Sport

FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Everything you need to know

This new club competition – the FIFA Club World Cup 202 – will make its debut at a total of 12 stadiums across the United States

Published

7 months ago

September 29, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

FIFA will launch an exciting new club tournament next year that will feature the world’s best 32 teams from the six international football confederations.

This new club competition – the FIFA Club World Cup 202 – will make its debut at a total of 12 stadiums across the United States with the final to be played at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey.

The tournament will kick off on June 15 and end on July 13 next year.

This global event will bring together the most successful club sides from each of the six international confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

A total of 12 venues will be used to host the 63 matches which will be played across the United States.

FIFA confirmed the 12 stadiums on Saturday. These are:

MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).

The final, on July 13, will be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the announcement in Central Park, New York and said: “Football is the most popular sport on the planet, and in 2025 a new era for club football will kick off when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States.”

“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will feature 12 fantastic stadiums where a new chapter in football’s global history will be written by great players from the 32 best clubs in the world,” Infantino continued.

“This new FIFA competition is the only true example in worldwide club football of real solidarity and inclusivity, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America and Oceania to play the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup which will impact enormously the growth of club football and talent globally,” he said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the announcement in Central Park, New York

With the draw set for December, just two of the 32 teams are still to be confirmed: one from South America, the other representing the host country.

How many teams will take part in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and how do they qualify?

A total of 32 teams will compete in the tournament, with places distributed as follows between the international football confederations.
Africa – 4 CAF teams. Three via champions pathway (CAF Champions League) and one via ranking pathway.
Asia – 4 AFC teams. Three via champions pathway (AFC Champions League) and one via ranking pathway.
Europe – 12 UEFA teams. Four via champions pathway (UEFA Champions League) and eight via ranking pathway.
North and Central America, Caribbean – 4 Concacaf teams. All via champions pathway (Concacaf Champions Cup).
Oceania – 1 OFC team. Via ranking pathway.
South America – 6 CONMEBOL teams. Four via champions pathway (CONMEBOL Libertadores) and two via ranking pathway.
Host country – 1 team.

Which teams have qualified?

Al Ahly (EGY) – 2020/21, 2022/23 and 2023/24 CAF Champions League
Wydad (MAR) – 2021/22 CAF Champions League
ES Tunis (TUN) – CAF ranking pathway
Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) – CAF ranking pathway
Al Hilal (KSA) – 2021 AFC Champions League
Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) – 2022 AFC Champions League
Al Ain (UAE) – 2023/24 AFC Champions League
Ulsan HD FC (KOR) – AFC ranking pathway
Chelsea (ENG) – 2020/21 UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid (ESP) – 2021/22 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League
Manchester City (ENG) – 2022/23 UEFA Champions League
Bayern Munich (GER) – UEFA ranking pathway
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) – UEFA ranking pathway
Inter Milan (ITA) – UEFA ranking pathway
Porto (POR) – UEFA ranking pathway
Benfica (POR) – UEFA ranking pathway
Borussia Dortmund (GER) – UEFA ranking pathway
Juventus (ITA) – UEFA ranking pathway
Atletico Madrid (ESP) – UEFA ranking pathway
FC Salzburg (AUT) – UEFA ranking pathway
Monterrey (MEX) – 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup
Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup
Club Leon (MEX) – 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup
Pachuca (MEX) – 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup
Auckland City (NZL) – OFC ranking pathway
Palmeiras (BRA) – 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Flamengo (BRA) – 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Fluminense (BRA) – 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores
River Plate (ARG) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
Boca Juniors (ARG) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway

What is the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 format?

A group stage composed of eight groups of four teams per group playing in a single-game round-robin format.

The top two teams per group progress to the round of 16.

A direct single-match knockout stage from the round of 16 to the final.

No third-place play-off.

Up Next

Afghanistan to play three ODIs against Bangladesh in November

Don't Miss

Venezuela stun Spain while Paraguay down Afghanistan in knock-out stage of Futsal WC

Sport

Patel and Mendis help Sunrisers beat Kings in Dhoni’s 400th T20

Fast bowler Harshal Patel grabbed four wickets and Kamindu Mendis showed his allround skill as Sunrisers Hyderabad upstaged Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in Chennai on Friday.

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Patel grabbed 4-28 and was ably assisted by skipper Pat Cummins and Jaydev Unadkat — both finishing with identical figures of 2-21 — to dismiss the home team for a below-par 154 in 19.5 overs.

South African youngster Dewald Brevis was the top scorer for the Kings with a blistering 25-ball 42, cracking four sixes and a boundary on his debut for the franchise.

Skipper M.S. Dhoni failed to make his 400th T20 a memorable occasion, managing just six runs and coming out on the losing side.

Sunrisers achieved the target in 18.4 overs for the loss of five wickets with Ishan Kishan leading the way with a solid 34-ball 44 with five boundaries and a six.

Mendis struck an unbeaten 32 off 22 balls, adding 49 in an unbroken sixth wicket stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy who finished with a 13-ball 19 not out.

The victory lifted Sunrisers to eighth on the 10-team table topped by Gujrat Titans with 12 points in eight matches while five-time champions Kings are at the bottom with four points in nine.

Patel, declared man-of-the-match, attributed discipline as the key for his fine bowling.

“I figured out pretty early that hitting it on a good length around the stumps was important because it was hard to hit with the horizontal bat,” said Patel.

Dhoni blamed losing a cluster of wickets for the poor batting show.

“I think we kept losing wickets and another thing is in the first innings the wicket was slightly better,” said Dhoni. “A total of 157 wasn’t a justifiable score.”

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings were rocked by Sunrisers’s pacer Patel who ripped through the middle and lower-order batting.

The home team started on a wrong note when opener Shaik Rasheed was caught in the slip off the very first delivery of the match by fast bowler Mohammad Shami.

Seventee-year-old Ayush Mhatre was impressive in his 19-ball 30, which was studded with six boundaries, while Ravindra Jadeja managed 21 with a six and a boundary.

Jadeja’s dismissal brought Dhoni to the crease as the crowd roared to welcome their hero in his 400th T20 match but Dhoni’s stay lasted for just ten balls.

It was Brevis who assured Kings get past 150 with some lusty hitting.

Deepak Hooda also chipped in with a 21-ball 22 with a six and a boundary.

Sport

Sri Lanka A defeats Afghanistan A by 4 wickets in Abu Dhabi

Published

5 days ago

April 23, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Afghanistan A was defeated by Sri Lanka A with a margin of four wickets in the ongoing 50-over tri-nation cricket series.

The match was held on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan had previously lost one match against Ireland and another against Sri Lanka in this series.

Batting first, the Afghan team set a target of 229 runs after losing eight wickets.

In response, Sri Lanka A chased down the target, losing six wickets.

Sport

Afghanistan qualify for U19 Cricket World Cup 2026

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Afghanistan’s U19 cricket team has officially qualified for the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, following the final day washout in the Asia Qualifiers.

After securing three big wins in their first three games, today’s match against Nepal U19s was washed out. Thanks to their superior Net Run Rate, Afghanistan U19s topped the table and book their berth in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, which will take place early next year in Namibia and Zimbabwe.