One month left until the Club World Cup: Opening match, regulations, prize money
National leagues and European competitions are coming to an end, but football fans won’t have to wait long for more club action. In just a month, on June 15, the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off.
This tournament marks the inaugural Club World Cup under the new expanded format. A total of 32 clubs from six continental confederations will compete. The United States will host the event, using it as a dress rehearsal ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Club World Cup slot allocation by confederation:
- CAF (Africa) — 4 teams
- AFC (Asia) — 4 teams
- UEFA (Europe) — 12 teams
- CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) — 4 teams
- OFC (Oceania) — 1 team
- CONMEBOL (South America) — 6 teams
- Host nation — 1 team
Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
Group B: PSG, Atlético Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
Group C: Bayern, Benfica, Boca Juniors, Auckland City
Group D: Flamengo, Chelsea, Club León, Espérance de Tunis
Group E: River Plate, Inter, Monterrey, Urawa Red Diamonds
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi
Group G: Manchester City, Juventus, Wydad, Al Ain.
Group H: Real Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg, Al Hilal, Pachuca.
Opening match
The curtain-raiser will see tournament hosts Inter Miami take on Egyptian giants Al Ahly. The match is set for the night of June 14 to 15, 2025.
Incidentally, Miami will also host the Club World Cup final. Overall, the tournament will span 12 different cities across the USA.
Club World Cup format and prize money
The 32 participating teams will be drawn into eight groups of four. Each club plays the others in its group once. The top two teams from each group advance to the round of 16. Every knockout stage tie will be settled in a single match. There will be no third-place playoff at the 2025 Club World Cup.
As for the prize fund, FIFA has announced a record pool of one billion dollars for the 32 teams. Of this, $525 million will be distributed just for participation, with the remaining $475 million allocated based on sporting results. The tournament champion will walk away with $40 million.
Reminder: The Dailysports team highlighted several reasons why the new Club World Cup might be a game-changer—and why it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
