New York: FIFA has announced the 32 participating clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, headlined by some of the greatest players to have competed on the global stage over the last two decades, including 26 FIFA World Cup winners. The tournament will see the top 32 club teams compete to be crowned the first true global club world champions across 63 games in 12 venues and 11 host cities in the United States, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, DC.
According to Emirates News Agency, no fewer than 13 of the Argentina squad that lifted international football’s biggest prize in Qatar in 2022 will feature, led by Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi, who is likely to play in the opening game against Al Ahly FC on Saturday, 14th June. There are nine of France’s victorious 2018 team, including Real Madrid C.F. star Kylian Mbappé and Hugo Lloris of Los Angeles Football Club. Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez, and Presn
el Kimpembe, who recently claimed the European club champion title with Paris Saint-Germain, will also participate.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated, “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.” He highlighted the possibility of 26 players seeking to raise both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Spanish side Atlético de Madrid boasts the most FIFA World Cup winners with six, while Argentine giants CA River Plate are next with four. The past four world champion nations will each be represented, with FC Bayern Mnchen’s Thomas Mller and Manuel Neuer from Germany’s 2014 squad, and Inter Miami’s Sergio Busquets and CF Monterrey’s Sergio Ramos, who were part of Spain’s 2010 team alongside Real Madrid CF’s new coach Xabi Alonso.
The tournament will provide fans acro
ss the US the opportunity to watch the world’s greatest players in person, with nine of the 11 host cities hosting at least one group-stage game potentially featuring a FIFA World Cup winner. The global nature of the tournament is underscored by participation from players of all six confederations and 81 countries, including 22 nations that have never before played in a FIFA World Cup.
Participating clubs were allowed to name an initial squad of between 26 and 35 players for the competition, with many reinforcing their squads during the extraordinary transfer window from 1st to 10th June. FIFA World Cup winners named in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 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 Mller, Manuel Neuer, Nicol
as Otamendi, Benjamin Pavard, Germán Pezzella, and Sergio Ramos.
In line with applicable regulations, participating clubs have the potential to replace and add players during a restricted in-competition period from 27th June to 3rd July 2025 within a set limit and specific limitations.
