Lionel Messi in spotlight as FIFA's Club World Cup 2025 set to kick off in US
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will start in June. Thirty-two top clubs will compete in the US. The final match is on July 13 in New Jersey. Inter Miami will play Al Ahly in the first match. FIFA has announced a prize money of $1 billion. The winner will get $125 million. The tournament will have eight groups.
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All eyes will be on Argentina's football icon Lionel Messi when Inter Miami , the host team, takes on Egypt's Al Ahly in the first match of the inaugural Club World Cup on June 14 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.The newly restructured FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to make its grand debut across June and July 2025, featuring 32 of the world's top clubs competing on US soil for global supremacy.This prestigious tournament will unite top-performing clubs from the six international football confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.The final is slated to be held on July 13 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.Inter Miami secured their place by topping Major League Soccer's (MLS) regular season table, despite an early playoff exit - a controversial selection that critics argue demonstrates FIFA 's eagerness to include the Argentine superstar in their first showcase event.The world governing body's choice to allocate a host nation berth to Inter Miami highlighted the unclear qualification standards for the competition. Notably absent are recent champions Liverpool, Barcelona and Napoli from Europe's most prestigious leagues.Qualification was determined through a combination of confederation champions and a four-year performance-based ranking system, excluding teams that won their respective continental club tournaments.FIFA, which nailed down a colossal $1 billion TV rights deal with streaming platform DAZN six months before the tournament, announced a total prize money of $1 billion for the championship, with the winning team to get up to $125 million.Surprisingly, the figure represents 25% more than Paris St Germain (PSG) earned from their entire 17-match UEFA Champions League campaign.Split into eight groups containing four teams each, the tournament features several powerhouse clubs. Real Madrid, who claimed six Champions League titles in the past 12 seasons, stand amongst the favourites alongside Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Manchester City, who secured both the Premier League and Champions League in 2023.PSG enters the competition with significant momentum following their commanding 5-0 victory against Inter Milan in the Champions League final last Saturday.However, they face stiff competition in Group B, which includes South American and Brazilian title holders Botafogo, 2024 CONCACAF champions Seattle Sounders, and Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid.This tournament holds significant importance for FIFA, functioning as a test run and a gauge of American enthusiasm for football. It also evaluates FIFA's commercial strategy before the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly organised by the United States, Mexico and Canada.SE Palmeiras (BRA), FC Porto (POR), Al Ahly FC (EGY), Inter Miami CF (USA)Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Atlético de Madrid (ESP), Botafogo (BRA), Seattle Sounders FC (USA)FC Bayern München (GER), Auckland City FC (NZL), CA Boca Juniors (ARG), SL Benfica (POR)CR Flamengo (BRA), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (TUN), Chelsea FC (ENG), Los Angeles FC (USA)CA River Plate (ARG), Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), CF Monterrey (MEX), FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)Fluminense FC (BRA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Ulsan HD (KOR), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (RSA)Manchester City (ENG), Wydad AC (MAR), Al Ain FC (UAE), Juventus FC (ITA)Real Madrid (ESP), Al Hilal (KSA), CF Pachuca (MEX), FC Salzburg (AUT)A total of 63 matches will be played across 12 different venues throughout the United States. The tournament's opening fixture is scheduled at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while the championship final will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)GEODIS Park (Nashville)MetLife Stadium (New Jersey)Camping World Stadium (Orlando)Inter & Co Stadium (Orlando)Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)Lumen Field (Seattle)Audi Field (Washington DC)The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 trophy represents a collaborative effort between FIFA and the prestigious international luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co., who jointly designed and created this distinguished award.The tournament will feature a group stage consisting of eight groups, each with four teams competing in a single-match round-robin format.The top two teams from each group will advance to the knock-out stage of Round of 16 (pre-quarterfinals).From there, the teams will proceed to the quarter-finals and semi-finals, culminating into the final.Notably, there will be no third-place play-off.
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