The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 begins this Saturday in the United States, featuring 32 teams competing in the newly expanded global club tournament . Here’s a complete guide to the competition:

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The FIFA Club World Cup is an international football (soccer) tournament organized by FIFA, featuring the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations, along with a team from the host nation.

Historically, it has been a smaller competition with just 7 teams, but starting in 2025, the format has expanded to include 32 teams, similar to the FIFA World Cup for national teams. The goal is to determine the world’s top club team by bringing together the best from around the globe.

The tournament typically includes champions from:

• UEFA (Europe)
• CONMEBOL (South America)
• CONCACAF (North and Central America)
• CAF (Africa)
• AFC (Asia)
• OFC (Oceania)
• Plus a club from the host country

With the new format in 2025, the Club World Cup aims to be a premier global club competition, showcasing elite talent and increasing worldwide club rivalry and visibility.

The teams will be split into eight groups of four, playing in a round-robin format during the group stage. The top two teams from each group will move on to the knockout rounds, starting with the Round of 16 and concluding with the final match.

When is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The competition will begin on June 14, with the final scheduled for July 13. Here’s a breakdown of the schedule.

• Group stage: June 14 to 26
• Round of 16: June 28 to July 1
• Quarterfinals: July 4 and 5
• Semifinals: July 8 and 9
• Final: July 13

Here is a list of the eight groups:

• Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
• Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
• Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
• Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, LAFC
• Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
• Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD FC, Mamelodi Sundowns
• Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
• Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, FC Salzburg

Why are Chelsea, Inter Miami in, and Barcelona, Liverpool out of the FIFA Club World Cup?

FIFA rules for the Club World Cup state that only two teams from each country can play in the tournament, and European clubs’ participation was decided by their performances in the Champions League over the last four seasons.

Man City (2023) and Chelsea (2021) won the Champions League during that four-year window, taking up the two spots.

Other popular clubs such as Napoli, AC Milan, Barcelona, RB Leipzig and Sevilla also missed out due to UEFA’s four-year club coefficient rankings and two-team restrictions.

Where to watch FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in India?

Star Sports or Sonly Liv WILL NOT be able to live telecast FIFA Club World Cup 2025 taking place in the United States although the games will be available on FanCode