FIFA Club World Cup updates: Everything you need to know plus Al Ahly vs Inter Miami preview

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will stand out as a historic event with its revamped format, marking the second time in the tournament’s 25-year history that it has undergone such a transformation. Alongside this new structure, the trophy itself holds special significance, both in its design and value.

Starting in the summer of 2025, the Club World Cup will feature 32 teams and take place every four years for the first time. This expansion builds upon the previous iteration, which took place annually with just seven teams competing from across the globe.

The victorious team will receive a replica of the official Club World Cup trophy, complete with engravings commemorating their win. What makes this edition even more intriguing is that the new trophy may remain unchanged for generations to come.

In this article we bring you everything you need to know about this exciting tournament including a preview of the highly-anticipated opening match.

When is the tournament starting?

The upcoming Club World Cup will span 29 days during the summer of 2025. Kicking off on June 15, the tournament will conclude with the final match on July 13. The tournament is anticipating a thrilling tournament with FIFA Club World Cup tickets in high demand heading into the summer.

Who are the qualified teams?

The 2025 Club World Cup will feature 12 European clubs, with the spots allocated based on performances in the Champions League over the past four seasons (2020/21 to the current season).

The champions of the last three seasons – Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City – will compete alongside top performers like Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Milan, who qualify through rankings.

Each of the Asian, African, and North American Football Federations will send four teams, selected based on their Champions League results. South America will contribute six teams, with the best performers from the Copa Libertadores.

Oceania’s Football Confederation will have one representative, the top team from the OFC Champions League in the past four years. The host nation will also have one team, with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami securing the spot after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.

Lionel Messi, who has lifted the Club World Cup three times (2009, 2011, 2015), will join stars like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, but Cristiano Ronaldo will miss out as only Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia has qualified.

Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, now known as FC Salzburg due to FIFA’s sponsorship rules, will also be present.

Here’s the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 draw in full.

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 Sportive de Tunisie, Chelsea, Club America/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

How does the new format work?

The revamped 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will adopt a format similar to the international men’s and women’s World Cups. The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four, with each team playing the others once in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages.

In contrast to the international World Cups, there will be no third-place play-off in this edition of the Club World Cup. The tournament will culminate in the final, which is scheduled for 13 July 2025. This expanded format aims to increase the competitiveness and excitement of the tournament, bringing together the top club teams from around the world.

Prize money revealed

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will offer substantial financial rewards for the participating teams. The winners will receive up to £97 million ($125 million) from FIFA.

In total, prize money amounting to £774 million ($1 billion) will be distributed among the 32 clubs. This will include a £406 million ($525 million) participation fee, which will be allocated based on sporting and commercial criteria. The remaining £368 million ($475 million) will be shared according to sporting performance.

In addition to the prize money, FIFA will distribute another £200 million ($250 million) in solidarity payments to clubs around the world, ensuring that the benefits of the tournament reach beyond the participating teams. This financial structure underscores FIFA’s commitment to increasing the competition’s scale and impact.

Participation awards will be given to clubs, with the amount varying based on sporting and commercial factors.

European teams will receive higher amounts than those from other continents. The top-ranked European clubs will be awarded £29.6m, while the lowest-ranked will get £9.9m.

Clubs will take home a set amount for each round as follows:

Group Stages: £1.5m for a win / £800k for a draw

Round of 16: £5.8m

Quarter-Final: £10.1m

Semi-Final: £16.2m

Finalist: £23.2m

Winner: £30.0m

Where will the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup tournament be held?

All matches for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will take place in the United States, a year before the country co-hosts the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

FIFA announced the 12 venues for the 2025 tournament on September 28, 2024. Five of these stadiums will also be used for the 2026 World Cup.

The selected stadiums include Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio), MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida), Geodis Park (Nashville, Tennessee), Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, Florida), the Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington), and Audi Field (Washington D.C.).

The tournament’s opening match will be held at Hard Rock Stadium, with a capacity of 65,000, and the final will take place at MetLife Stadium, which can hold 82,500 spectators.

Fixtures are set to be played in 12 different stadiums, namely:

Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Charlotte, TQL Stadium

Cincinnati, Bank of America Stadium

Los Angeles, Rose Bowl Stadium

Miami, Hard Rock Stadium

Nashville, GEODIS Park

New Jersey, MetLife Stadium

Orlando, Camping World Stadium

Orlando, Inter & Co. Stadium

Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field

Seattle, Lumen Field

Washington DC, Audi Field

The opening match will be held in Miami, and the final is scheduled for New Jersey.

Will Lionel Messi be involved?

Lionel Messi’s involvement in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup stems from a decision by FIFA to award the host nation spot to Inter Miami, which won the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield for having the best regular-season record. Although Inter Miami did not win the MLS championship, their performance in the regular season secured them the spot.

The decision to grant this spot before the MLS campaign concluded has raised some eyebrows, with critics suggesting that it could be an effort by FIFA to ensure that Messi, who joined the club in 2023, participates in the tournament. Given Messi’s global popularity and the relatively low public interest in the Club World Cup, FIFA may have seen his involvement as a way to increase the tournament’s visibility and appeal.

Al Ahly vs Inter Miami preview

Inter Miami will face Egyptian club Al Ahly in the opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Fans can already buy Al Ahly SC vs Inter Miami tickets and organisers are expected a packed crowd.

This match is set for June 15, 2025, marking the beginning of the tournament in the United States. Before the draw for the tournament, Inter were already confirmed to occupy the final spot in Group A, but their opponent was only revealed recently.

Alongside Inter in Group A are SE Palmeiras, FC Porto, and Al Ahly FC. SE Palmeiras, drawn from Pot 1, will play FC Porto first, leaving Inter Miami to take on Al Ahly in the opening match.

Al Ahly qualified automatically for the competition as the winners of the 2021, 2023, and 2024 CAF Champions League. Miami, having won the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield with a record-breaking season, earned their spot as the host nation’s representative, a decision confirmed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The Herons will join the Seattle Sounders as one of two MLS teams in the tournament. The Sounders secured their place by winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup.

If Inter were to top Group A, they would face the runners-up from Group B, which features PSG, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, and Seattle Sounders. However, should they finish second in their group, their opponents would be the winners of Group B.

The central storyline of the tournament will undoubtedly revolve around Lionel Messi, as fans flock from all over to see him play. However, there is more to Inter Miami than just Messi. Despite being in the twilight of their careers, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba bring a wealth of experience. New manager Javier Mascherano has also demonstrated tactical acumen, making a strong start to Miami’s MLS campaign.

Al Ahly, one of the four African teams in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, will face some tough competition in Group A. Drawn alongside 2021 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champions SE Palmeiras, European heavyweights FC Porto, and Miami, the Egyptian giants are in for some thrilling matches.

The Egyptian club secured their spot in the tournament by winning the CAF Champions League in the 2020/21, 2022/23, and 2023/24 seasons. Their victory in 2020/21 saw them defeat Kaizer Chiefs, while they reclaimed the title in 2022/23 from Wydad, the team that had beaten them in the 2021/22 final. Al Ahly’s success this season also allowed South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Tunisia’s Esperance to qualify for the tournament through the ranking pathway.

Founded in 1907, the Nadi Al-watanniyah boasts the largest fanbase in Egypt and is one of the most popular clubs on the African continent. The club has experienced numerous successful periods and remains a dominant force, with 43 Egyptian League titles, 39 Egyptian Cup trophies, and 12 CAF Champions League titles. Their dominance is reflected in their record, which far surpasses that of Egyptian rivals Zamalek.

Al Ahly was named CAF Club of the 20th Century and have participated in the FIFA Club World Cup nine times, securing the bronze medal on four occasions.

While the record 44-time Egyptian champions will hope to start the tournament on a good account, defeating the star-studded Miami side will be a huge upset, and this unpredictability is exactly what makes major tournaments exciting.