Tournament details | |
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Host country | United States |
Dates | June 14 – July 13 |
Teams | 32 (from 6 confederations) |
Venue(s) | 12 (in 11 host cities) |
← 2023 2029 → |
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 14 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. [3] The expanded tournament format was announced in March 2019 and originally scheduled to be hosted by China in 2021 until a postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. FIFA approved the allocation of slots between confederations in February 2023 and announced the United States as the host country four months later. The FIFA Intercontinental Cup was established as an annual tournament under the old format.
The expansion of the tournament was met with criticism by players' union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Forum due to the impact it is expected to have on fixture congestion and player welfare.
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. [4] As early as late 2016, FIFA president Gianni 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. [5] 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. [6] 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. [7] [8] China was appointed as host in October 2019, [9] but the 2021 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [10] [11]
On June 23, 2023, FIFA confirmed that the United States would host the 2025 tournament as a prelude to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [12] The host cities for the tournament remained undecided. [13] 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. [14] 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. [15]
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. [16]
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. [17] On March 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the key principles of the access list for the tournament. [18] The principles are as follows, considering competitions completed during a four-year period from 2021 to 2024: [19]
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. [22]
For confederations other than UEFA, the method was as follows: [22]
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. [22] [note 3]
The following teams qualified for the tournament: [23] [24] [25] [19]
Confederation | Team(s) | Qualification | Qualified date(s) | Participation |
---|---|---|---|---|
AFC (4 slots) | Al Hilal | Winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 4th (Previous: 2019, 2021, 2022) |
Urawa Red Diamonds | Winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League | May 6, 2023 | 4th (Previous: 2007, 2017, 2023) | |
Al Ain | Winners of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League | May 25, 2024 | 2nd (Previous: 2018) | |
Ulsan HD | AFC 4-year ranking | April 17, 2024 | 3rd (Previous: 2012, 2020) | |
CAF (4 slots) | Al Ahly | Winners of the 2020–21, 2022–23, and 2023–24 CAF Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 10th (Previous: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) |
Wydad AC | Winners of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 3rd (Previous: 2017, 2022) | |
Espérance de Tunis | CAF 4-year ranking | April 26, 2024 | 4th (Previous: 2011, 2018, 2019) | |
Mamelodi Sundowns | CAF 4-year ranking | April 26, 2024 | 2nd (Previous: 2016) | |
CONCACAF (4 slots) | Monterrey | Winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 6th (Previous: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021) |
Seattle Sounders FC | Winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 2nd (Previous: 2022) | |
León | Winners of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League | June 4, 2023 | 2nd (Previous: 2023) | |
Pachuca | Winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup | June 1, 2024 | 5th (Previous: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017) | |
CONMEBOL (6 slots) | Palmeiras | Winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 3rd (Previous: 2020, 2021) |
Flamengo | Winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 3rd (Previous: 2019, 2022) | |
Fluminense | Winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores | November 4, 2023 | 2nd (Previous: 2023) | |
Botafogo | Winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores | November 30, 2024 | 1st | |
River Plate | CONMEBOL 4-year ranking | May 14, 2024 [26] | 3rd (Previous: 2015, 2018) | |
Boca Juniors | CONMEBOL 4-year ranking | August 22, 2024 | 2nd (Previous: 2007) | |
OFC (1 slot) | Auckland City | Best OFC Champions League winners in the OFC 4-year ranking [note 2] | December 17, 2023 | 12th (Previous: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023) |
UEFA (12 slots) | Chelsea | Winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 3rd (Previous: 2012, 2021 ) |
Real Madrid | Winners of the 2021–22 and 2023–24 UEFA Champions League | March 14, 2023 [note 4] | 7th (Previous: 2000, 2014 , 2016 , 2017 , 2018 , 2022 ) | |
Manchester City | Winners of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League | June 10, 2023 | 2nd (Previous: 2023 ) | |
Bayern Munich | UEFA 4-year ranking | December 17, 2023 [note 5] | 3rd (Previous: 2013 , 2020 ) | |
Paris Saint-Germain | UEFA 4-year ranking | December 17, 2023 [note 5] | 1st | |
Inter Milan | UEFA 4-year ranking | December 17, 2023 [note 5] | 2nd (Previous: 2010 ) | |
Porto | UEFA 4-year ranking | December 17, 2023 [note 5] | 1st | |
Benfica | UEFA 4-year ranking | December 17, 2023 [note 5] | 1st | |
Borussia Dortmund | UEFA 4-year ranking | March 6, 2024 | 1st | |
Juventus | UEFA 4-year ranking | March 12, 2024 | 1st | |
Atlético Madrid | UEFA 4-year ranking | April 16, 2024 | 1st | |
Red Bull Salzburg | UEFA 4-year ranking | April 17, 2024 | 1st | |
Host (1 slot) | Inter Miami CF | Winners of the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield | October 19, 2024 [27] | 1st |
The draw was held on December 5, 2024, 1:00 p.m. EST, at the headquarters of television broadcaster Telemundo in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida. [28] [29] The ceremony was led by Alessandro Del Piero at the Telemundo headquarters and included a video message from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. [28] [30] FIFA announced the draw procedure and seeding pots two days prior to the draw, [31] taking into consideration sporting and geographical factors as far as possible. [32]
FIFA compiled the draw pots as follows, with teams ranked within each confederation based on FIFA's club ranking system: [19]
In the draw, teams from the same confederation could not be drawn into the same group except for UEFA teams, for which there was at least one and no more than two per group. Additionally, no two UEFA teams from the same national association could be drawn into the same group.
To maintain competitive balance, two separate pathways of four groups were established for the knockout stage. They were composed as follows:
Given these pathways, UEFA and CONMEBOL teams faced the following constraints in the draw:
As teams from the host country and for scheduling purposes, Inter Miami CF and Seattle Sounders FC were drawn into position 4 of Groups A and B, respectively. Consequently, teams drawn into Groups A and B were allocated to the position corresponding to their draw pot.
The draw started with Pot 1 and ended with Pot 4, with each team selected then allocated into the first available group alphabetically, based on the draw constraints. For Groups C to H, the position for the team within the group was then drawn (for the purpose of the match schedule), with the Pot 1 teams automatically drawn into position 1 of each group.
The draw pots were as follows: [33]
Team | Confed. | Pts |
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Manchester City | UEFA | 123 |
Real Madrid | 119 | |
Bayern Munich | 108 | |
Paris Saint-Germain | 85 | |
Flamengo | CONMEBOL | 141 |
Palmeiras | 140 | |
River Plate | 103 | |
Fluminense | 97 |
Team | Confed. | Pts |
---|---|---|
Chelsea | UEFA | 79 |
Borussia Dortmund | 79 | |
Inter Milan | 76 | |
Porto | 68 | |
Atlético Madrid | 67 | |
Benfica | 52 | |
Juventus | 47 | |
Red Bull Salzburg | 40 |
Team | Confed. | Pts |
---|---|---|
Al Hilal | AFC | 118 |
Ulsan HD | 81 | |
Al Ahly | CAF | 140 |
Wydad AC | 108 | |
Monterrey | CONCACAF | 52 |
León | 47 | |
Boca Juniors | CONMEBOL | 71 |
Botafogo | 37 |
Team | Confed. | Pts |
---|---|---|
Urawa Red Diamonds | AFC | 49 |
Al Ain | 43 | |
Espérance de Tunis | CAF | 100 |
Mamelodi Sundowns | 98 | |
Pachuca | CONCACAF | 34 |
Seattle Sounders FC | 28 | |
Auckland City | OFC | 66 |
Inter Miami CF | Host | — |
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On September 28, 2024, FIFA announced the selection of twelve venues in eleven cities for the tournament: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Audi Field in Washington D.C., Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which will host the opening match involving Inter Miami, [27] Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will host the final. [34] Lumen Field will host all three group stage matches for the Seattle Sounders. [35] Of these selected stadiums, five will be used in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [36]
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On December 17, 2023, FIFA announced the tournament would take place from June 15 to July 13, 2025. [15] Prior to the draw, only the date and venue of the opening match (involving Inter Miami CF) and final was confirmed, along with the venue for the group stage matches of Seattle Sounders FC. The full match schedule with venues and kick-off times was finalized and published on December 7, 2024, following the draw. [37] The start date of the tournament was altered, with the tournament beginning one day earlier on June 14. The schedule was created taking into account factors such as "sporting and player-centric criteria, local and traveling fans and global broadcast considerations". [31]
In the group stage, teams were 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 |
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The ranking of teams in the group stage is determined as follows: [32]
Notes
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Palmeiras | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Porto | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Al Ahly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Inter Miami CF | Match 18 | Porto |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Atlético Madrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Botafogo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Botafogo | Match 5 | Seattle Sounders FC |
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Paris Saint-Germain | Match 20 | Botafogo |
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Atlético Madrid | Match 34 | Botafogo |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bayern Munich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Auckland City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Boca Juniors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Benfica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Benfica | Match 21 | Auckland City |
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Auckland City | Match 37 | Boca Juniors |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Flamengo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Espérance de Tunis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Chelsea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | León | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
León | Match 23 | Espérance de Tunis |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | River Plate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Monterrey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Inter Milan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
River Plate | Match 10 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
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Monterrey | Match 12 | Inter Milan |
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Inter Milan | Match 26 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
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River Plate | Match 28 | Monterrey |
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Inter Milan | Match 43 | River Plate |
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Urawa Red Diamonds | Match 44 | Monterrey |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Fluminense | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Borussia Dortmund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Ulsan HD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ulsan HD | Match 11 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
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Fluminense | Match 27 | Ulsan HD |
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Borussia Dortmund | Match 41 | Ulsan HD |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Manchester City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Wydad AC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Al Ain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Juventus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Manchester City | Match 32 | Al Ain |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Real Madrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Al Hilal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Pachuca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Red Bull Salzburg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Real Madrid | Match 14 | Al Hilal |
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Pachuca | Match 15 | Red Bull Salzburg |
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Real Madrid | Match 30 | Pachuca |
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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. [32]
Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
June 28 – Philadelphia | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group A | ||||||||||||||
July 4 – Philadelphia | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group B | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 49 | ||||||||||||||
June 28 – Charlotte | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 50 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group C | ||||||||||||||
July 8 – East Rutherford | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group D | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 57 | ||||||||||||||
June 30 – Charlotte | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 58 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group E | ||||||||||||||
July 4 – Orlando | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group F | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 53 | ||||||||||||||
June 30 – Orlando | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 54 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group G | ||||||||||||||
July 13 – East Rutherford | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group H | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 61 | ||||||||||||||
June 29 – Atlanta | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 62 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group B | ||||||||||||||
July 5 – Atlanta | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group A | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 51 | ||||||||||||||
June 29 – Miami Gardens | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 52 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group D | ||||||||||||||
July 9 – East Rutherford | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group C | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 59 | ||||||||||||||
July 1 – Atlanta | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 60 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group F | ||||||||||||||
July 5 – East Rutherford | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group E | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 55 | ||||||||||||||
July 1 – Miami Gardens | ||||||||||||||
Winner Match 56 | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group H | ||||||||||||||
Runner-up Group G | ||||||||||||||
Winner Group A | Match 49 | Runner-up Group B |
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Winner Group C | Match 50 | Runner-up Group D |
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Winner Group B | Match 51 | Runner-up Group A |
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Winner Group D | Match 52 | Runner-up Group C |
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Winner Group E | Match 53 | Runner-up Group F |
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Winner Group G | Match 54 | Runner-up Group H |
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Winner Group H | Match 55 | Runner-up Group G |
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Winner Group F | Match 56 | Runner-up Group E |
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Winner Match 53 | Match 57 | Winner Match 54 |
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Winner Match 49 | Match 58 | Winner Match 50 |
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Winner Match 51 | Match 59 | Winner Match 52 |
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Winner Match 55 | Match 60 | Winner Match 56 |
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Winner Match 57 | Match 61 | Winner Match 58 |
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Winner Match 59 | Match 62 | Winner Match 60 |
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Winner Match 61 | Match 63 | Winner Match 62 |
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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. [38] 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. [39] [40] [41] On September 19, 2024, FIFA called an emergency meeting to discuss broadcasting rights as a deal was still not reached. [42] On December 4, 2024, DAZN acquired global rights to the tournament; it will be required to stream all games for free, but will have the ability to sublicense the rights to free-to-air TV channels. [43] [44]
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. [45] The official audio will feature Italian singer Gala's song "Freed from Desire". [46] On November 14, FIFA unveiled the new Club World Cup trophy. [47] [48]
FIFA partners | FIFA Club World Cup sponsors | FIFA Club World Cup supporters |
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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. [60] [11] 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. [61] Many clubs and national associations have opposed its scheduling, accusing FIFA of prioritizing money over the health of the players. [62]
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. [63] 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. [63] [64] 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. [65] FIFPRO has warned throughout 2024 that if a compromise is not reached about the Club World Cup, their players may organize a strike. [66]
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. [67]
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. [67]
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. [68]
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. [67] 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. [32]
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. [69] Alajuelense would have been the first team eligible to qualify via CONCACAF's ranking pathway, given the restriction of two clubs per association. [19]
As with previous editions of the FIFA Club World Cup, the new format allocated a slot reserved for the host nation. [17] 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. [70] The exact 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. [71] [72] On October 19, 2024, FIFA suddenly 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. [27] 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. [70] [73] On November 10, 2024, Inter Miami CF was eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs by Atlanta United FC in the first round. [74] 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. [75]
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988. Despite soccer's relative lack of popularity in the host nation, the tournament was the most financially successful in World Cup history. It broke tournament records with overall attendance of 3,587,538 and an average of 68,991 per game, figures that stand unsurpassed as of 2022, despite the expansion of the competition from 24 to 32 teams starting with the 1998 World Cup.
The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 16th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, hosted by Canada from 30 June to 22 July 2007. Argentina defeated the Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth overall. Argentine player Sergio Agüero was given the FIFA U-20 Golden Shoe and the FIFA U-20 Golden Ball, while Japan earned the FIFA Fair Play Award.
Group A of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first matches were played June 18, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 26, 1994.
Group B of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 19, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 28, 1994.
Group C of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 17, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 27, 1994.
Group D of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 21, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 30, 1994.
Group E of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 18, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 28, 1994. The group consisted of Italy, Republic of Ireland, Mexico, and Norway. Mexico won the group on goals scored. Ireland and Italy also progressed to the knockout rounds, having finished with identical records and the Irish team qualifying in second place as a result of their victory against the Italians. The Italians qualified as one of the best-scoring third place teams. Norway's shortcomings in attack ultimately let them down, and they exited the tournament with only one goal. It is the only group in World Cup history in which all four teams finished with the same number of points and goal difference.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup knockout stage was the second and final stage of the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals in the United States. The stage began on July 2, 1994, and ended with the final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on July 17, 1994.
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was the seventh FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship contested by the women's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada for the first time and by a North American country for the third time. Matches were played in six cities across Canada in five time zones. The tournament began on 6 June 2015, and finished with the final on 5 July 2015 with a United States victory over Japan.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994.
The 2024 Copa América was the 48th edition of the Copa América, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. The tournament was held in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024, and was co-organized by CONCACAF.
The 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup is scheduled to be the tenth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international women's football championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will include 32 teams for the second time after FIFA announced the expansion of the tournament in July 2019. Spain are the defending champions, having won their first title in 2023.
The Germany women's national football team has represented Germany at the FIFA Women's World Cup on nine occasions in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. They have won the title twice and were runners-up once. They also reached the fourth place in 1991 and in 2015.
The Norway women's national football team has represented Norway at the FIFA Women's World Cup on nine occasions in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. They were runners up in 1991. They won the following tournament in 1995. They also reached the fourth place in 1999 and in 2007.
The Canada women's national soccer team has represented Canada at eight of the nine staging's of the FIFA Women's World Cup. The inaugural tournament in 1991 is currently the only edition for which they failed to qualify.
The Denmark women's national football team has represented Denmark at the FIFA Women's World Cup on five occasions, in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2007 and 2023.
The 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup was the 59th season of the North, Central America, and the Caribbean's premier club football tournament organized by CONCACAF, and the first since it was rebranded as the CONCACAF Champions Cup. This was the first season under a new format featuring 27 teams and a five-round knockout phase.
The 2023 CONCACAF Champions League was the 15th and final edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its former name, and overall the 58th edition of the premier football club competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The 2022 MLS Cup playoffs was the 27th edition of the MLS Cup playoffs, the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The tournament culminated the 2022 MLS regular season. The tournament began on October 15 and concluded with MLS Cup 2022 on November 5, 16 days before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase was a friendly edition of the Leagues Cup, an annual soccer competition between clubs from Major League Soccer and Liga MX in North America. The event featured five matches between MLS and Liga MX sides, played in August and September 2022. It served as a one-time replacement of the previously-planned 2022 Leagues Cup, which was not held due to fixture congestion from the 2022 FIFA World Cup and other factors.
The landmark agreement will see all 63 matches at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which involves 32 of the best clubs worldwide, live-streamed, free to view on DAZN worldwide, with the possibility of sublicensing to local free-to-air linear broadcast networks.