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Club World Cup schedule revealed: Messi, Inter Miami get winnable group, standalone opener

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Club World Cup schedule revealed: Messi, Inter Miami get winnable group, standalone opener

The Seattle Sounders will face PSG and Atlético Madrid, and Inter Miami will get a standalone opener in the inaugural Club World Cup, which is now set to begin a day earlier than previously expected.

The 32 participating clubs learned their group-stage opponents for the 2025 tournament, which will be played at 12 stadiums across the United States, at a draw on Thursday. Two days later, FIFA released the full schedule — and revealed that Inter Miami will host the opening match on Saturday, June 14, rather than Sunday, June 15.

Miami, placed in Group A, drew Palmeiras from Brazil, Porto from Portugal, and Al Ahly from Egypt — whom they’ll face in the opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

On paper, to some, it looked like a winnable group for Lionel Messi and Co., whom FIFA essentially gifted a spot in the tournament, likely to elevate its marketability. But the Group A draw also opened up FIFA’s worst-case scenario: a group-stage exit for Miami without a high-profile matchup.

The Club World Cup is a novel venture organized and championed by FIFA, one that the global governing body desperately wants to succeed. For years, it’s been riddled with uncertainty. But with a broadcaster recently secured, and now with the draw complete, it can charge ahead toward liftoff.

At the draw, the 32 teams — 12 from Europe, six from South America, five from North and Central America, four apiece from Asia and Africa, one from Oceania — were placed into eight groups, much like national teams have been at FIFA’s original, uber-popular World Cup.

They were, though, seeded and subject to certain “constraints,” which preempted the formation of a classic “group of death.”

The toughest group is probably Seattle’s, Group B, with South American champion Botafogo joining PSG, Atlético Madrid and the Sounders.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino' and Former professional Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo present a new trophy during the draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup soccer tournament, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup draw took place in Miami on Thursday, with 32 teams learning their opponents and paths to a new trophy. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Another intriguing threesome appeared in Group C, which features Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors. But the fourth team, Auckland City from New Zealand, is widely assumed to be the worst in the 32-team field.

The weakest groups are probably Chelsea’s and Borussia Dortmund’s. Chelsea is joined in Group D by Flamengo from Brazil, León from Mexico and Espérance from Tunisia. Dortmund was drawn into Group F with Fluminense from Brazil, Ulsan from South Korea, and Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa.

Saturday’s schedule release revealed where all those matchups will take place. Group B (Seattle’s) and Group E (Inter Milan, River Plate, Monterrey, Urawa Reds) will go to the west coast, and split their time between Seattle’s Lumen Field and the Rose Bowl in Southern California.

The rest — and the entirety of the knockout rounds — will stay east. Miami and Philadelphia will host eight games apiece; Atlanta will get six. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host nine, including a quarterfinal, both semifinals and the final.

The schedule’s cadence, with group-stage matches at three-hour intervals throughout most days, will be very similar to that of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The earliest matches, even on weekdays, begin at noon ET; the latest begin at 9 p.m. ET.

The 2025 Club World Cup schedule grid. (FIFA)The 2025 Club World Cup schedule grid. (FIFA)

The 2025 Club World Cup schedule grid. (FIFA)

The full groups are below, followed by the entire 2025 Club World Cup schedule — complete with dates, locations, kickoff times and knockout-round paths.

1. Palmeiras (Brazil)
2. Porto (Portugal)
3. Al Ahly (Egypt)
4. Inter Miami (U.S.)

1. PSG (France)
2. Atlético Madrid (Spain)
3. Botafogo (Brazil)
4. Seattle Sounders (U.S.)

1. Bayern Munich (Germany)
2. Auckland City (New Zealand)
3. Boca Juniors (Argentina)
4. Benfica (Portugal)

1. Flamengo (Brazil)
2. Espérance (Tunisia)
3. Chelsea (England)
4. León (Mexico)

1. River Plate (Argentina)
2. Urawa Reds (Japan)
3. Monterrey (Mexico)
4. Inter Milan (Italy)

1. Fluminense (Brazil)
2. Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
3. Ulsan (South Korea)
4. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

1. Manchester City (England)
2. Wydad (Morocco)
3. Al Ain (UAE)
4. Juventus (Italy)

1. Real Madrid (Spain)
2. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
3. Pachuca (Mexico)
4. RB Salzburg (Austria)

(All times ET)

8 p.m. — Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)

Noon — Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
3 p.m. — PSG vs. Atlético Madrid — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
6 p.m. — Palmeiras vs. Porto — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
10 p.m. — Seattle Sounders vs. Botafogo — Lumen Field (Seattle)

3 p.m. — Chelsea vs. León — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
6 p.m. — Boca Juniors vs. Benfica — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
9 p.m. — Flamengo vs. Espérance — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)

Noon — Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
3 p.m. — River Plate vs. Urawa Reds — Lumen Field (Seattle)
6 p.m. — Ulsan vs. Mamelodi Sundowns — Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
9 p.m. — Monterrey vs. Inter Milan — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)

Noon — Manchester City vs. Wydad — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
3 p.m. — Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
6 p.m. — Pachuca vs. RB Salzburg — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
9 p.m. — Al Ain vs. Juventus — Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)

Noon — Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
3 p.m. — Inter Miami vs. Porto — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
6 p.m. — Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid — Lumen Field (Seattle)
9 p.m. — PSG vs. Botafogo — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)

Noon — Benfica vs. Auckland City — Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
2 p.m. — Flamengo vs. Chelsea — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
6 p.m. — León vs. Espérance — GEODIS Park (Nashville)
9 p.m. — Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)

Noon — Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
3 p.m. — Inter Milan vs. Urawa Reds — Lumen Field (Seattle)
6 p.m. — Fluminense vs. Ulsan — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
9 p.m. — River Plate vs. Monterrey — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)

Noon — Juventus vs. Wydad — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
3 p.m. — Real Madrid vs. Pachuca — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
6 p.m. — RB Salzburg vs. Al Hilal — Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
9 p.m. — Manchester City vs. Al Ain — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)

3 p.m. — Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
3 p.m. — Seattle Sounders vs. PSG — Lumen Field (Seattle)
9 p.m. — Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
9 p.m. — Porto vs. Al Ahly — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

3 p.m. — Benfica vs. Bayern Munich — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
3 p.m. — Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors — GEODIS Park (Nashville)
9 p.m. — León vs. Flamengo — Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
9 p.m. — Espérance vs. Chelsea — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)

3 p.m. — Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan — TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
3 p.m. — Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
9 p.m. — Urawa Reds vs. Monterrey — Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
9 p.m. — Inter Milan vs. River Plate — Lumen Field (Seattle)

3 p.m. — Juventus vs. Manchester City — Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
3 p.m. — Wydad vs. Al Ain — Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
9 p.m. — Al Hilal vs. Pachuca — GEODIS Park (Nashville)
9 p.m. — RB Salzburg vs. Real Madrid — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)

Friday, June 27

Rest day.

Saturday, June 28 — Round of 16

Noon — A winner vs. B runner-up — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
4 p.m. — C winner vs. D runner-up — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)

Sunday, June 29 — Round of 16

Noon — B winner vs. A runner-up — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
4 p.m. — D winner vs. C runner-up — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)

Monday, June 30 — Round of 16

3 p.m. — E winner vs. F runner-up — Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
9 p.m. — G winner vs. H runner-up — Camping World Stadium (Orlando)

Tuesday, July 1 — Round of 16

3 p.m. — H winner vs. G runner-up — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
9 p.m. — F winner vs. E runner-up — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)

Wednesday, July 2 and Thursday, July 3

Rest days.

Friday, July 4 — Quarterfinals

3 p.m. — 1E/2F vs. 1G/2H — Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
9 p.m. — 1A/2B vs. 1C/2D — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)

Saturday, July 5 — Quarterfinals

Noon — 1B/2A vs. 1D/2C — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
4 p.m. — 1F/2E vs. 1H/2G — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Sunday, July 6 and Monday, July 7

Rest days.

Tuesday, July 8 — Semifinals

3 p.m. — 1A/2B/1C/2D vs. 1E/2F/1G/2H — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Wednesday, July 9 — Semifinals

3 p.m. — 1B/2A/1D/2C vs. 1A/2B vs. 1C/2D — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Thursday, July 10 – Saturday, July 12

Rest days.

Sunday, July 13 — Final

3 p.m. — Final — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER27 updates

  • Takeaways from the draw

    Three takeaways:

    1. Seattle is probably the biggest losers of the draw. The Sounders got an extremely tough group … but without a true headliner like Real Madrid or Bayern that would have huge neutral-fan appeal.

    2. Inter Miami’s group is fascinating. All three games seem winnable … but, depending on form over the next six months, Messi and co. might not be favored in any of them. It’s wide open.

    3. There is no true group of death. Group C could have been, but Auckland City makes it much less interesting.

    And some other matchups to look forward to:

    1. Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal

    2. River Plate vs. Inter Milan (and Monterrey vs. both of them)

    3. Boca Juniors vs. Benfica and Bayern Munich

  • All eight groups, now that the draw is complete

    GROUP A

    1. Palmeiras (Brazil)
    2. Porto (Portugal)
    3. Al Ahly (Egypt)
    4. Inter Miami (U.S.)

    GROUP B

    1. PSG (France)
    2. Atlético Madrid (Spain)
    3. Botafogo (Brazil)
    4. Seattle Sounders (U.S.)

    GROUP C

    1. Bayern Munich (Germany)
    2. Auckland City (New Zealand)
    3. Boca Juniors (Argentina)
    4. Benfica (Portugal)

    GROUP D

    1. Flamengo (Brazil)
    2. Espérance (Tunisia)
    3. Chelsea (England)
    4. León (Mexico)

    GROUP E

    1. River Plate (Argentina)
    2. Urawa Reds (Japan)
    3. Monterrey (Mexico)
    4. Inter Milan (Italy)

    GROUP F

    1. Fluminense (Brazil)
    2. Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
    3. Ulsan (South Korea)
    4. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

    GROUP G

    1. Manchester City (England)
    2. Wydad (Morocco)
    3. Al Ain (UAE)
    4. Juventus (Italy)

    GROUP H

    1. Real Madrid (Spain)
    2. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
    3. Pachuca (Mexico)
    4. RB Salzburg (Austria)

  • Inter Miami’s full group is…

    1. Palmeiras (Brazil)
    2. Porto (Portugal)
    3. Al Ahly (Egypt)
    4. Inter Miami (U.S.)

    There’s no giant in there. But you could also argue that Miami is the worst of the four teams. Al Ahly has won three of the past four African Champions League titles.

  • The Sounders also get Botafogo …

    … who are, on current form, the best team in South America. They lead Brazil’s Serie A, and just won the Copa Libertadores.

    Seattle will be a heavy underdog in all three of its group matches. The full Group B:

    1. PSG (France)
    2. Atlético Madrid (Spain)
    3. Botafogo (Brazil)
    4. Seattle Sounders (U.S.)

  • The groups so far

    Here’s how things stand at the halfway point:

    GROUP A

    1. Palmeiras (Brazil)
    2. Porto (Portugal)
    3.
    4. Inter Miami (U.S.)

    GROUP B

    1. PSG (France)
    2. Atlético Madrid (Spain)
    3.
    4. Seattle Sounders (U.S.)

    GROUP C

    1. Bayern Munich (Germany)
    2.
    3.
    4. Benfica (Portugal)

    GROUP D

    1. Flamengo (Brazil)
    2.
    3. Chelsea (England)
    4.

    GROUP E

    1. River Plate (Argentina)
    2.
    3.
    4. Inter Milan (Italy)

    GROUP F

    1. Fluminense (Brazil)
    2. Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
    3.
    4.

    GROUP G

    1. Manchester City (England)
    2.
    3.
    4. Juventus (Italy)

    GROUP H

    1. Real Madrid (Spain)
    2.
    3.
    4. RB Salzburg (Austria)

  • Manchester City gets Juventus

    That, along with PSG vs. Atlético Madrid, will be the biggest matchup of two European giants in the group stage.

  • Seattle Sounders get a much tougher draw than Miami…

    They’ll play PSG and Atlético Madrid in Group B. That’s tough.

    Seattle would need to pull off a pretty significant upset to advance.

  • Inter Miami will play Palmeiras and Porto

    They’re three of the four teams in Group A.

    And FIFA is probably disappointed with that. There’ll be no Messi-vs.-European giant in the group stage.

  • The Pot 1 draw…

    No real takeaways yet, but for those keeping track…

    Group A: Palmeiras

    Group B: PSG

    Group C: Bayern Munich

    Group D: Flamengo

    Group E: River Plate

    Group F: Fluminense

    Group G: Manchester City

    Group H: Real Madrid

    To be clear, this does not mean that Man City and Real Madrid will meet in the first knockout round. It’s all very confusing.

  • Seattle Sounders learn an opponent…

    They’ll be in Group B. And PSG was just drawn into Group B as the top seed, the first European team out of Pot 1.

  • Ivanka Trump draws the first team…

    … and it’s Palmeiras.

    That means they’ll go into Group A, and play Inter Miami in the group stage.

  • About to get underway…

    … at around 1:35 p.m. ET, for those keeping track.

    Pot 1 will be up first.

  • Explaining the “draw constraints”

    They just explained the procedure on the broadcast. It’s complicated. Here are the key points:

    1. Man City and Real Madrid, as the top two teams, must go to groups whose winners will stay on opposite sides of the knockout bracket. (One side is Group A, C, E and G; the other is B, D, F and H.) Bayern Munich and PSG, as seeds Nos. 3 and 4, will also be sent to opposite sides. And they’ll be placed to ensure that none of the four European superpowers could meet before the semifinals if they all win their groups. (The same exact principles apply to Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 from South America.)

    2. The top four teams from Pot 2 — Chelsea, Dortmund, Inter and Porto — must be placed in groups with a South American team from Pot 1. The rest of Pot 2 — Atléti, Benfica, Juve and Salzburg — will be paired with a fellow European club from Pot 1.

    3. Teams from the same country can’t be in the same group — meaning Atlético Madrid can’t draw Real Madrid.

    4. Beyond the four pairings of European teams, no two clubs from the same continent can be grouped together.

    5. Inter Miami will get Position 4 in Group A, and Seattle will get Position 4 in Group B, so that they can play the opening games of the tournament (against teams from Pot 3).

    As we explained earlier, it’s helpful to think about the first two pots as Pots 1A, 1B, 2B and 2A:

    Pot 1A (Europe top seeds): Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG

    Pot 1B (South America top seeds): Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate, Fluminense

    Pot 2A (Europe bottom seeds): Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, RB Salzburg

    Pot 2B (Europe middle seeds): Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto

    The Pot 1A teams must be paired with the Pot 2A teams; the Pot 1B teams must be paired with the Pot 2B teams.

  • It’s 1:25 p.m. ET…

    … and Gianni Infantino is still onstage.

    No sign of pots or the orbs that will be used to draw teams into groups.

    But they did just call up former Italian forward Alessandro Del Piero, who will apparently be the “draw conductor.”

  • FIFA president Infantino and “Fenômeno” reveal the prize

  • Donald Trump appears…

    … via video. That was random — and, of course, political.

    Trump and Infantino are tight. In the pre-recorded video message, he called Infantino only by his first name, “Gianni.”

    Expect Trump to be very present around the 2026 World Cup, and perhaps at the 2025 Club World Cup as well.

    He isn’t in Miami today for the draw, but Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are. Infantino gave them a shoutout.

  • Don’t expect the actual draw to start anytime soon…

    These events are insufferably long and often cringey.

    This one was slated to start at 1 p.m. ET. It started at 1:04 with a long musical video interlude. Now Gianni Infantino, the self-important FIFA president, is talking.

    Highly doubt we’ll get any teams drawn before 1:30 p.m. ET.

  • The draw appears to be delayed…

    It’s 1:04 p.m. ET. Neither DAZN’s stream nor the FIFA+ stream has started.

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