Chelsea are one of 32 teams who will compete in next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup and we now know who the Blues will face. Here is all the confirmed information so far on the new-look competition…
FIFA’s global club competition has been expanded for the 21st edition, which will be played next year.
Chelsea were one of the first teams to secure their place in the competition, thanks to our triumph in the 2021 UEFA Champions League. All six regional confederations will be represented as 32 clubs compete across 63 matches in 12 cities for the right to add global glory to continental success.
Below you can find all the information on when and where the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played and which teams the Blues will face when we bid to become world champions for just the second time in our history, following victory in the smaller 2021 competition.
When is the FIFA Club World Cup?
Fitting a similar schedule to the national teams’ World Cup, the expanded tournament will begin on Friday 15 June 2025 and run for just over four weeks, with the final taking place on Sunday 13 July 2025.
Where will the FIFA Club World Cup be played?
The first of the new-look Club World Cups will be hosted by the USA, with 12 venues chosen by FIFA to hold matches, predominantly on the East Coast. Games are planned to be played at the below venues, many of which will be familiar to Chelsea supporters from our pre-season tours of America:
Mercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, Georgia
Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, North Carolina
TQL StadiumCincinnati, Ohio
Rose BowlLos Angeles, California
Hard Rock StadiumMiami, Florida
GEODIS ParkNashville, Tennessee
MetLife StadiumNew Jersey, New York
Camping World StadiumOrlando, Florida
Inter&Co StadiumOrlando, Florida
Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Lumen FieldSeattle, Washington
Audi FieldWashington, DC
What is the format for the FIFA Club World Cup?
The competition will begin with a group stage, with the 32 teams being divided into eight groups of four. Those four sides will face each other once, with the top two from every group progressing to a traditional knockout phase of one-off matches, starting in the last 16.
When is the draw for the FIFA Club World Cup?
The draw took place on Thursday 5 December in Miami. You can see the Club World Cup 2025 draw in full here.
Which teams have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup?
Each region will send their last four continental champions, with the remainder of their spots taken by the highest ranked teams from their competitions over the last four years.
The one exception is Oceania, as their solitary spot is taken by the highest ranked of their champions, while hosts the USA have nominated Inter Miami from Major League Soccer to complete the line-up.
UEFA – 12 teams (Europe)
Atletico Madrid – Spain
Bayern Munich – Germany
Benfica – Portugal
Borussia Dortmund – Germany
Chelsea – England (2021 Champions League winners)
Inter Milan – Italy
Juventus – Italy
Manchester City – England (2023 Champions League winners)
Paris Saint-Germain – France
Porto – Portugal
Real Madrid – Spain (2022 and 2024 Champions League winners)
Salzburg – Austria
CONMEBOL – six teams (South America)
Boca Juniors – Argentina
Flemish – Brazil (2022 Copa Libertadores winners)
Fluminense – Brazil (2023 Copa Libertadores winners)
Palm trees – Brazil (2021 Copa Libertadores winners)
River Plate – Argentina
TBD – South America’s final spot will go to the 2024 Copa Libertadores winners, with Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo (both Brazil) competing in the final on 30 November.
CONCACAF – four teams (North America, Central America and the Caribbean)
Leon – Mexico (2023 Champions League winners)
Monterrey – Mexico (2021 Champions League winners)
Pachuca – Mexico (2024 Champions League winners)
Seattle Sounders – USA (2022 Champions League winners)
AFC – four teams (Asia)
Al Ain – United Arab Emirates (2023 and 2024 Champions League winners)
Al Hilal – Saudi Arabia (2021 Champions League winners)
Ulsan HD – South Korea
Urawa Red Diamonds – Japan (2022 Champions League winners)
CAF – four teams (Africa)
Al Ahly – Egypt (2021, 2023 and 2024 Champions League winners)
Hope of Tunis – Tunisia
Mamelodi Sundowns – South Africa
Wydad – Morocco (2022 Champions League winners)
OFC – one team (Oceania)
Auckland City – New Zealand (2022, 2023 and 2024 Champions League winners)
USA – one team
Inter Miami – host nation team (Winners of the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield)
