There’s no rest for the wicked, they say—and that’s certainly true for soccer players, especially those from the world’s biggest clubs.
With the domestic season having only just wrapped up (or in some cases, still ongoing), a host of top teams now have just a matter of weeks to prepare before going at it again—this time at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Held in the United States from June 15 to July 13, this edition marks a major turning point for the tournament. With a brand new format featuring 32 teams instead of the usual seven, a fresh trophy, and a massive prize pot on offer, clubs will be fighting for far more than just summer bragging rights.
But given the tournament’s relatively low-key past—often treated as an afterthought by both fans and clubs—many might not be familiar with how it works.
So what exactly is the Club World Cup? How do teams qualify? And how does the new format play out? Here, we break it all down.
