‘Mistake’ to $1.5bn epic: CWC’s mega expansion explained... and why this time it’s the real deal
The FIFA Club World Cup was once called “a mistake” by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who knew a thing or two about mistakes given he was banned for fraud and corruption.
But the governing body has undertaken a complete revamp of the tournament to not only shed that infamous moniker, but to make it a key pillar of the football calendar and a major money spinner.
In the past, the FIFA Club World Cup operated quietly in the background.
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It was staged once a year, with seven teams around the world playing a short, sharp tournament that was more akin to pre-season friendlies for the European heavyweights.
Whereas now, it will be played every four years with 32 teams from Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America and South America gathering together in a celebration of the game like in the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups.
The first edition of the new-look competition will be staged in the United States, which will also host next year’s men’s FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami kicking things off against Egypt’s Al Ahly from 10am AEST on Sunday June 15.
Here is our comprehensive explainer on how the FIFA Club World Cup came to be, and how this year’s expansion will play out.
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MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
FIFA’s motivations for the rebrand are multi-faceted.
There is a desire to spread the world game further around the globe, and there is also a strong desire to make more money.
They have offered a lot of it to encourage the clubs to be at their best, and not treat matches as friendlies as they have been guilty of in the past.
There has also been a special transfer window take place to allow clubs to sign new players prior to the tournament - Manchester City, for example, completed the signing of Rayan Ait Nouri from Wolves and are tipped to finalise deals for Rayan Cherki and Tijani Reijnders from Lyon and AC Milan respectively.
The total prize pool is US$1 billion (A$1.53b) for the 32 clubs with the winner to pocket a whopping US$125 million (A$191.68m).
US$525 million (A$805m) of the total prize purse will be divided up among the clubs purely for taking part, while the remainder of the prize money is performance based.
A club will be awarded US$2 million (A$3.07m) per group stage victory, and a US$1 million (A$1.53m) per draw in the group games.
There will no doubt be some owners of underdog clubs imploring their manager to park the bus to fatten their coffers.
FIFA, of course, is keen on banking plenty of dollars themselves through broadcast and sponsorship earnings.
Somewhat remarkably, the global governing body gets a little bit left behind in the financial stakes.
Current FIFA president Gianni Infantino clearly believes it should be the richest sporting organisation on the planet, and this tournament can be one way to help become that.
From 2019 to 2022, the Union of European Football Associations made roughly US$19 billion (A$29.15b) compared to FIFA’s US$7.6 billion (A$11.66b).
UEFA makes its money via the Champions League and the Euros, and then redistribute that wealth to its national federations and clubs, which FIFA believes widens inequality within the sport through Eurocentrism.
European teams use their wealth to buy and develop players, which in turn attracts fans, and fans bring money into the game.
As that cycle takes, the rest of the world gets left behind.
The English Premier League earns more than FIFA and redistributes that money to its 20 clubs, making promotion so lucrative and relegation so deflating.
Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas supply the UEFA Champions League and the English Premier League with players but reap no rewards from it.
Infantino wants the clubs from those confederations to grow financially.
The tournament was originally slated for 2021, to be held in China, but the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to that.
It was also the revenue-raising idea for FIFA that was most welcomed after ideas of making FIFA World Cups biennial and staging a global nations league, like what UEFA holds, were strongly opposed.
“We say football, soccer, is a global sport,” Infantino told Yahoo Sports.
“But actually, if you scratch the surface, you see that the elite is very much concentrated in very few clubs in very few countries.
“I want to bring it to the entire world.”
DOMINATING THE CALENDAR
Part of the vision for the new-look FIFA Club World Cup is to ensure that football continues to be pride of place year round, and bring in the revenue that comes with that.
The introduction of the FIFA Club World Cup into the four-year cycle ensures that every northern hemisphere summer, while Europe’s biggest leagues take a break, there will be a major tournament.
Last year, it was the Olympic Games in Paris and the Euros in Germany.
This year, it is the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Next year, it will be the men’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In 2027, it will be the women’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
And so the cycle will repeat.
Like those tournaments, the FIFA Club World Cup will run for almost a month exactly with the final to be played at MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants on Monday July 14 AEST.
The showpiece match of the tournament will also have an NFL-feel to it with Coldplay’s Chris Martin curating a half-time show, like the Super Bowl, featuring Colombian singer J Balvin, American rapper and signer Doja Cat and Nigerian singer Tems.
When it comes to the actual football, the tournament has been designed to feel like a FIFA World Cup.
Thirty-two teams have been divided into eight groups for four with the top two teams from each ground advancing to the knockout rounds.
The Round of 16 will be followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, with upsets and dramatic moments set to captivate fans, just as they do at the FIFA World Cups.
Unfortunately for Australian fans, there are no A-League teams in the tournament as none performed well enough in the Asian Champions League to qualify.
But New Zealand amateur team Auckland City FC managed to nab the Oceania spot, and will provide everyone with a fairytale story to cheer on as they face the might of Bayern Munich in Group C.
HOW TO WATCH
From the opening game between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egyptian outfit Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, on Sunday June 15 AEST to the final at New York’s MetLife Stadium on Monday July 14 AEST, you can catch all the action from the FIFA Club World Cup live on Kayo Sports.
A dedicated 24/7 channel will be available on Kayo Sports along with highlights packages, minis from every match and supplementary programming with all the colour and background stories from the tournament.
WHO ARE THE TEAMS INVOLVED?
Asian Football Confederation - Al Ain (UAE), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan).
Confederation of African Football - Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Wydad AC (Morocco).
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football - Inter Miami (United States), Monterrey (Mexico), Pachuca (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (United States), TBD (Winner of LAFC v Club America).
South American Football Confederation - Boca Juniors (Argentina), Botafogo (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Fluminense (Brazil), Palmeiras (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina).
Oceania Football Confederation - Auckland City (New Zealand).
Union of European Football Associations - Atletico Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Benfica (Portugal), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Chelsea (England), Inter Milan (Italy), Juventus (Italy), Manchester City (England), PSG (France), Porto (Portugal), Real Madrid (Spain), Red Bull Salzberg (Austria).
WHY IS THERE NO AUSTRALIAN TEAM INVOLVED?
Qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup was dependent on either winning a continental title in one of the four most-recent seasons or by having a high ranking of performance in the top-level continental tournament over the four-year period.
No A-League side has won the Asian Champions League (now called AFC Champions League Elite) since Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014, in fact they are the only Australian team to do so, and no A-League teams have performed consistently strongly in Asia in the last four years either.
Therefore, the four spots went to 2023-24 champions Al Ain, 2022 champions Urawa Red Diamonds, 2021 winners Al-Hilal and 2020 victors Ulsan HD.
WHY ARE LIVERPOOL NOT INVOLVED?
It appears odd that the English Premier League champions will not be a part of the FIFA Club World Cup, but like in Asia, England’s spots are dependent on UEFA Champions League success.
Given Manchester City (2023) and Chelsea (2021) have won the European title in the last four years, the two spots England were awarded were given to them rather than Liverpool.
HOW DID OTHER TEAMS QUALIFY?
Some teams who did not win their respective federation’s continental title in the past four years were awarded places for their average performance over the four-year cycle.
There was also a spot reserved for the host country, which was given to David Beckham-owned, Lionel Messi-featuring Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
Fellow MLS side LAFC earned a place by winning a playoff against Mexican outfit Club America after another Mexican club in Leon were booted out of the tournament for breaking ownership regulations - two teams with the same owners cannot take part.
WHO’S IN EACH GROUP? AND WHEN DO THEY PLAY?
Group A - Al Ahly, Inter Miami, Palmeiras, Porto
June 15 10:00 a.m. AEST - Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
June 16 8:00 a.m. AEST - Palmeiras vs. Porto, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
June 20 2:00 a.m. AEST - Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
June 20 5:00 a.m. AEST - Inter Miami vs. Porto, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 24 11:00 a.m. AEST - Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
June 24 11:00 a.m. AEST - Porto vs. Al Ahly, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Group B - PSG, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
June 16 5:00 a.m. AEST - Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
June 16 12:00 p.m. AEST - Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, Lumen Field, Seattle
June 20 8:00 a.m. AEST - Seattle Sounders vs. Atletico Madrid, Lumen Field, Seattle
June 20 11:00 a.m. AEST - Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
June 24 5:00 a.m. AEST - Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, Lumen Field, Seattle
June 25 5:00 a.m. AEST - Atletico Madrid vs. Botafogo, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Group C - Bayern Munich, Auckland, Boca Juniors, Benfica
June 16 2:00 a.m. AEST - Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
June 17 8:00 a.m. AEST - Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
June 21 2:00 a.m. AEST - Benfica vs. Auckland City, Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando
June 21 11:00 a.m. AEST - Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
June 25 5:00 a.m. AEST - Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, Geodis Park, Nashville
June 25 5:00 a.m. AEST - Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
Group D - Chelsea, Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis, LAFC
June 17 5:00 a.m. AEST - Chelsea vs. LAFC, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 17 11:00 a.m. AEST - Flamengo vs. Espérance de Tunis, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
June 21 4:00 a.m. AEST - Flamengo vs. Chelsea, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
June 21 8:00 a.m. AEST - LAFC vs. Espérance de Tunis, Geodis Park, Nashville
June 25 11:00 a.m. AEST - LAFC vs. Flamengo, Camping World Stadium, Orlando
June 25 11:00 a.m. AEST - Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Group E - River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
June 18 5:00 a.m. AEST - River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, Lumen Field, Seattle
June 18 11:00 a.m. AEST - Monterrey vs. Inter Milan, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
June 22 5:00 a.m. AEST - Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, Lumen Field, Seattle
June 22 11:00 a.m. AEST - River Plate vs. Monterrey, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
June 26 11:00 a.m. AEST - Inter Milan vs. River Plate, Lumen Field, Seattle
June 26 11:00 a.m. AEST - Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Group F - Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Uslan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
June 18 2:00 a.m. AEST - Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
June 18 8:00 a.m. AEST - Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando
June 22 2:00 a.m. AEST - Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
June 22 8:00 a.m. AEST - Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
June 26 5:00 a.m. AEST - Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
June 26 5:00 a.m. AEST - Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
Group G - Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
June 19 2:00 a.m. AEST - Manchester City vs. Wydad, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
June 19 11:00 a.m. AEST - Al Ain vs. Juventus, Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
June 23 2:00 a.m. AEST - Juventus vs. Wydad Lincoln, Financial Field, Philadelphia
June 23 11:00 a.m. AEST - Manchester City vs. Al Ain, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 27 5:00 a.m. AEST - Juventus vs. Manchester City, Camping World Stadium, Orlando
June 27 5:00 a.m. AEST - Wydad vs. Al Ain Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Group H - Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Red Bull Salzberg
June 19 5:00 a.m. AEST - Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
June 19 8:00 a.m. AEST - Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
June 23 5:00 a.m. AEST - Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
June 23 8:00 a.m. AEST - Red Bull Salzburg vs. Al Hilal, Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
June 27 11:00 a.m. AEST - Al Hilal vs. Pachuca, Geodis Park, Nashville
June 27 11:00 a.m. AEST - Red Bull Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Watch every game of The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
Knockout rounds
Round of 16: Sunday, June 29 AEST - Wednesday, July 2 AEST
Quarter-Finals: Saturday, July 5 AEST - Sunday, July 6 AEST
Semi-Finals: Wednesday, July 9 AEST - Thursday, July 10 AEST
Final: Monday, July 14 AEST