As Club World Cup is set to begin, a look at the tournament’s changes

The revamped and expanded FIFA Club World Cup will kick off today with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer playing Al Ahly of Egypt at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The Club World Cup is a 32-team tournament organized by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. All six of FIFA’s confederations are represented — 12 clubs from Europe (UEFA), six from South America (CONMEBOL), five from North America (CONCACAF), four from Asia, four from Africa and one from Oceania.

Brazil has the most participating teams, four: Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Palmeiras. The United States is the only other nation providing more than two. It will have Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounders, all of MLS.

Teams have been drawn into eight groups of four, with each side playing its group opponents once. The top two of each group will progress to the round of 16, and from there it will be single-match knockouts to the final.

Are these the best club teams in the world?

FIFA’s two-club limit on teams from a single country — except if more than two clubs from the same country had won their leading continental tournament — meant some of Europe’s more renowned sides, such as La Liga’s champion, Barcelona, and the Premier League winner, Liverpool, missed out.

Some of the world’s best-known clubs are playing, however, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and River Plate.

What do I need to know about the lesser-known teams?

Look out for Auckland City of New Zealand, the only representative from the Oceania Football Confederation. It has won the region’s Champions League 11 times in 14 years, but can it compete against global stars?

Botafogo from Brazil could be interesting to watch. It won the Copa Libertadores in 2024 but is close to an agreement to sell three players (striker Igor Jesus, left back Cuiabano, and centerback Jair Cunha) to Nottingham Forest.

Groups A, D, E and F have only one European team, so teams from another continent will progress to the round of 16 from these groups. In Group H, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Pachuca (Mexico) should challenge Salzburg (Austria) for second place behind Real Madrid.

Who are the favorites?

Paris St.-Germain will be looking to add to its treble of the Champions League, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France this season. The way PSG demolished Inter Milan, 5-0, in the Champions League final makes it the top European team.

Real Madrid, with five titles, won the most Club World Cups in its previous format, and with its players — Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, to name three — it will be one of the teams to watch.

Manchester City, though below par in the Premier League, should be dangerous under Pep Guardiola, especially as the team’s form improved toward the end of its league campaign.

Most of the European teams are expected to progress through the group stage, but Flamengo of Brazil could be a threat. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) reached the final of the Confederation of African Football Champions League this year.

Who else will be playing?

Lionel Messi is set to play, but the inclusion of his Inter Miami team has raised eyebrows.

In the past, the host nation’s top league champion was awarded a bonus qualification spot as host. Inter Miami qualified after winning the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the MLS team with the best regular-season record. That’s great, but the winner of the MLS Cup, the league’s playoffs, is regarded as the league champion. Messi and Inter Miami were knocked out of the 2024 playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United, with the Los Angeles Galaxy beating the New York Red Bulls in the final.

Miami’s inclusion means Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are set to play.

Two of the world’s best strikers, Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City), will play, too.

What if a player leaves midcompetition?

Standard player contracts in Europe typically run from July 1 to June 30, meaning clubs involved in the Club World Cup could find themselves with players leaving as free agents during the tournament.

For this reason, there is a midtournament registration window from June 27 to July 3. This will allow clubs to replace out-of-contract players. As part of the midtournament window, clubs can add two extra players, potentially taking their squad size from 35 to 37. A maximum of six changes to their squad overall are permitted.

For a new player to take part in a Club World Cup match, his club must have registered him and notified FIFA at least 48 hours before kickoff. Players may not play for more than one club in the tournament.

How did the teams qualify?

Through winning continental tournaments or a ranking pathway from 2020-21 up to this season.

At the end of May, Los Angeles FC won a playoff game against Club America to replace Club Leon, which was removed for failing to meet FIFA’s criteria on multiple-club ownership.

UEFA’s 12 places were decided by Champions League performances between the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons, so the winners through these seasons — Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid — all qualified. Other European teams qualified through UEFA rankings over the four seasons.

What cities are hosting games?

Besides the opener in South Florida on Saturday, the final will be July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the 2026 World Cup final will also be held. All 63 matches will be held in the United States, a year before the country co-hosts the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

The 10 other host stadiums are in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati; Los Angeles; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida (two); Philadelphia; Seattle; and Washington.

The Concacaf Gold Cup, which is also being hosted in the United States from Saturday to July 6, will overlap with the Club World Cup.

Have there been controversies?

Last June, two of Europe’s biggest players’ unions joined forces to start a case against FIFA, arguing the rights of its members were being violated under European Union laws.

FIFA argues that its new tournament aligns with unchanged attempts to “protect the overall interests of world football at all levels of the game” and has accused major European leagues opposed to the Club World Cup of acting with “hypocrisy and self-interest.”

FIFA has consistently emphasized that the soccer calendar, one that will run until 2030, was decided in consultation with all stakeholders, including players’ unions, before it was signed off on.

The global players’ union, FIFPro, among others, disagrees. It sees no room for the Club World Cup to be played every four years, especially given the expansion of other leading competitions, including the Champions League and World Cup, which will be a 48-team event for the first time next summer.

What’s the prize money?

There is $1 billion to be shared. European clubs will take most of this. There is $525 million for participation, with Europe’s 12 competing clubs taking home $306 million, or 58%. The remaining $475 million will be shared based on performance. Having a perfect tournament on the way to the title will amount to $87.62 million.

The final, then, will become the most lucrative game in soccer, with $40 million going to the winner and $30 million to the loser. This $70 million prize exceeds the $47 million on offer in the UEFA Champions League final.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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