Your guide to the Club World Cup – what the hell is it?
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When is it
How to watch
Teams and groups
Full fixtures
Prize money
Past winners
Dates: When is the 2025 Club World Cup?
The 2025 tournament starts on Sunday, June 14, with a match between Inter Miami and Al-Ahly. The final is a month later, on July 13.
How can I watch the Club World Cup?
For viewers in the UK, all games are free to air. Twenty-three of the 63 matches will be shown on Channel 5, as part of a tie-up with the main broadcasters, DAZN. The remaining 40 matches will be exclusively on DAZN. However, DAZN will be waiving its usual subscription fees for the tournament, albeit you still need to sign up for an account.
Highlights of all games will also be available on the Channel 5 Youtube channel.
The original $1 billion broadcasting deal with DAZN raised eyebrows when it was announced in December. It was understood that, prior to that deal being announced, Fifa had been struggling to find a broadcaster. It also seemed unusual because DAZN made a £1 billion loss according to its accounts for 2022.
Teams and groups
Manchester City, the defending champions, will play against Morocco's Wydad, Al-Ain of the UAE and Juventus from Serie A. Chelsea have got Esperance de Tunisie and Flamengo of Brazil. Club Leon of Mexico were due to be in the same group as Chelsea but have been removed as they failed to meet criteria on multi-club ownership. Los Angeles FC have replaced them after beating Club America of Mexico in a play-off.
Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al-Ahly, Inter Miami
Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
Group D: Flamengo, Esperance de Tunisie, Chelsea, Los Angeles FC
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al-Ain, Juventus
Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg
What is the format?
The competition shares the same format as the men's and women's World Cup competitions. The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four, who will play each other in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will then go through to the knockout stages starting with the round of 16. The final will take place on July 13, but unlike the World Cups, there will be no third-place play-off.
Fixtures
* = shown on Channel 5. All other fixtures shown on DAZN.
Group stage
Saturday, June 14
*Group A: Al Ahly vs Inter Miami - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 1am UK time (Sunday June 15)
Sunday, June 15
*Group C: Bayern Munich vs Auckland City - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 5pm
Group B: PSG vs Atletico Madrid - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 8pm
Group A: Palmeiras vs Porto - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 11pm
Group B: Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 3am (Monday)
Monday, June 16
*Group D: Chelsea vs Club Los Angeles FC - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 8pm
* Group C: Boca Juniors vs Benfica - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 11pm
Group D: Flamengo vs Esperance de Tunis - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am (Tuesday)
Tuesday, June 17
*Group F: Fluminense vs Borussia Dortmund - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 5pm
Group E: River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 8pm
Group F: Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando; kick off 11pm
Group E: Monterrey vs Inter Milan - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 2am (Wednesday)
Wednesday, June 18
*Group G: Man City vs Wydad AC - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 5pm
* Group H: Real Madrid vs Al Hilal - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm
Group H: CF Pachuca vs FC Salzburg - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 11pm
Group G: Al Ain vs Juventus - Audi Field, Washington, D.C; kick off 2am (Thursday)
Thursday, June 19
Group A: Palmeiras vs Al Ahly - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 5pm
Group A: Inter Miami vs Porto - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 8pm
Group B: Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 8pm
Group B: PSG vs Botafogo - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm
Friday, June 20
Group C: Benfica vs Auckland City - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando; kick off 5pm
Group D: Flamengo vs Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 7pm
Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Esperance de Tunis - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 11pm
* Group C: Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 2am
Saturday, June 21
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 5pm
* Group E: Inter Milan vs Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 5pm
Group F: Fluminense vs Ulsan HD - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 11pm
Group E: River Plate vs Monterrey - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm
Sunday, June 22
*Group G: Juventus vs Wydad AC - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 5pm
Group H: Real Madrid vs CF Pachuca - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm
Group H: FC Salzburg vs Al Hilal - Audi Field, Washington, D.C; kick off 11pm
* Group G: Man City vs Al Ain - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 2am (Monday)
Monday, June 23
Group B: Seattle Sounders vs PSG - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 5pm
* Group B: Atletico Madrid vs Botafogo - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 5pm
Group A: Inter Miami vs Palmeiras - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 2am (Tuesday)
Group A: Porto vs Al Ahly - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 2am (Tuesday)
Tuesday, June 24
*Group C: Auckland City vs Boca Juniors - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 7pm
Group C: Benfica vs Bayern Munich - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm
Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Flamengo - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 2am (Wednesday)
* Group D: Esperance de Tunis vs Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am (Wednesday)
Wednesday, June 25
*Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan HD - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 8pm
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm
Group E: Inter Milan vs River Plate - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 11pm
Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs Monterrey - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm
Thursday, June 26
Group G: Juventus vs Man City - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 8pm
Group G: Wydad AC vs Al Ain - Audi Field, Washington, D.C; kick off 8pm
Group H: Al Hilal vs CF Pachuca - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 1am (Friday)
Group H: FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am (Friday)
Knockout stage – round of 16
Saturday, June 28
Match 49: Group A winners vs Group B runners-up - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia;kick off 5pm
Match 50: Group C winners vs Group D runners-up - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 9pm
Sunday, June 29
*Match 51: Group B winners vs Group A runners-up - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 5pm
* Match 52: Group D winners vs Group C runners-up - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 9pm
Monday, June 30
*Match 53: Group E winners vs Group F runners-up - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm
* Match 54: Group G winners vs Group H runners-up - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 2am (Tuesday)
Tuesday, July 1
Match 55: Group H winners vs Group G runners-up - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm
Match 56: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 2am (Wednesday)
Quarter-final fixtures
Friday, July 4
*Match 57: Winner match 53 vs Winner match 54 - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 8pm
Match 58: Winner match 49 vs Winner match 50 - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am (Saturday)
Saturday, July 5
*Match 59: Winner match 51 vs Winner match 52 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 5pm
Match 60: Winner match 55 vs Winner match 56 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 9pm
Semi-final fixtures
Tuesday, July 8
Match 61: Winner match 57 vs Winner match 58 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm
Wednesday, July 9
*Match 62: Winner match 59 vs Winner match 60 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm
Club World Cup Final
Sunday, July 13
*Match 63: Winner match 61 vs Winner match 62 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm
Prize money
Manchester City or Chelsea could claim almost £100 million in prize money if they win the Club World Cup. The winners of the 32-team event will take home up to $125 million.
Teams will share $525 million (about £400 million) in participation fees, but this pot will not be distributed evenly.
The appearance fees going to Europe's 12 clubs will be on a sliding scale from $38.19 million at the top end to $12.81 million at the bottom, determined by a ranking based on 'sporting and commercial criteria'.
Where is the tournament being held?
It is being held in the US. Twelve venues will be used across the country, with the final to be staged at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The other venues are Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle) and Audi Field (Washington).
Why are Chelsea in the Club World Cup?
The tournament features clubs from each of the six international confederations and there were 12 places available for European clubs, decided by Champions League performances over the past four seasons. As a result, recent European Cup winners Chelsea (2021) and Manchester City (2023) qualified. Only two clubs per country can qualify, meaning 2022 Champions League finalists Liverpool were not included. One spot in the tournament was reserved for a team from the host nation, which enabled Fifa to shoehorn Lionel Messi's Inter Miami into the draw.
Is the tournament controversial?
In short, yes.
The involvement of 32 teams has added even more games and, in the process, cut rest time for the world's top players. This has attracted criticism and led to the threat of strike action by some players. In June, Fifpro, the global footballers' union, took legal action against Fifa over player burnout at the expanded Club World Cup. There is also the issue that a lot of players' contracts will run out in the middle of the tournament.
Past winners
2000: Corinthians – Beat Vasco de Gama (0-0, won on penalties)
2006: Sao Paulo – Beat Liverpool 1-0
2007: Internacional – Beat Barcelona 1-0
2008: AC Milan – Beat Boca Juniors 4-2
2009: Manchester United – Beat LDU Quito 1-0
2010: Barcelona – Beat Estudiantes 2-1 (AET)
2011: Inter Milan – Beat TP Mazembe 3-0
2012: Barcelona – Beat Santos 4-0
2013: Corinthians – Beat Chelsea 1-0
2014: Bayern Munich – Beat Raja Casablanca 2-0
2015: Real Madrid – Beat San Lorenzo 2-0
2016: Barcelona – Beat River Plate 3-0
2017: Real Madrid – Beat Kashima Antlers 4-2 (AET)
2018: Real Madrid – Beat Gremio 1-0
2019: Real Madrid – Beat Al-Ain 4-1
2020: Liverpool – Beat Flamengo 1-0 (AET)
2021: Bayern Munich – Beat UANL Tigres 1-0
2022: Chelsea – Beat Palmeiras 2-1 (AET)
2023: Real Madrid – Beat Al-Hilal 5-3
2024: Manchester City — Beat Fluminense 4-0
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