- FIFA Club World Cup draw on December 5 will determine group stage matchups for the inaugural 32-team tournament.
- Tournament to be held in the U.S. from June 15 to July 13, 2025, featuring top clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.
- Expanded format: 32 teams, up from the previous 7, but concerns raised over player workload.
- Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will play in the opening match at Hard Rock Stadium.
- Broadcasting details and sponsors still unclear, with only Hisense confirmed as a sponsor.
The world’s top football clubs will learn their group stage opponents for the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup during a draw on December 5 in Miami. This highly anticipated event will set the stage for the expanded competition, which will be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
While excitement surrounds the tournament, many details remain unclear. Key questions about the competition’s revenues, benefits for participating clubs, and broadcasting arrangements remain unanswered. As of now, FIFA has only confirmed a single sponsor, Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense, and the TV broadcasters for the tournament have yet to be announced.
The draw, which will take place at 1800 GMT, will divide the 32 teams into eight groups of four. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout phase, which begins with the round of 16, leading to the final. Notably, there will be no match for third place in this new format.
The revamped Club World Cup significantly expands the previous seven-team tournament to include 32 clubs, with prominent teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich taking part. However, the expansion has faced criticism for potentially increasing player workload, and FIFA has yet to announce any media or broadcast deals for the tournament.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also revealed that Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will play in the opening match at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, on June 15, 2025. The expanded Club World Cup is set to become a quadrennial event, with no host yet chosen for the 2029 edition.