The new FIFA Club World Cup will take place in 2025 and the revamped tournament will be bigger than ever.
FIFA has expanded the competition as clubs around the world prepare to earn world champion status. The six continental confederations are sending some of their best and brightest to a tournament that promises tantalizing clashes despite justified questions about the need for another major club competition.
Having featured regularly in previous Club World Cups during his time with Manchester United and Real Madrid, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo He will feel he deserves a place in next summer’s competition, especially considering Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will be in attendance.
But will Ronaldo and his Al Nassr teammates compete in the United States?
Unfortunately for those hoping for a final competitive duel between them messiah and Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar will miss the 2025 Club World Cup. Al Nassr did not qualify as one of the four AFC representatives, having failed to win the continent’s Champions League in any of the previous four years.
Al Hilal are the only Saudi Pro League team to feature, meaning Neymar will join Messi and co with Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, South Korea’s Ulsan HD and UAE’s Al Ain United the other Asian representatives.
Ronaldo will not take part in the tournament unless he joins a club that has qualified during the January transfer window.
Ronaldo has a very impressive record in recent Club World Cups, lifting the trophy in all four of his appearances in the competition. A title with Man Utd in 2008 it was followed by three triumphs in four editions with Real Madrid between 2014 and 2017.
The Portuguese international has scored seven and assisted three in just eight individual outings in past Club World Cups. He scored a hat-trick in the 2016 final with Kashima Antlers – two of which came in extra time – and scored the only goal of the game in the win over Gremio in the following year’s final.
The Club World Cup has traditionally been held at the end of the calendar year, but this changes dramatically in 2025. With the expansion of the competition and reform, it has been moved to next summer to facilitate the large number of matches to be played. The contest is now held every four years instead of every year.
Messi’s Inter Miami will participate in the first match of the competition on June 15 and the tournament will continue until the final on July 13. Each club will play a minimum of three matches during the group stage and a maximum of seven should they reach the main event.
The Club World Cup has been contested away from home between the continental Champions League winners from around the world. That remains true, but there is much more in 2025, with other clubs qualifying based on a four-year standing in the Champions League or continental equivalent.
In total, there will be 32 teams competing at the Club World Cup 2025. UEFA has the most teams with 12 European teams traveling to North America, while the OFC has the fewest competitors. New Zealand team Auckland City is the only team making the trip.
