FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Teams, Groups, Fixtures and Match Schedule

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 promises to be a shining global club competition as the expanded 32-team tournament adds the taste only associated with international football till now. Winners of the four previous continental championships and the best-ranked sides from each confederation will participate in this new contest scheduled to be played in the United States from June 14 to July 13, 2025, a year before the expanded international World Cup comprising  48 teams. The slot allocation for each confederation includes one from OFC, four teams from AFC, CAF and CONCACAF with six from CONMEBOL and the remaining 12 slots from Europe. The CONCACAF have an additional host slot with Inter Miami selected for it. 

The 32 teams are split into eight groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 16 on 28 June 2025. The clubs are drawn in a way that the top-ranked teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL will not face each other till the semi-final, by allocating separate pathways, should they win their groups. Teams from the same confederation can not be drawn into the same group, except for UEFA with a maximum of two teams allowed per group. However, no two UEFA teams from the same national association could be drawn against each other. The 2025 Club World Cup is set to be played in 12 venues with the final hosted in MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford.      

Here are all the teams participating in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025:

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Qualified Teams

AFC (4 slots)

Al Hilal (2021 AFC Champions League winner) 

Urawa Red Diamonds (2022 AFC Champions League winner) 

Al Ain (2023–24 AFC Champions League winner) 

Ulsan HD (AFC 4-year ranking) 

CAF (4 slots)

Al Ahly (2020-21, 22-23 and 2023–24 CAF Champions League winner) 

Wydad AC (2021–22 CAF Champions League winner) 

Espérance de Tunis (CAF 4-year ranking) 

Mamelodi Sundowns (CAF 4-year ranking) 

CONCACAF (4 slots + 1 host slot)

Monterrey (2021 CONCACAF Champions League winner) 

Seattle Sounders FC (2022 CONCACAF Champions League winner) 

León (2023 CONCACAF Champions League winner)

Pachuca (2024 CONCACAF Champions League winner) 

Inter Miami CF (Host, 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield winner) 

CONMEBOL (6 slots)

Palmeiras (2021 Copa Libertadores winner) 

Flamengo (2022 Copa Libertadores winner)

Fluminense (2023 Copa Libertadores winner) 

Botafogo (2024 Copa Libertadores winner) 

River Plate (CONMEBOL 4-year ranking) 

Boca Juniors (CONMEBOL 4-year ranking) 

OFC (1 slot)

Auckland City (Best OFC Champions League winners in the OFC 4-year ranking) 

UEFA (12 slots)

Chelsea (2020–21 UEFA Champions League winner) 

Real Madrid (2021–22 and 2023–24 UEFA Champions League winner) 

Manchester City (2022–23 UEFA Champions League winner) 

Bayern Munich (UEFA 4-year ranking) 

Paris Saint-Germain (UEFA 4-year ranking) 

Inter Milan (UEFA 4-year ranking) 

Porto (UEFA 4-year ranking) 

Benfica (UEFA 4-year ranking) 

Borussia Dortmund (UEFA 4-year ranking)

Juventus (UEFA 4-year ranking)

Atlético Madrid (UEFA 4-year ranking)

Red Bull Salzburg (UEFA 4-year ranking)

Here is the draw result for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 conducted on 5 December 2024:

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Groups & Fixtures

Group A

Palmeiras

FC Porto

Al Ahly

Inter Miami 

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami has been drawn with 2021 Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras, Africa’s most successful club Al Ahly and the Portuguese heavyweights FC Porto making it very challenging for them, with the latter favourites to win the group. The 2024 Supporter Shield winners will open the Club World Cup against the 12-time CAF Champions League winners on 15 July 2025 in Miami.  

Group A Fixtures

Group B

Paris Saint-Germain

Atlético Madrid

Botafogo

Seattle Sounders 

Two top European sides, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid, will cross roads against each other in the tournament's group stage, making it a spicy affair. 2024 Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo and 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winner Seattle Sounders are the underdogs in this group but they will hope to create some surprise.

Group B Fixtures

Group C

Bayern Munich

Auckland City

Boca Juniors

Benfica

Record Bundesliga winners and two-time Club World Cup champions Bayern Munich have been handed a considerably easy group with fellow European contingent Benfica the likely rival for the top spot. However, Argentina’s most successful club Boca Juniors spearheaded by a certain Edinson Cavani could provide worrying moments. The best club in the OFC region, Auckland City don’t have much of a say but could cherish being the most appearance-maker in the competition with 12.

Group C Fixtures

Group D

Flamengo

Espérance de Tunis

Chelsea

León

2021 Club World Cup winners Chelsea, the same year they won their second Champions League title, will lock horns with the three-time Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo alongside the Tunisian giants Espérance de Tunis and 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. The Blues are favourites to win their group so the battle is between the rest of the pack to join them in the knockouts.

Group D Fixtures

Group E

River Plate

Urawa Red Diamonds

Monterrey

Inter Milan

Argentinian heavyweights River Plate will face Italian giants Inter Milan in Group E alongside 2022 AFC Champions League winner Urawa Red Diamonds and CONCACAF Champions League winner in 2021, Monterrey. The former two will be favourites to acquire the top two standings in the group with the 20 times Serie A winners to clinch the first place barring any surprise.

Group E Fixtures

Group F

Fluminense

Borussia Dortmund

Ulsan HD

Mamelodi Sundowns

2024 Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund take on 2021 Copa Libertadores winners Fluminese, Ulsan HD of AFC and South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in Group F. Although the Brazilian outfit will contain veteran national team stars Marcelo and Thiago Silva, nobody is getting in the way of Black and Yellow to earn the group winners medal.

Group F Fixtures

Group G

Manchester City

Wydad AC

Al Ain

Juventus

The spectacular clash between Manchester City and Juventus will be the decider for Group G with little difference between the two sides. Pep Guardiola’s side will enter the next expanded Club World Cup in 2025 as the holders of the competition after winning it for the first time in 2023 but their present form has been concerning, raising many questions. The Bianconeri beat them in the Champions League and would like to do so again to claim the top spot despite having a feeble form themselves. They are joined by 2021–22 CAF Champions League winner Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Al Ain, the winners of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League.

Group G Fixtures

Group H

Real Madrid

Al Hilal

Pachuca

Red Bull Salzburg

Another much-anticipated game will be between record Club World Cup winners Real Madrid and the record AFC Champions League winners Al-Hilal after being paired in Group H. The game will be the curtain raiser for the group. Los Blancos need no introduction as they won the Champions League twice in the four-year circle to qualify for the tournament, their record-extending 15th title, being favourites to win the group. However,  Al Hilal is likely to throw a stiff challenge with the cash pump into PIF-backed clubs in 2022 helping them secure superstar signatures like Neymar and Serbian goal machine Aleksandar Mitrović among others. The most successful club in Saudi Football League history will be gearing up to make a mark in the tournament. While not favourites to make it to the knockouts, 2024 CONCACAF Champions League winners Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg will hope to give the other two a run for their money.

Group H Fixtures

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semi-finals

Final