FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the USA: Teams, Dates, and Venues Unveiled

In December 2023, FIFA announced further details about the revamped Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States during the summer of 2025. This tournament, which has been held annually since 2000, will transition to a four-year cycle, occurring in the year preceding the FIFA World Cup. The format will also feature an expanded pool of teams, representing the continental champions from the previous four years, as well as a few extra teams.

In lieu of the annual competition, a newly established FIFA Intercontinental Cup will maintain a similar structure to the former Club World Cup, albeit with some adjustments. The title is inspired by the discontinued annual match between the champions of Europe and South America, which last occurred in 2004.

The Sporting News covers the upcoming transformations in FIFA tournaments, as the organization aims to create a club competition with significance akin to that of its international counterpart.

2025 Club World Cup Schedule

The 2025 Club World Cup is set to include 32 teams from across the globe, scheduled to take place from June 15, 2025 to July 13, 2025. The draw and specific match schedule are yet to be finalized, as some participants are still undetermined.

The tournament dates have been organized in accordance with the international match calendar, providing a break between the tournament’s conclusion and the commencement of the European club seasons. However, since North and South American leagues operate on a calendar-year basis, teams from CONCACAF and CONMEBOL will need to figure out how to integrate the competition into their standard schedules.

Participating Teams in the 2025 Club World Cup

All but two confederations have been allotted four slots each. UEFA has received 12 spots, CONMEBOL has six, and OFC has one. Additionally, the host nation will secure one more spot through a nomination system, which may be competitively based but is largely intended to enhance the tournament’s visibility.

Clubs will qualify by clinching a continental title within the four-year cycle. If a club wins multiple titles, the runners-up from that year will also gain qualification.

To initiate the new format for the 2025 tournament, FIFA has adjusted its qualifying criteria, allowing some clubs to qualify based on previous Club World Cup berths.

While the host nation spot for 2025 is yet to be announced, there is speculation that it will go to Inter Miami, winners of the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, enabling Lionel Messi to participate. This was reported by Argentine journalist Gaston Edul on October 3.

* Due to the AFC shifting its continental tournament to align with European schedules, they have only three title winners within this four-year cycle, prompting an additional qualifier based on rankings.
** Al Ahly’s three CAF Champions League victories during this cycle have led to two extra qualifiers based on their ranking.
*** Should River Plate win the 2024 Copa Libertadores, Olimpia will qualify as the next highest-ranking club. Conversely, if a different team wins but also qualifies, River Plate will enter based on their ranking within CONMEBOL.
**** Real Madrid’s two UEFA Champions League titles within this cycle resulted in an extra qualification based on rankings.

Qualification Process for Club World Cup

In late 2023, FIFA ratified a new club ranking system that will play a significant role in determining qualifications for the Club World Cup.

Starting from the group stage of relevant premier competitions, teams will accrue points – three for a win, one for a draw, and three for advancing through each knockout stage.