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CLUB WORLD CUP

Stars Align as 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Welcomes More World Cup winners than ever before

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It will be the biggest assembly of players who have won the World Cup. That is the setting for the Club World Cup, which kicks off this weekend.

The world of football is set to witness history. The inaugural expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ kicks off on Saturday, 14 June.

It will bring together a dazzling array of international talent. The tournament features 32 of the world’s top club teams. It spans 63 matches across 12 venues in 11 host cities throughout the United States.

Among the standout figures are 26 FIFA World Cup™ winners, representing the tournament’s most decorated era. Players from four different world champion nations are included. They are Argentina, France, Germany, and Spain.

These players have already conquered the globe at the national level. Now, they seek club supremacy.

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The 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning Argentina squad is heavily featured, with 13 players. This includes global icon Lionel Messi. He is expected to lead Inter Miami CF in the opening match against Egypt’s Al Ahly FC in Miami.

France’s 2018 champions are also well-represented, including superstar Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid C.F., and veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, now with Los Angeles FC.

European champions Paris Saint-Germain add French firepower with Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez, and Presnel Kimpembe. They are fresh off their continental triumph just weeks ago.

In a tournament designed to showcase global inclusion, players from 81 different countries will feature. This makes it the most internationally representative club competition in football history.

Participating clubs initially named squads of 26 to 35 players. Between 1–10 June, a special transfer window allowed for last-minute reinforcements. 58 new players were registered during that period at a combined transfer value of USD 480.4 million, highlighting the competition’s prestige and ambition.

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To ensure maximum flexibility, FIFA has also allowed a limited in-tournament transfer window from 27 June to 3 July, allowing for player additions and replacements under strict guidelines, especially for those whose contracts are set to expire.

As the world watches, the 2025 edition promises to deliver a football spectacle. It also heralds a new era in global club competition. With footballing royalty descending on American soil, the race to crown the first true world club champion begins.

  • FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ squad lists contain more FIFA World Cup™ winners than squads who competed in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments
  • The last four world champion nations are represented among the 32 participating clubs, including 13 of Argentina’s 2022-winning squad
  • Players representing 81 countries will feature in the most inclusive global club tournament ever, which kicks off on Saturday, 14 June

The 32 participating clubs have submitted their squad lists for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and are 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.

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 22: Javi Freestyle (not in the picture) holds a ball during the FIFA Club World Cup Trophy Tour at the Real Madrid Store in Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on April 22, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ squad lists

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The new FIFA Club World Cup will see the world’s 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 (US) – Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C..

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 feature in the opening game against Al Ahly FC on Saturday 14 June. There are nine of France’s victorious 2018 vintage, including Real Madrid C. F. star Kylian Mbappé and Les Bleus’ then-captain Hugo Lloris of Los Angeles Football Club. Another three, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe, come to the US as European club champions having claimed that title late last month with Paris Saint-Germain.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKxR7eoo22G/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=987&rd=https%3A%2F%2Finside.fifa.com&rp=%2Forganisation%2Fmedia-releases%2Fworld-cup-winners-fcwc25-usa-lionel-messi-neuer-griezmann%3Frequester%3DMediaHub#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A3448011.1000000015%2C%22ls%22%3A2145.89999999851%2C%22le%22%3A2280.7000000029802%7D

“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,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “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. That is history in the making. Also, with 81 countries represented, the FIFA Club World Cup is helping to make football truly global. The tournament will be the dream of every fan, a month-long football feast.”

Spanish side Atlético de Madrid boast the most FIFA World Cup winners with six while Argentinian giants CA River Plate are next-best with four. The past four world champion nations will each be represented as FC Bayern München’s Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer were in the Germany squad that won in Brazil in 2014, while Inter Miami’s Sergio Busquets and CF Monterrey’s Sergio Ramos were part of the Spain side that triumphed in South Africa in 2010 alongside Real Madrid CF’s new coach Xabi Alonso.

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Impressively, nine of the 11 Host Cities will host at least one group-stage game potentially featuring a FIFA World Cup winner, giving the entire fanbase across the US the opportunity to watch the world’s greatest players in person.

Highlighting the global nature of the tournament, the FIFA Club World Cup will see players from all six confederations and 81 countries participating in the tournament, including 22 nations that have never before played in a FIFA World Cup.

FIFA World Cup Trophy in the Inter Miami CF locker room

Participating clubs were able to name an initial squad of between 26 and 35 players for the new competition with most having reinforced their squad during the extraordinary transfer window that was open from 1 to 10 June. In a flurry of activity, 58 new players were registered for a total value of USD 480.4 million, emphasising the ambitions of clubs as they head into the new global showpiece.

In line with the applicable regulations, there is the potential for participating clubs to replace and add players during a restricted in-competition period from 27 June to 3 July 2025 within a set limit and according to specific limitations. The objective is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation. This will ensure the best players will be playing, while allowing clubs to add new recruits even during the tournament.

DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, is the exclusive global broadcaster of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, making every match of the tournament available for free to fans anywhere in the world.

Watch every game for free on DAZN.com

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Match tickets are available at FIFA.com/tickets.

FIFA World Cup winners named in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 squads

NameNational teamYearClub
Marcos AcuñaArgentina2022CA River Plate
Julián AlvarezArgentina2022Atlético de Madrid
Franco ArmaniArgentina2022CA River Plate
Sergio BusquetsSpain2010Inter Miami CF
Ángel CorreaArgentina2022Atlético de Madrid
Ousmane DembéléFrance2018Paris Saint-Germain
Rodrigo De PaulArgentina2022Atlético de Madrid
Ángel Di MaríaArgentina2022SL Benfica
Enzo FernándezArgentina2022Chelsea FC
Olivier GiroudFrance2018Los Angeles Football Club
Antoine GriezmannFrance2018Atlético de Madrid
Lucas HernandezFrance2018Paris Saint-Germain
Presnel KimpembeFrance2018Paris Saint-Germain
Thomas LemarFrance2018Atlético de Madrid
Hugo LlorisFrance2018Los Angeles Football Club
Lautaro MartínezArgentina2022FC Internazionale Milano
Kylian MbappéFrance2018Real Madrid C. F.
Lionel MessiArgentina2022Inter Miami CF
Nahuel MolinaArgentina2022Atlético de Madrid
Gonzalo MontielArgentina2022CA River Plate
Thomas MüllerGermany2014FC Bayern München
Manuel NeuerGermany2014FC Bayern München
Nicolas OtamendiArgentina2022SL Benfica
Benjamin PavardFrance2018FC Internazionale Milano
Germán PezzellaArgentina2022CA River Plate
Sergio RamosSpain2010CF Monterrey

Nationality of players at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™

CountryNumber of players
Brazil141
Argentina103
Spain54
Portugal49
Mexico41
USA40
France37
Germany36
Italy36
Morocco31
South Africa31
Japan29
Korea Republic27
England25
Saudi Arabia25
Tunisia25
Uruguay24
Egypt23
New Zealand23
Colombia14
Austria13
Sweden9
Belgium8
Mali8
Netherlands8
Norway8
United Arab Emirates8
Chile6
Paraguay6
Türkiye6
Venezuela6
Croatia5
Ecuador5
Nigeria5
Serbia5
Switzerland5
Algeria4
Denmark4
Poland4
Canada3
Ghana3
Greece3
Senegal3
Slovenia3
Ukraine3
Albania2
Angola2
Cameroon2
Côte d’Ivoire2
El Salvador2
Israel2
Luxembourg2
Armenia1
Bosnia and Herzegovina1
Burkina Faso1
China PR1
Congo1
Dominican Republic1
Gabon1
Georgia1
Guatemala1
Guinea1
Guyana1
Haiti1
Honduras1
IR Iran1
Jamaica1
Montenegro1
Mozambique1
Namibia1
Palestine1
Peru1
Republic of Ireland1
Russia1
Slovakia1
Syria1
Tanzania1
Togo1
Uganda1
Uzbekistan1
Zimbabwe1

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

CLUB WORLD CUP

Exemplary Dembele steps up again to inspire depleted PSG

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FIFA Club World Cup - Quarter Final - Paris St Germain v Bayern Munich - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. - July 5, 2025 Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Paris St Germain snatched a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday to reach the Club World Cup semi-finals, with Ousmane Dembele embodying the composure of Luis Enrique’s side as he sealed the victory when his team were down to nine men.

Dembele found the back of the net six minutes into added time after being superbly set up by Achraf Hakimi and the French forward also shone defensively by pressing relentlessly and initiating the move that led to his decisive goal.

“I’d give the Ballon d’Or to Mr Ousmane Dembele,” coach Luis Enrique said after PSG’s Champions League final win over Inter Milan. “The way he defended…only that can be worth the Ballon d’Or. This is how you lead a team.”

Dembele proved his coach right once again against Bayern.

Rested for the group stage after sustaining a thigh injury and only coming off the bench after halftime in the last 16 and in the quarter-final, Dembele brought an incredible energy to a team who had been dominated by Bayern.

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“It’s an important period for us. We had a score to settle with Bayern after the 2020 (Champions League) final (won by Bayern 1-0) and after they beat us earlier this season,” captain Marquinhos said. “We want to win this competition.”

PSG went ahead through Desire Doue, his first goal in the tournament.

“I try to help the team by scoring, but also with my efforts, notably defensively,” Doue said.

PSG, seeking a quadruple of titles after winning the Champions League, French Cup and the Ligue 1 title, will face Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid for a place in the final.

They will be without centre back Willian Pacho and defender Lucas Hernandez, who picked up straight red cards after Doue’s opening goal.

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“The first one is a clear red card,” coach Luis Enrique said. “I’m not sure about the second one. We deserved the win but it was really really hard. Nothing special. Business as usual.”

-Reuters

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CLUB WORLD CUP

Late own goal sends Chelsea past Palmeiras into semi-finals

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 FIFA Club World Cup - Quarter Final - Palmeiras v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - July 4, 2025 Palmeiras' Vitor Roque reacts with Chelsea's Pedro Neto REUTERS/Lee Smith

An 83rd-minute Weverton own goal from a deflected Malo Gusto cross gave Chelsea a nervy 2-1 win over a spirited Palmeiras side in the Club World Cup quarter-finals at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday.

Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet in the first half for Chelsea, who move on to face more Brazilian opposition in Fluminense in New York on Tuesday with a place in the final on the line.

Palmeiras roared back after halftime with teenage winger Estevao, who is soon to join Chelsea, equalising in the 53rd minute with a stunning strike from a tight angle.

“Tough game as we expected,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. “First half, I think we were a little bit better compared to the second half, we controlled the game much better.

“But then they scored and the game changed but at the end we scored and I think we deserved to win. Congratulations to the players, because they have been very good.”

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Chelsea started the match well despite missing key defensive midfield duo Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with 21-year-old Andrey Santos making his first start some two and a half years after joining the club.

They controlled possession and repeatedly threatened through Pedro Neto, who caused chaos for Palmeiras defence down the right flank.

Palmer struck in the 16th minute, receiving a pass from Trevoh Chalobah on the edge of the box and gliding past three defenders with ease before dispatching a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

Despite their dominance, Chelsea squandered several opportunities, including Christopher Nkunku’s glaring miss in the 34th minute when he blasted over with only goalkeeper Weverton to beat.

Palmeiras, missing key defenders Joaquin Piquerez, Gustavo Gomez and Murilo, struggled to contain Chelsea’s fluid attack in the first half but emerged from the break with renewed energy.

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They nearly equalised when Bruno Fuchs headed narrowly wide from a corner before Estevao worked his magic with an effort that should be a strong candidate for goal of the tournament so far.

The 18-year-old showcased his immense talent by cutting in from the right, gliding past Levi Colwill and smashing an unstoppable shot from a tight angle that flew over keeper Robert Sanchez and off the underside of the crossbar.

“Happy because we won, happy because he scored, so it’s a perfect night,” Maresca said of his new signing.

Just when Palmeiras looked at their most dangerous, though, Chelsea found the winner down the other end.

Gusto found space down the left and his attempted cross deflected off defender Fuchs and wrongfooted Weverton, the ball bouncing off the goalkeeper’s back and into the net to end Palmeiras dreams of an all-Brazilian semi-final.

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-Reuters

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CLUB WORLD CUP

New managers making instant impact as Club World Cup quarter-finals take shape

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Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Al Hilal FC head coach Simone Inzaghi in the first half against Manchester City during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images/File Photo

The expanded soccer Club World Cup is proving to be a stage for managerial fresh starts, with three of the eight quarter-finalists led by coaches appointed just weeks before the tournament – and all three have already stamped their authority on their new teams.

Arguably none has made a bigger splash than Simone Inzaghi, who delivered one of the tournament’s biggest shocks when his Al Hilal side stunned Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 4-3 in a breathtaking extra-time thriller.

The 49-year-old Italian, who left Inter Milan after their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just five weeks ago, got sweet revenge on Monday against the Premier League giants who had beaten his Nerazzurri in the 2023 Champions League final.

Inzaghi took the win by playing steady, rock-solid defence and exploring the speed of his forwards up-front with long balls that exploited their opponent’s aggressive, high-positioned defensive line.

Malcom and Marcos Leonardo were a constant menace on the counter-attack throughout the match, while his defenders managed to slow down City’s star-powered attack for most of the game.

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And when they were threatened, Moroccan goalkeeper Bono worked his magic with a string of world-class saves to frustrate their opponents and keep the Saudis in the game.

Al Hilal’s reward is a quarter-final clash with tournament underdogs Fluminense, who defied the Opta supercomputer’s odds of just 0.05% to win the title and stunned Champions League runners-up Inter Milan 2-0 to reach the last eight.

Initially tipped to exit in the group stage, the Brazilian side’s remarkable run continues under Renato Gaucho, a former Fluminense striker and club legend who took charge three months ago. Renato has transformed a team that narrowly avoided relegation in 2024 into genuine contenders, with Colombian winger Jhon Arias emerging as a potential tournament MVP.

Against Inter, Fluminense showed the grit and determination that have defined their campaign with a remarkable Arias and striker German Cano once again making the difference.

Real Madrid complete the trio of new-manager success stories, with Xabi Alonso arriving a month ago to replace Carlo Ancelotti after a rare trophy-less season that included four consecutive defeats to Barcelona, including a humiliating 4-0 Clasico thrashing at the Bernabeu.

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Arriving with a reputation for innovative tactics following his trophy-laden stint at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso has started using a five-man defence, marking a significant departure from the traditional 4-3-3 formation used by predecessors Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane over the past decade.

The change evoked memories of Vicente del Bosque’s 2000 Champions League-winning side, the last Real Madrid team to adopt such a structure, as Real prepare to face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday off the back of three consecutive wins.

As the tournament progresses, the early success of these new managerial appointments suggests that fresh ideas and bold decisions can reshape even the most storied teams.

-Reuters

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