FIFA has revealed how the new extended Club World Cup will be played in 2025.

FIFA Unveils Format for the Historic 2025 Club World Cup with 32 Teams

FIFA officially announces the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled from June 15 to July 13, 2025, to be hosted in the USA.

Eligibility Criteria for Top Football Icons:

• Cristiano Ronaldo’s participation in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup depends on Al-Nassr’s success in the 2023/24 AFC Champions League.
• Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami can qualify by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2024.

European teams qualified:

• Winners of 2020/21: Chelsea (qualified).
• Winners of 2021/22: Real Madrid (qualified).
• Winners of 2022/23: Manchester City (qualified).
• Winners of 2023/24: To be confirmed.
• Ranking pathway: 8 teams: Bayern, PSG, Inter, Porto, Benfica, and three to be confirmed.

Tournament Format:

• Group stage with eight groups of four teams each, playing in a single-game round-robin format.
• The top two teams per group progress to the round of 16.
• Direct single-match knockout stage from the round of 16 to the final.
• There is no third-place play-off.

African Representation:

• Al Ahly and Wydad AC were confirmed as two of the four African participants.

Council Decisions:

• The FIFA Council unanimously confirms the club ranking methodology.
• The tournament, named “Mundial de Clubes FIFA,” will include clubs from all six confederations.
• The competition follows the format of the FIFA World Cup 2022™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ with no play-off for third place.

Background:

• The FIFA Council made these decisions ahead of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The 2025 Club World Cup promises a groundbreaking spectacle with an expanded team lineup and a format akin to major FIFA tournaments, shaping up as a pivotal moment for football enthusiasts worldwide.