The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is the planned 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized by FIFA. The tournament is scheduled to be played in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. It is planned to be the first under an expanded format with 32 teams,[1] including the winners of the four previous continental championships.[2]
Manchester City is the defending champion, having won its first title in the last tournament under the old format in 2023.
Background and format
Since its return from hiatus in 2005, the FIFA Club World Cup had been held annually in December and was limited to the winners of continental club competitions.[3] As early as late 2016, FIFA presidentGianni Infantino suggested expanding the Club World Cup to 32 teams beginning in 2019 and rescheduling it to June/July to be more balanced and more attractive to broadcasters and sponsors.[4] In late 2017, FIFA discussed proposals to expand the competition to 24 teams and have it be played every four years by 2021, replacing the FIFA Confederations Cup.[5] The expanded format and schedule of Club World Cup, to be played in June and July 2021, was confirmed at the March 2019 FIFA Council meeting in Miami.[6][7] China was appointed as host in October 2019,[8] but the 2021 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10]
On June 23, 2023, FIFA confirmed that the United States would host the 2025 tournament as a prelude to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[11] The host cities for the tournament remained undecided.[12] The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four teams with the top two teams in each group qualifying to the knockout stage.[13] The format will be the same of that used in the FIFA World Cup between 1998 and 2022, with the exception of a third-place play-off.[14]
In January 2024, it was reported that the tournament would take place on the East Coast to be closer to European broadcasters and viewers while also avoiding conflicts with the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will also take place primarily in the United States around the same time but on the West Coast.[15]
Location of the UEFA teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
On February 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation for the 2025 tournament based on a "set of objective metrics and criteria". UEFA was awarded the most slots with twelve, while CONMEBOL was given the second most with six. The AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF were all given four slots, while the OFC and the host association were given one slot each.[16] On March 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the key principles of the access list for the tournament.[17] The principles are as follows, considering competitions completed during a four-year period from 2021 to 2024:[18]
CONMEBOL and UEFA (more than four slots): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024, with additional teams to be determined by a club ranking of the four-year period.[18]
AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF (four slots each): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024.[18][note 1]
OFC (one slot): access for the highest-ranked club among the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024.[18][note 2]
Host country (one slot): this was determined at a later stage.
If a club wins two or more seasons of its confederation's top club competition, additional teams will be determined by a club ranking over the four-year period. Furthermore, a restriction of two clubs per association will be applied, with the exception of champion clubs if more than two clubs from the same association win their confederation's top club competition. The calculation method for the four-year club rankings within each confederation was based on the teams' performance in their respective continental tournaments during seasons completed between 2021 and 2024.[21]
For confederations other than UEFA, the method was as follows:[21]
3 points for a win
1 point for a draw
3 points for successful progression to each new stage of the competition
In the case of UEFA, due to the existence of the well-established UEFA club coefficient system, the method used by UEFA to calculate the club coefficient was "exceptionally applied" to rank the European teams.[21][note 3]
Teams
Qualified teams
The following teams have qualified for the tournament:[22][23][24][18]
The draw will be held on December 5, 2024, 1:00p.m. EST, in Miami.[27][28] Teams will be seeded into pots, taking into consideration sporting and geographical factors as far as possible.[29]
In the group stage, teams will be divided into eight groups of four (groups A to H). Teams in each group will play one another in a round-robin, from which the top two teams will advance to the knockout stage.
Tie-breaking criteria for group play
The ranking of teams in the group stage is determined as follows:[29]
Points obtained in all group matches;
Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question;
Goal difference in the matches played between the teams in question;
Number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question;
If, after having applied criteria 1 to 3, teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams who are still level to determine their final rankings.[a] If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 9 will apply;
Goal difference in all group matches;
Number of goals scored in all group matches;
Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction can be applied to a player or coach in a single match):
Yellow card: −1 points;
Indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
Direct red card: −4 points;
Yellow card and direct red card: −5 points;
Drawing of lots.
Notes
^If there is a three-way tie on points, the application of the first three criteria may only break the tie for one of the teams, leaving the other two teams still tied. In this case, the tiebreaking procedure is resumed, from the beginning, for the two teams that are still tied.
First match(es) will be played: June 2025. Source: FIFA
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Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, if the scores are equal when normal playing time expires, extra time will be played for two periods of 15 minutes each. This will be followed, if required, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.[29]
On July 15, 2024, media rights tender for FIFA's new top club competition open for the Americas, Asia, and Middle East & North Africa for 2025 editions.[33] FIFA published an "invitation to tender in the Americas, Asia, and Middle East & North Africa" weeks after talks with tech giant Apple over an exclusive $1 billion global rights deal for the tournament, which was said to be a quarter of FIFA's broadcasting target value for the tournament reportedly stalled.[34][35][36] On September 19, 2024, FIFA called an emergency meeting to discuss broadcasting rights as a deal was still not reached.[37]
Marketing
Branding
On September 4, 2024, FIFA released the official emblem and audio signature of the tournament. The emblem takes inspiration from the ball, football history and culture, with the initials of the tournament abstracted into a circular icon.[38] The official audio will feature Italian singer Gala's song "Freed from Desire".[39] On November 14, FIFA unveiled the new Club World Cup trophy.[40][41]
The proposed expansion was criticized by FIFPRO, a global union of professional players, as well as the World Leagues Forum, which represents professional leagues; both organizations raised concerns about player welfare due to the added fixtures in an already congested playing calendar.[52][53] The Spanish top division league, La Liga, also criticized the plan and said in a statement that it would consider legal action to block the expansion.[54] Many clubs and national federations have opposed its scheduling, accusing FIFA of prioritizing money over the health of the players.[55]
The addition of the annual FIFA Intercontinental Cup tournament was also criticized for creating an overload of competitions that would further put the health of the players at risk.[56] In May 2024, FIFPRO and the World Leagues Forum published a letter they sent to FIFA that calls on a rescheduling of the tournament as well as a reform to the FIFA International Match Calendar to give players more time to rest between major competitions, which have also seen expansions. The organizations also stated in the letter that they would advise member clubs to seek legal action or other options in the event that schedule congestion is not addressed.[56][57] On June 13, 2024, FIFPRO announced that England's Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and France's Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNPF) submitted a legal claim with the Business Court in Brussels to protest the tournament.[58] FIFPRO has warned throughout 2024 that if a compromise is not reached about the Club World Cup, their players may organize a strike.[59]
In a written response to criticism of the added fixtures stated in the letter sent by the FIFPRO and World League Forms, FIFA stated that the accusations stated in the letter were "not supported by facts" and that the schedule for the Club World Cup was aligned with the FIFA International Match Calendar to assure enough time between the tournament final and the start of domestic leagues to ensure player welfare.[60]
Impact of transfers and free agency
The potential impact of transfers on the tournament was questioned, as the summer transfer window will be open in many leagues during the tournament, and thus players in the tournament could potentially be moved to a different club during the tournament, including to other teams playing. In addition, many player contracts in Europe expire on June 30, which could affect the participation of some players.[60]
On October 3, 2024, FIFA announced that an optional transfer window from June 1–10 will be allowed for the member associations whose clubs have qualified for the tournament. Should this window be implemented, it would be available for all clubs from the concerned associations and not only to those participating in the Club World Cup. To address the contract issue, FIFA stated that there would be a "restricted in-competition period" from June 27 to July 3 "within a set limit and according to specific limitations" when the clubs may replace players whose contracts are slated to expire.[61]
Impact of multi-club ownership
In an issue not unique to the Club World Cup, some teams in the tournament are owned by multi-club ownership groups, including tournament qualifiers Pachuca and León, which are both owned by Grupo Pachuca, and which may raise conflict of interest concerns.[60] In response to this concern, FIFA have stated in the tournament regulations that clubs in the competition cannot own shares, be members of other clubs, or influence their performance. Similarly, individuals cannot simultaneously manage or influence multiple clubs. "Influence" in this context is defined as holding a majority of voting rights, having the right to appoint or remove majority board members, controlling a majority of voting rights through agreements, or exercising a decisive influence in the club's decision-making. Should two or more clubs fail to meet the criteria, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee shall review the cases to determine admission status, and the FIFA general secretariat shall allow only one of any conflicted clubs to participate while also selecting the replacement for the prohibited club in the competition.[29]
In November 2024, Costa Rican club Alajuelense announced it had requested FIFA to enforce its multi-club ownership rule to disqualify either Pachuca or León and would pursue legal action if necessary.[62]
Selection of Inter Miami CF
As with previous editions of the FIFA Club World Cup, the new format allocated a slot reserved for the host nation.[16] Traditionally, this slot is filled by the defending champion of the host nation. Unlike in many soccer leagues around the world, the champion of Major League Soccer is determined by a postseason playoff rather than the regular season record.[63] The qualification method had been left undetermined for an extended period of time into the 2024 regular season. At the mid-season MLS All-Star Game, league commissioner Don Garber suggested that the spot could be filled with the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield winner, the MLS Cup 2024 winner, or a possible playoff between them.[64][65] On October 19, 2024, FIFA announced that the final slot would be given to Inter Miami CF as winners of the 2024 Supporters' Shield, prior to the beginning of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs and after Inter Miami CF had already won the Shield.[26] This decision came under criticism from fans and media pundits for its lack of transparency, lack of qualification by traditional sporting merit, and as an attempt to court sponsors by ensuring that Lionel Messi would feature in the tournament.[63][66] On November 10, 2024, Inter Miami CF was eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs by Atlanta United FC in the first round.[67] Despite this, Inter Miami CF head coach Gerardo Martino defended the selection of the team, arguing that the Supporters' Shield was enough justification for selection.[68]
^As the AFC Champions League was shifted from an intra-year schedule to an inter-year schedule starting from 2023–24, only three seasons of the AFC Champions League were completed within the 2021 to 2024 timeframe, resulting in the remaining slot allocated using the 4-year club ranking.[18]
^ abAs the 2021 OFC Champions League was canceled, the slot was awarded to the best club in the OFC's 4-year ranking that won the competition between 2022 and 2024.[18][19][20]
^ abcdefghiThe teams' participation was confirmed on March 14, 2023, with the approval of the access list. However, the teams won the competitions (that eventually qualified them for the Club World Cup) on the following dates: Al-Hilal (November 23, 2021), Al Ahly (July 17, 2021), Wydad AC (May 30, 2022), Monterrey (October 28, 2021), Seattle Sounders FC (May 4, 2022), Palmeiras (November 27, 2021), Flamengo (October 29, 2022), Chelsea (May 29, 2021), and Real Madrid (May 28, 2022).
^ abcdeFive eligible teams qualified on December 17, 2023, via 4-year confederations ranking, when the qualifying procedure was confirmed. These teams were both guaranteed a place in the top eight and could not be made ineligible by two teams from their own federation accumulating more points.[18]
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