN, a broadcaster not widely known or watched in the United States, and it has the option to sub-licence to local free-to-air channels as part of the deal.

In February 2025, the Saudi Arabian company SURJ Sports Investment agreed to buy a minority stake in DAZN.

TNT Sports, meanwhile, has reached an agreement with DAZN to broadcast 24 matches from this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup — including group and knockout stage games, plus the final on July 13 — in the U.S. on its cable networks TNT, TBS and truTV. TNT will show all 63 games on its streaming services.

---

What about the women’s tournament?

In 2015, FIFA’s task force for women’s football met in Zurich where they put forward a plan to establish a women’s Club World Cup. The women’s Club World Cup was then put forward as an idea by Infantino in May 2021 before being confirmed by the FIFA Council in late 2022.

A FIFA council meeting in 2024 appeared to confirm that the first edition would take place in January and February of 2026. However, no announcements about the tournament were made and The Athletic reported earlier in March that the first women’s Club World Cup was to be pushed to 2028. That was later confirmed by FIFA, with the body also introducing a new annual tournament, the Champions Cup, which will include only the six confederation club champions as part of a smaller format.

This comes as a result of FIFA being preoccupied with issues like the inaugural 32-team men’s Club World Cup to sort out, a first 48-team men’s World Cup and the 2030 and 2034 World Cup hosting decisions as well as little to no progress being made on where the Women’s Club World Cup would be held, who would televise/sponsor it, and which teams would be in it.

---

All kick-off times are local time. Kick-off times are subject to change. All cities are ET except Nashville (CT; ET – 1), Seattle and Los Angeles (PT; ET – 3).

Group A

• June 14 (8pm ET; 1am GMT, June 15): Al Ahly v Inter Miami (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 15 (6pm ET; 11pm GMT): Palmeiras v Porto (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
• June 19 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Palmeiras v Al Ahly (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
• June 19 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Inter Miami v Porto (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• June 23 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 24): Inter Miami v Palmeiras (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 23 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 24): Porto v Al Ahly (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)

Group B 

• June 15 (12pm PT; 8pm GMT): Paris Saint-Germain v Atletico Madrid (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
• June 15 (7pm PT; 3am GMT, June 16): Botafogo v Seattle Sounders (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• June 19 (6pm PT; 2am GMT, June 20): PSG v Botafogo (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
• June 19 (3pm PT; 11pm GMT): Seattle Sounders v Atletico Madrid (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• June 23 (12pm PT; 8pm GMT): Seattle Sounders v PSG (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• June 23 (12pm PT; 8pm GMT): Atletico Madrid v Botafogo (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)

Group C

• June 15 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Bayern Munich v Auckland City (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati)
• June 16 (6pm ET; 11pm GMT): Boca Juniors v Benfica (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 20 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 21): Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 20 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Benfica v Auckland City (Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando)
• June 24 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Benfica v Bayern Munich (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)
• June 24 (2pm ET; 7pm GMT): Auckland City v Boca Juniors (Geodis Park, Nashville)

Group D

• June 16 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 17): Flamengo v Esperance de Tunis (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• June 16 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Chelsea v Leon (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• June 20 (2pm ET; 7pm GMT): Flamengo v Chelsea (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• June 20 (5pm CT; 11pm GMT): Leon v Esperance de Tunis (Geodis Park, Nashville)
• June 24 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 24): Leon v Flamengo (Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando)
• June 24 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 24): Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)

Group E

• June 17 (12pm PT; 8pm GMT): River Plate v Urawa Red Diamonds (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• June 17 (6pm PT; 2am GMT, June 18): Monterrey v Inter (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
• June 21 (6pm PT; 2am GMT, June 22): River Plate v Monterrey (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)
• June 21 (12pm PT; 8pm GMT): Inter v Urawa Red Diamonds (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• June 25 (6pm PT; 2am GMT, June 26): Inter v River Plate (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• June 25 (6pm PT; 2am GMT, June 26): Urawa Red Diamonds v Monterrey (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles)

Group F

• June 17 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Fluminense v Borussia Dortmund (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
• June 17 (6pm ET; 11pm GMT): Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns (Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando)
• June 21 (6pm ET; 11pm GMT): Fluminense v Ulsan HD (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
• June 21 (12pm ET’ 5pm GMT): Mamelodi Sundowns v Borussia Dortmund (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati)
• June 25 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Mamelodi Sundowns v Fluminense (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 25 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Borussia Dortmund v Ulsan HD (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati)

Group G

• June 18 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Manchester City v Wydad AC (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• June 18 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 19): Al Ain v Juventus (Audi Field, Washington D.C.)
• June 22 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 22): Manchester City v Al Ain (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• June 22 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Juventus v Wydad AC (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• June 26 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Juventus v Manchester City (Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando)
• June 26 (3pm ET; 8pm; GMT): Wydad AC v Al Ain (Audi Field, Washington D.C.)

Group H

• June 18 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Real Madrid v Al Hilal (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 18 (6pm ET; 11pm GMT): Pachuca v Red Bull Salzburg (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati)
• June 22 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Real Madrid v Pachuca (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)
• June 22 (6pm ET; 11pm GMT): Red Bull Salzburg v Al Hilal (Audi Field, Washington D.C.)
• June 26 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, June 27): Red Bull Salzburg v Real Madrid (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• June 26 (8pm CT; 2am GMT, June 27): Al Hilal v Pachuca (Geodis Park, Nashville)

Knockout stage

Round of 16

• June 28 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Match 49 — 1A v 2B (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• June 28 (4pm ET; 9pm GMT): Match 50 — 1C v 2D (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)
• June 29 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Match 51 — 1B v 2A (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• June 29 (4pm ET; 9pm GMT): Match 52 — 1D v 2C (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• June 30 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Match 53 — 1E v 2F (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)
• June 30 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, July 1): Match 54 — 1G v 2H (Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando)
• July 1 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Match 55 — 1H v 2G (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
• July 1 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, July 2): Match 56 — 1F v 2E (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)

Quarter-finals

• July 4 (3pm ET; 8pm GMT): Match 57 — Winner Match 53 v Winner Match 54 (Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando)
• July 4 (9pm ET; 2am GMT, July 5): Match 58 — Winner Match 49 v Winner Match 50 (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• July 5 (12pm ET; 5pm GMT): Match 59 — Winner Match 51 v Winner Match 52 (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• July 5 (4pm ET; 9pm GMT): Match 60 — Winner Match 55 v Winner Match 56 (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)

Semi-finals

• July 8 (3pm ET; 5pm GMT): Match 61 — Winner Match 57 v Winner Match 58 (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
• July 9 (3pm ET; 5pm GMT): Match 62 — Winner Match 59 v Winner Match 60 (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)

Final

• July 13 (3pm ET; 5pm GMT): Winner Match 61 v Winner Match 62 (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)

(Top photo: Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)