FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Format, Schedule, Groups, Odds & Everything You Need to Know

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that the FIFA Club World Cup is set to start on June 14, 2025, and will be the first club tournament under the new extended format.

The Club World Cup features the best teams from their respective leagues from around the globe competing in the United States of America for a trophy and a grand prize of $125 million.

This will be the first of two major soccer tournaments being held in the US over the next year, with this tournament being followed by next year’s World Cup for international sides, which will be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

As someone who has followed the beautiful game of soccer my entire life, I am excited to see the greatest talents on the planet show off their skills on American soil.

Before we get into it, have a look at some of the best sportsbooks for FIFA Club World Cup action.

What Is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The FIFA Club World Cup is an international football tournament where the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations compete, alongside the league champion from the host nation.

The tournament dates back to 2000, when it was held in Brazil. After a four-year hiatus due to financial issues, the competition returned in 2005 when it merged with the Intercontinental Cup.

The FIFA Club World Cup was held annually until 2023, when an extended format was announced. The new format has expanded to incorporate 32 global club teams, instead of the seven championship teams from each continent. 

The main difference between the FIFA Club World Cup and the World Cup is that in this tournament, the teams competing are from clubs around the world and not national teams.

European teams qualified for the tournament due to their performances in the UEFA Champions League in the last four years, and other clubs from other continents qualified due to their performances in their respective continental club competitions over the same time period.

The competition has gone fairly under the radar in the past due to it coinciding with the peak of European soccer in December. However, as the sport is growing rapidly in popularity within the US, people are excited to see the greatest teams on earth play in American stadiums. 

When Is the Club World Cup 2025?

The Club World Cup kicks off on Saturday, June 14, and the final of the tournament will be held on Sunday, July 13. Some teams whose leagues are still running at the time of the tournament will have the dates of their games pushed back due to conflicting times. The teams that are affected are:

• Seattle Sounders, LAFC, Inter Miami CF (MLS)

• Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo (Brazilian Série A)

• River Plate, Boca Juniors (Argentine Primera)

• Monterrey, Pachuca (LIGA MX)

• Ulsan Hyundai (K-League)

• Urawa Red Diamonds (J-League)

I am sure that this tournament’s viewership will be in the millions, but as soccer is a sport which is mostly adored outside of the United States, fans based in other countries may struggle watching the games due to time differences.

Club World Cup Odds - Who Are the Favorites to Win?

The Club World Cup should shape up to be a showdown for the ages. There are some teams that are expected to come out on top due to their performances in recent years.

Find a detailed list of the latest odds and predictions in our Club World Cup Winner Prediction.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid is currently the favorite to win the tournament with +450 odds. Madrid is coming off a disappointing season by their own high standards. They fell short to their rivals, Barcelona, in La Liga, and unfortunately fell again to Arsenal in the Champions League. Los Blancos are one of the most decorated teams in world soccer and have previously won the Club World Cup five times. However, now the format has changed, it will be interesting to see if Real can add another Club World Cup trophy to their impressive showcase.

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Manchester City

Manchester City have had a disappointing season in terms of the standards they have set themselves over the last decade. The Manchester-based team were not able to grab the top spot in the Premier League for the first time in four years, and were knocked out of the UCL by favourites, Real Madrid. However, City remain the second favorites to win the trophy as they have a proven squad that has always performed well in continental competitions. Manchester City are currently sitting at +500 betting odds at bet365.

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Dark Horses

Although the European clubs are expected to dominate the competition, many are expecting these sides to take this tournament less seriously than they would the UEFA Champions League. I believe that the current Copa Libertadores champions, the Brazilian side Botafogo, could well shock the rest of the competition and prove themselves on the world stage. The big-spending Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal will also be looking to have good performances against some of the biggest teams in the world, as their league has been heavily criticized for its spending tactics in recent years.

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This is soccer, of course, so anything can happen, and fans will be eager to see who holds the gold medal at the end of the competition.

What Is the Tournament Format?

The competition follows the same format as the World Cup. The 32 teams will compete in a similar format to see who will win the trophy and the prize money. Games will be held in the tournament in this format:

1. Group Stages: The two best teams from each group will head to the next round.

2. Round of 16: The winner and runner-up of each group will play the respective winner and runner-up of a neighboring group, and the winners of each tie will advance.

3. Quarter-finals: The eight winners of the Round of 16 will play one another, and the winners will pass to the next round.

4. Semifinals: The four winners of the quarter-finals will play off, with the winners advancing to the final.

5. Final: The two teams will compete to see who is victorious in the competition.

Club World Cup Groups

There are definitely some interesting groups to look at in this tournament, with Group C looking like it could be the infamous “group of death.” However, here is a breakdown of the teams and the groups:

As you can see, many teams will be expected to walk through their groups, but all is to play for in this competition, and you can’t count a single team out. 

FIFA Club World Cup Schedule

Here is a detailed description of the dates of the different stages of the tournament:

Group Stage

The Group Stage will commence on Saturday, June 14, and run until Thursday, June 26, when all teams will have finished playing their groups. We will then be able to see who has earned enough points to go on to the next round.

Round of 16

Games for the Round of 16 will start on Saturday, June 28, and finish on Tuesday, July 1. After these games have been played, this will indicate who has passed on to the Quarter-finals. 

Quarter-finals

Quarter-final games are scheduled to start on Friday, July 4, and end on Saturday, July 5, after all eight teams have played. The winning teams will then move into the semifinals.

Semifinals

These games will begin on Tuesday, July 8, and finish on the following day, Wednesday, July 9. The winning teams will then move on to the grand stage, the final.

Final

The final will take place on Sunday, July 13 and will take place inside the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which is one of the largest stadiums in the country. This will certainly be a game the whole world will be watching closely.

Make sure to mark the final in your calendar, as with the calibre of teams in the tournament, it will surely be an interesting watch.

Where to Watch FIFA Club World Cup

If you were wondering where you can watch the FIFA Club World Cup, it is easy to watch the games on bet365. To watch the tournament, make sure you have money in your account, and you will be able to livestream every single game. Make sure to watch carefully to see which team performs well enough to place a bet on.

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Club World Cup Tickets

Tickets for the group stage matches were available on Ticketmaster, but due to the popularity of the tournament, they have all sold out. However, stay tuned to their website as tickets to later stages of the tournament will be made available for purchase.

Group stage ticket prices ranged from $30 to $300, depending on the quality of seats. Ticket prices for the later rounds have not currently been released, but are expected to increase with each consecutive round. 

FIFA Club World Cup Host Cities and Stadiums

One of the most exciting things about the Club World Cup is the chance to watch soccer being played in NFL-sized stadiums. Many of the biggest stadiums in the country will be hosting games. Here is a list of the biggest stadiums where games will be played during the competition: