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FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Your complete guide to the exciting new-look tournament
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It’s a huge competition and many of the world’s top clubs and players are involved – here’s what you need to know and how to watch it
By Chris Miller, Feature Writer
- Published
- 11 June 2025
You thought summer football meant players representing their countries in international tournaments? Well, it’s time to shake off the old ways and get up to speed with 2025. This year there’s a new kid on the summer football scene and it involves some of the biggest names in club football from around the world.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which begins this weekend, is a month-long tournament designed with the goal of crowning the best men’s club team on the planet. It’s set to be a festival of football involving the top clubs from all the continental associations, with group stages and knockout rounds – adding up to a total of 63 matches – culminating in a grand final in July.
Read on for everything you need to know about the FIFA Club World Cup, including where to watch the live action.
What is the FIFA Club World Cup?
There’s been a competition aimed at establishing the world’s best club side since 1957, when South American champs Vasco da Gama beat European Cup winners Real Madrid in Paris. It’s existed in various forms on and off since, including a knockout tournament for all the continental club champions (and usually a team from the host country) that ran annually from 2005 to 2023.
But FIFA decided to revamp the competition, creating a four-yearly tournament that would involve 32 teams and provide a month of entertainment for fans in a summer lacking a men’s international tournament. It was meant to begin in 2021, but our old friend the Covid pandemic put paid to that; four years later, the first tournament in this new format is ready to kick off.
Which teams are playing in the FIFA Club World Cup?
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There’s a complicated qualification system, but the easiest part is that qualifiers include every club to win the UEFA Champions League (Europe), CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores (South America), CAF Champions League (Africa), AFC Champions League (Asia) and CONCACAF Gold Cup (North America) from the past four years.
There are also extra slots for some of the best-performing teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL, the top-ranked OFC Champions League (Oceania) winners from the past four years, and one team from the host nation.
However, the participants are limited to two teams from a single country. That’s why some of the biggest clubs from Europe, such as Liverpool and Barcelona, are absent from the line-up: they may have performed better in international club competitions than others in their confederation, but if they didn’t win the championship or weren’t in the top two from their country over the four-year period, they didn’t make it. Click below to see the full list of teams, arranged into their groups.
Group A
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Inter Miami (USA)
Palmeiras (Brazil)
Porto (Portugal)
Group B
Atlético Madrid (Spain)
Botafogo (Brazil)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Seattle Sounders (USA)
Group C
Auckland City (New Zealand)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Benfica (Portugal)
Boca Juniors (Argentina)
Group D
Chelsea (England)
Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia)
Flamengo (Brazil)
Los Angeles FC (USA)
Group E
Inter Milan (Italy)
Monterrey (Mexico)
River Plate (Argentina)
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
Group F
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Fluminense (Brazil)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Ulsan HD (South Korea)
Group G
Al Ain (UAE)
Juventus (Italy)
Manchester City (England)
Wydad FC (Morocco)
Group H
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Pachuca (Mexico)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
Which country is hosting the FIFA Club World Cup?
The United States is the host nation, as announced in June 2023. Matches will take place at 12 venues across 11 host cities, mainly in the eastern US – which is good news for British fans who want to watch the games, because they’re in a time zone that’s much closer to the UK than locations in the west of the country.
As co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 (with Mexico and Canada), the US will be keen to show it can host a problem-free, smooth-running tournament for teams and fans.
Rose Bowl
Los Angeles, California
Capacity: 88,500
MetLife Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Capacity: 82,500
Bank Of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
Capacity: 75,000
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia
Capacity: 75,000
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Capacity: 69,000
Lumen Field
Seattle, Washington
Capacity: 69,000
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Capacity: 65,000
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, Florida
Capacity: 65,000
GEODIS Park
Nashville, Tennessee
Capacity: 30,000
TQL Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
Capacity: 26,000
Inter&Co Stadium
Orlando, Florida
Capacity: 25,000
Audi Field
Washington, DC
Capacity: 20,000
When does the FIFA Club World Cup start?
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The first match of the tournament is scheduled for Saturday 14 June in the US, which will kick off at 1am UK time on Sunday 15 June. It will feature Inter Miami – who took the host nation slot – and 12-time African champions Al Ahly of Egypt. Inter Miami have one Leo Messi in their squad, who may just be something of an attraction for fans, while the Cairo team have won four of the past six African Champions League finals and are by far the continent’s most successful club.
If you’re following the English teams, Chelsea’s first match is against Los Angeles FC on Monday 16 June at 8pm UK time, while Manchester City – who are the holders, having won the title in its different format in 2023 – face Wydad AC of Morocco on Wednesday 18 June at 5pm UK time.
Newly crowned European champions Paris St-Germain had already qualified for this competition and their first opponents are Atlético Madrid on Sunday 15 June at 8pm UK time. Real Madrid take on Saudi side Al-Hilal on Wednesday 18 June at 8pm UK time, having paid Liverpool a fee to ensure they can include new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
All fixtures here are in UK time (British Summer Time)
Group Stage
Sunday 15 June
Group A: Al Ahly v Inter Miami – Miami Gardens, 1am
Group C: Bayern Munich v Auckland City – Cincinnati, 5pm
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain v Atlético Madrid – Los Angeles, 8pm
Group A: Palmeiras v Porto – East Rutherford, 11pm
Monday 16 June
Group B: Botafogo v Seattle Sounders – Seattle, 3am
Group D: Chelsea v Los Angeles FC – Atlanta, 8pm
Group C: Boca Juniors v Benfica – Miami Gardens, 11pm
Tuesday 17 June
Group D: Flamengo v Espérance de Tunis – Philadelphia, 2am
Group F: Fluminense v Borussia Dortmund – East Rutherford, 5pm
Group E: River Plate v Urawa Red Diamonds – Seattle, 8pm
Group F: Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns – Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, 11pm
Wednesday 18 June
Group E: Monterrey v Inter Milan – Los Angeles, 2am
Group G: Manchester City v Wydad AC – Philadelphia, 5pm
Group H: Real Madrid v Al-Hilal – Miami, 8pm
Group H: Pachuca v RB Salzburg - Cincinnati, 11pm
Thursday 19 June
Group G: Al Ain v Juventus – Washington, DC, 2am
Group A: Palmeiras v Al Ahly – East Rutherford, 5pm
Group A: Inter Miami v Porto – Atlanta, 8pm
Group B: Seattle Sounders v Atlético Madrid – Seattle, 11pm
Friday 20 June
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain v Botafogo – Los Angeles, 2am
Group C: Benfica v Auckland City – Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, 5pm
Group D: Flamengo v Chelsea – Philadelphia, 7pm
Group D: Los Angeles FC v Espérance de Tunis –Nashville, 11pm
Saturday 21 June
Group C: Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors – Miami Gardens, 2am
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns v Borussia Dortmund – Cincinnati, 5pm
Group E: Inter Milan v Urawa Red Diamonds – Seattle, 8pm
Group F: Fluminense v Ulsan HD - East Rutherford, 11pm
Sunday 22 June
Group E: River Plate v Monterrey – Los Angeles, 2am
Group G: Juventus v Wydad AC – Philadelphia, 5pm
Group H: Real Madrid v Pachuca – Charlotte, 8pm
Group H: RB Salzburg v Al-Hilal – Washington, DC, 11pm
Monday 23 June
Group G: Manchester City v Al Ain – Atlanta, 2am
Group B: Seattle Sounders v Paris Saint-Germain – Seattle, 8pm
Group B: Atlético Madrid v Botafogo – Los Angeles, 8pm
Tuesday 24 June
Group A: Inter Miami v Palmeiras – Miami Gardens, 2am
Group A: FC Porto v Al Ahly – East Rutherford, 2am
Group C: Auckland City v Boca Juniors – Nashville, 8pm
Group C: SL Benfica v FC Bayern München – Charlotte, 8pm
Wednesday 25 June
Group D: Los Angeles v Flamengo – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 2am
Group D: Espérance de Tunis v Chelsea – Philadelphia, 2am
Group F: Borussia Dortmund v Ulsan HD – Cincinnati, 8pm
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns v Fluminense – Miami Gardens, 8pm
Thursday, 26 June
Group E: Inter Milan v River Plate – Seattle, 2am
Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds v Monterrey – Los Angeles, 2am
Group G: Juventus v Manchester City – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 8pm
Group G: Wydad AC v Al Ain – Washington, DC, 8pm
Friday 27 June
Group H: Al-Hilal v Pachuca – Nashville, 2am
Group H: RB Salzburg v Real Madrid – Philadelphia, 2am
Round Of 16
Saturday 28 June
Match 49: Group A winners v Group B runners-up – Philadelphia, 5pm
Match 50: Group C winners v Group D runners-up – Charlotte, 9pm
Sunday 29 June
Match 51: Group B winners v Group A runners-up – Atlanta, 5pm
Match 52: Group D winners v Group C runners-up – Miami, 9pm
Monday 30 June
Match 53: Group E winners v Group F runners-up – Charlotte, 8pm
Tuesday 1 July
Match 54: Group G winners v Group H runners-up – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 2am
Match 55: Group H winners v Group G runners-up – Miami, 8pm
Wednesday 2 July
Match 56: Group F winners v Group E runners-up – Atlanta, 2am
Quarter-finals
Friday 4 July
Match 57: Winner match 53 v Winner match 54 – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 8pm
Saturday 5 July
Match 58: Winner match 49 v Winner match 50 – Philadelphia, 2am
Match 59: Winner match 51 v Winner match 52 – Atlanta, 5pm
Match 60: Winner match 55 v Winner match 56 – East Rutherford, 9pm
Semi-finals
Tuesday 8 July
Match 61: Winner match 57 v Winner match 58 – East Rutherford, 8pm
Wednesday 9 July
Match 62: Winner match 59 v Winner match 60 – East Rutherford, 8pm
Final
Sunday 13 July
Match 63: Winner match 61 v Winner match 62 – East Rutherford, 8pm
How can I watch the FIFA Club World Cup?
In the UK, you can watch 23 live games on free-to-air channels 5 HD (CH 105) and 5Action HD (CH 130) during the tournament, including group games featuring Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich (who have England captain Harry Kane), Real Madrid and Messi’s Inter Miami. It also has eight live matches from the knockout rounds, including the final on Sunday 13 July.
Remember, you can follow all the live action wherever you are in the UK, as long as there’s WiFi, 3G or 4G, thanks to Virgin TV Go. Simply download the free app, which is free to all Virgin TV customers and is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows 10 and PC/Mac. Download the Virgin TV Go app here.
Group A: Al Ahly v Inter Miami
Sunday 15 June, 1am, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group C: Bayern Munich v Auckland City
Sunday 15 June, 5pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group D: Chelsea v Los Angeles FC
Monday 16 June, 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group C: Boca Juniors v Benfica
Monday 16 June, 11pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group F: Fluminense v Borussia Dortmund
Tuesday 17 June, 5pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group G: Manchester City v Wydad AC
Wednesday 18 June, 5pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group H: Real Madrid v Al-Hilal
Wednesday 18 June, 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Group C: Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors
Saturday 21 June, 2am, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group E: Inter Milan v Urawa Red Diamonds
Saturday 21 June, 8pm, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group G: Juventus v Wydad AC
Sunday 22 June, 5pm, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group G: Manchester City v Al Ain
Monday 23 June, 2am, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group B: Atlético Madrid v Botafogo
Monday 23 June, 8pm, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group C: Auckland City v Boca Juniors
Tuesday 24 June, 8pm, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group D: Espérance de Tunis v Chelsea
Wednesday 25 June, 2am, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Group F: Borussia Dortmund v Ulsan HD
Wednesday 25 June, 8pm, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Round of 16: Group B winners v Group A runners-up
Sunday 29 June, 5pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Round of 16: Group D winners v Group C runners-up
Sunday 29 June, 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Round of 16: Group E winners v Group F runners-up
Monday 30 June, 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Round of 16: Group G winners v Group H runners-up
Tuesday 1 July, 2am, 5Action HD (CH 130)
Quarter-final
Friday 4 July, 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Quarter-final
Saturday 5 July, 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Semi-final
Wednesday 9 July, 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Final
Sunday 13 July, 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)
Players to watch at the FIFA Club World Cup
Fans in the UK will be familiar with Premier League stars like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, as well as England players at European clubs like Kane and Jude Bellingham, plus the biggest names in the Champions League including Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr, Ousmane Dembélé, Jamal Musiala and more.
There are also familiar faces at perhaps unexpected clubs: as well as the aforementioned Messi, former Premier League stars and French internationals Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud are at Los Angeles FC, while Real Madrid and Spain legend (179 caps!) Sergio Ramos now plays for Mexico’s Monterrey. But as with the FIFA World Cup, this tournament may see lesser-known names grab the headlines. Here are our tips for players to watch – click on their club badges to find out more about them.
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HD: HD TV required to view HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.
TV Go: Content available to view depends on TV package. Not all channels/content from relevant pack available. Live streaming and On Demand requires broadband/WiFi or 3G/4G access. UK only. Access via PC, Mac or TV Go App (selected iOS devices and Android™ devices only). Maximum 5 compatible devices per account can watch TV.
Virgin TV 360 Box: Not available with full fibre. Minimum of M50 Fibre Broadband required for operation. Boxes require a HDMI cable to connect to your TV. Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for seven days after broadcast.
Virgin Stream box: Virgin Media broadband required (min. 50 Mbps). Compatible with Hub 3 and above. Stream box requires an HDMI cable connected to TV. HD TV set and a Stream box connected with HDMI cables required for viewing HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package. 4K compatible TV/device required to watch Ultra HD. Stream box and remote remain property of Virgin Media.
Flex: Virgin Media broadband required (min. 50 Mbps). Not available with other Virgin Media TV services. Compatible with Hub 3 and above. Stream box requires an HDMI cable connected to TV. HD TV set and a Stream box connected with HDMI cables required for viewing HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package. 4K compatible TV/device required to watch Ultra HD. Stream box and remote remain property of Virgin Media. There is a £5 a month charge for Flex service, and a one-off activation fee of £35 may apply, along with charges & terms for each Flex entertainment subscription chosen. Some Flex subscriptions require 30 days’ notice to cancel. New Virgin Media broadband customers subject to 18 month contract and set up fees may apply. See full details. Not available with full fibre. Minimum of M50 Fibre Broadband required for operation. Boxes require a HDMI cable to connect to your TV. Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for seven days after broadcast.
