Everything you need to know about the teams competing in the 2025 Club World Cup, including coach info and best players
Thirty-two teams and a new trophy up for grabs: the first expanded edition of the FIFAClub World Cup is set to take place in the United States this June and July.
From Real Madrid to Bayern, PSG, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and many other European teams, as well as teams from Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, half the world will battle it out in the USA – a global challenge that promises to be both fascinating and spectacular.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 Club World Cup: the schedule with dates and times in the UK, the format, but above all the stars and potential of the 32 participating teams.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowHow the FIFA Club World Cup works
The 32 teams in the competition have been divided into eight groups of four, within which each team will play the others in a single round-robin format: in the group stage, each participant will play three matches.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the round of 16, while the third-placed teams will be eliminated. In the event of a tie, the main criterion for determining the ranking will be goal difference.
The round of 16 will be played in a single match, as will the quarter-finals, the two semi-finals and the final that will decide the winner of the trophy. There will be no third-place play-off.
AdvertisementCalendar and dates
The 2025 Club World Cup will officially kick off in the early hours of Sunday 15 June in the UK (late evening Saturday June 14 in the U.S.): the opening match of the competition will take place at 1am BST, with Egyptian side Al-Ahly taking on Leo Messi and Luis Suarez's Inter Miami.
The group stage will end on the night between Thursday 26 and Friday 27 June with the final matchday in Group H (Al Hilal-Pachuca and Salzburg-Real Madrid). The round of 16 will kick off on Saturday 28 June and end on the night between 1 and 2 July, with the quarter-finals being played between Friday 4 and Saturday 5 July. The semi-finals are scheduled for the evenings of Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 July, with kick-off at 8pm BST.
The final will be played on Sunday July 13 at 8pm BST.
THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE FOR THE 2025 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP
Group A
Group A consists of Porto from Portugal, Palmeiras from Brazil, Al-Ahly from Egypt and Inter Miami from the United States. All eyes will be on Leo Messi and Luis Suarez, who earned a place in the competition thanks to their victory in the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield, the trophy awarded to the team with the most points in the MLS regular season.
On paper, Inter Miami will battle it out for top spot in the group with Porto, who are looking to bounce back after a very difficult season both at home and in the Europa League, where they were eliminated by Roma. The Portuguese side qualified thanks to their position in the UEFA rankings. Starting in the third row are Palmeiras, one of the strongest teams in South America for years and Libertadores champions in 2021, and Al-Ahly, who qualified for the World Cup thanks to their triumphs in the African Champions League in 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Getty Images SportPorto
A team in search of an identity. Andre Villas-Boas' stewardship has so far failed to produce results: the first year after Sergio Conceicao's departure brought only a Super Cup trophy, a mere consolation prize in a season that saw the finish the league in third place, 11 points behind champions Sporting. Things did not go much better in the Europa League, with elimination in the play-offs at the hands of Roma. In between, there was also a change of coach, reflecting the chaotic state the club has found itself in in recent months: Vitor Bruno, Conceicao's former assistant, who had taken over from him amid controversy, was replaced by Argentine Martin Anselmi, in his first experience in Europe. The Club World Cup, in which Porto hopes to at least make a good impression, could be an opportunity for redemption.
THE COACH – Martin Anselmi
The 40-year-old Argentine was born in Rosario, the hometown of Lionel Messi, but also of Marcelo Bielsa and Tata Martino. He had never coached a European team before joining the . His masterpiece occurred at Independiente Del Valle, which he led to victory in the Copa Sudamericana and Recopa Sudamericana between 2022 and 2023. Porto won a legal battle with Mexican side Cruz Azul to secure his services.
THE STAR – Samu Aghehowa
Samuel Omorodion Aghehowa: this is the full name of the 21-year-old Spanish centre forward, who is of Nigerian origin. Last summer, he was linked with half of Europe, including Inter, Roma, Napoli and Chelsea. In the end, Atletico Madrid, who had already loaned him to Alaves, sold him to Porto. He was one of the most positive notes of the season: he struck 25 goals in total, 19 of which were scored in the league.
THE PLAYER TO WATCH – Rodrigo Mora
Born in 2007, Rodrigo Mora came of age at the beginning of May, but last season he amply demonstrated that he could become one of the most sought-after young players on the market, as well as a potential star. In his first year as a professional, he scored 10 goals in the league. He is a quick attacking midfielder or winger, just under five foot six inches tall. Decisive in tight spaces and not shy about dribbling, he has no shortage of personality.
TYPICAL FORMATION (3-4-2-1): Diogo Costa; Perez, Ze Pedro, Marcano; Joao Mario, Varela, Eustaquio, Francisco Moura; Rodrigo Mora, Pepe; Aghehowa. Coach: Anselmi
