Everything is changing. If you're looking for the old December tournament where seven teams played a few games in the desert, you're looking for a ghost. That version is basically dead. FIFA has completely overhauled how international club football works, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mess to keep track of if you aren't glued to the ticker. The "Mundial de Clubes FIFA"—or the new FIFA Club World Cup—is now a massive, 32-team beast. It’s a summer event now. Think of it like a World Cup for clubs, held every four years, and the first one is hitting the United States in 2025.
Wait. There is also something called the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
Confused? You should be. FIFA decided to keep a yearly competition under a different name while turning the "Club World Cup" title into a quadrennial mega-event. So, if you are hunting for the FIFA World Club schedule, you have to specify which one you mean. Are you looking for the annual clash of champions, or the big month-long party in the States?
The 2025 FIFA World Club Schedule: Dates and Venues
The big one. The 32-team tournament is set to run from June 15 to July 13, 2025. This isn't just a weekend trip for the players; it’s a full-on marathon across 12 different venues in the United States. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been pushing this hard, despite the massive pushback from player unions like FIFPRO. They’re worried about burnout. They’re right to be worried. But the schedule is set.
The tournament kicks off in mid-June with a group stage. Eight groups of four. It’s familiar territory. You get the top two from each group moving into a classic knockout bracket. There is no third-place playoff, which is a mercy for the players' hamstrings. Most of the games are clustered on the East Coast to make travel slightly less of a nightmare, though venues like the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and Lumen Field in Seattle are still in the mix.
Hardcore fans should note the final is scheduled for July 13, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. That’s the same venue that will host the 2026 World Cup final. It’s a dress rehearsal. A very expensive, high-stakes dress rehearsal.
Who Actually Qualified?
The way teams got in is sort of a mix of "you won the big one" and "you’ve been consistently good for four years."
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From Europe (UEFA), you have the last few Champions League winners: Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City. Then they filled the rest of the 12 spots based on a four-year ranking system. That’s how teams like Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, and Porto punched their tickets. It’s a heavy-hitter list.
South America (CONMEBOL) gets six spots. Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Fluminense are already in as recent Copa Libertadores winners. The remaining spots are filled by the 2024 winner and ranking leaders like River Plate.
Then you have the rest of the world.
- Asia (AFC): Al Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds, Ulsan HD.
- Africa (CAF): Al Ahly, Wydad AC, ES Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns.
- North America (CONCACAF): Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, Leon, Pachuca.
- Oceania (OFC): Auckland City.
Inter Miami even got a spot as the "host" representative after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield. Some people called that a blatant cash grab to get Messi into the tournament. Others say it makes sense to have the best regular-season MLS team there. Both things can be true at once.
The "Other" Tournament: FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Now, let’s talk about the annual one. If you’re looking for a FIFA World Club schedule for 2024 or 2026, you’re looking for the Intercontinental Cup.
This happens every year. It replaces the old format but adds a twist. The winner of the UEFA Champions League gets a "bye" straight to the final. Everyone else has to scrap for it.
The 2024 edition, for example, concludes in December. Real Madrid is just waiting at the finish line in Qatar. The other continental champions—like Al Ain or Al Ahly—have to play through various "play-off" rounds. It’s a weirdly lopsided format. FIFA says it’s to preserve the prestige of the annual global club competition while allowing the 32-team tournament to be the "pinnacle."
Why This Schedule Is Controversial
Kinda feels like there’s too much football, doesn't it?
The European Leagues and FIFPRO have actually filed a formal complaint with the European Commission. They’re arguing that FIFA is abusing its power by bloating the calendar. If you look at the FIFA World Club schedule for a team like Manchester City, it’s terrifying. They finish their domestic league in May. They play the Champions League final in early June. Then they fly to the US for a month-long tournament. They might get two weeks of vacation before the 2025-26 Premier League season starts.
Rodri, the City midfielder, even hinted at players striking before his recent ACL injury. The irony isn't lost on anyone. The more games they add, the more the stars people pay to see end up on the operating table.
Real-World Logistics for Fans
Planning to go? It’s going to be pricey.
The US is huge. If your team plays a group game in Miami and then one in Charlotte, that’s a flight, not a drive. FIFA hasn’t released the exact match-by-match kickoff times yet—those usually come after the draw—but we know the cities.
- MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey)
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
- Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
- Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
- Lumen Field (Seattle)
- Rose Bowl (Pasadena)
- Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
- Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
- Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
- TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
- Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
- GEODIS Park (Nashville)
Notice anything? A lot of these are NFL stadiums, but some are smaller, soccer-specific venues. This means ticket availability will swing wildly. Seeing Real Madrid in a 70,000-seat stadium is one thing; seeing them in a 25,000-seat MLS stadium is a different beast entirely.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rankings
There’s a misconception that you just have to be "famous" to get in. Not true.
Look at Barcelona. They missed out. Why? Because Atletico Madrid had a better coefficient over the four-year cycle. You can’t just buy your way in at the last second (unless you’re Inter Miami, apparently). The qualification process for the 2025 FIFA World Club schedule was based on a specific set of points awarded for wins and draws in continental competitions.
The points system usually looks like this:
- 3 points for a win.
- 1 point for a draw.
- 3 points for progressing to each stage of the competition.
In Europe, they used a slightly different metric because the Champions League is weighted differently, but the result was the same: consistency over four years mattered more than a single lucky run.
Broadcasters and Watching at Home
This is the tricky part. As of late 2024, FIFA was still haggling over TV rights. Apple was rumored to be in the running for a global deal, but nothing was set in stone for the longest time.
For the annual Intercontinental Cup, games are often streamed on FIFA+, their proprietary platform. For the big 2025 event, expect a mix. In the US, Fox and Telemundo usually have the inside track on FIFA events, but with the "New Era" branding, don't be surprised if you need a subscription to a specific streaming service to catch every single group stage match.
Actionable Steps for Football Fans
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, don't just wait for the news to hit your social media feed.
- Check the FIFA+ App: This is where the official FIFA World Club schedule and match documents are uploaded first. It’s faster than waiting for news sites to aggregate it.
- Monitor Flight Prices Now: If you support a qualified team like Seattle Sounders or Monterrey, you already know they’re playing in the US. Look at the host cities list and start tracking travel costs for June 2025.
- Understand the "Home" Team Rule: For the 2025 tournament, the "host" slot went to Inter Miami. For future editions, keep an eye on the host nation’s league winner the year prior to the tournament.
- Distinguish the Trophy: When you see "Club World Cup," look for the year. If it’s 2025, it’s the 32-team event. If it’s 2024 or 2026, it’s the Intercontinental Cup.
The calendar is crowded and the politics are messy. But for 30 days in 2025, we’re going to see the best clubs on the planet playing for a trophy that finally has some real weight behind it. Whether the players' legs can hold up is a different story entirely. Keep an eye on the official draw, likely happening in late 2024, to see exactly which teams will be flying to which US cities.