FIFA Announces 32 Clubs for Landmark FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States
FIFA has revealed the full lineup of 32 participating clubs for the highly anticipated FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, an event set to showcase some of the greatest players in global football, including 26 FIFA World Cup™ winners. This groundbreaking tournament brings the world’s top club teams together as they vie to become the first true global club world champions.
The 2025 edition is distinguished not only by its scale, featuring 63 matches across 12 venues in 11 Host Cities throughout the United States—Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, DC—but also by the wealth of international talent set to appear.
Among the standout participants are 13 players from Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, highlighted by Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi. He is expected to feature in a historic opening match against Al Ahly FC on Saturday, 14th June. The tournament also boasts nine members of France’s 2018 championship team, with stars such as Real Madrid C. F.’s Kylian Mbappé and Hugo Lloris of Los Angeles Football Club. Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez, and Presnel Kimpembe arrive as current European club champions after their recent triumph with Paris Saint-Germain.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino:
“The list of participants at the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup is a true reflection of a tournament that will be the most competitive and inclusive of global football, bringing together the best talents from every continent to decide the true FIFA world club champion. We have 26 players who will be seeking to be among the first group of stars to raise two World Cups: the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.”
Atlético de Madrid lead all clubs with six FIFA World Cup winners in their ranks, while CA River Plate of Argentina follows closely with four. Each of the past four world champion national teams will also have celebrated representatives: FC Bayern München’s Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer (Germany, 2014), Inter Miami’s Sergio Busquets and CF Monterrey’s Sergio Ramos (Spain, 2010, alongside Real Madrid CF’s new coach Xabi Alonso).
Fans across the United States will have opportunities to see some of football’s most iconic players, with nine of the 11 Host Cities set to welcome at least one group-stage fixture featuring a FIFA World Cup winner.
Reflecting the global nature of the tournament, players from all six confederations and 81 countries will participate, including 22 nations that have never before appeared in a FIFA World Cup. Clubs were able to submit an initial squad of 26 to 35 players, with most teams taking full advantage of an extraordinary transfer window from June 1st to 10th to bolster their ranks.
High-profile FIFA World Cup winners in the 2025 club squads include: Marcos Acuña, Julián Alvarez, Franco Armani, Sergio Busquets, Ángel Correa, Ousmane Dembélé, Rodrigo De Paul, Ángel Di María, Enzo Fernández, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Thomas Lemar, Hugo Lloris, Lautaro Martínez, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer, Nicolas Otamendi, Benjamin Pavard, Germán Pezzella, and Sergio Ramos.
In accordance with tournament regulations, clubs retain the option to replace and add players during a restricted period from 27th June to 3rd July 2025, within predefined limits.
The inaugural FIFA Club World Cup 2025 stands as a celebration of football’s rich international tapestry, uniting champions, legends, and fans from every corner of the globe.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
