2025 FIFA Club World Cup to kick off Sunday with landmark encounter: Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly
14 June 2025 15:21
MIAMI (WAM)The expanded FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on Sunday in the United States with the opening match in Miami, where Inter Miami will face Al Ahly from Egypt at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.The opening match will mark the debut of both clubs in the revamped 32-team tournament. The 21st edition of the Club World Cup will see 32 teams, including Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, competing in 63 matches over 29 days. For Inter Miami, it's the first Club World Cup appearance, propelled by the global appeal of Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Al Ahly enters as the most decorated African club, aiming to assert its pedigree on football's newest global stage.The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 features the winners of the top continental club competitions from 2021 to 2024. A total of 32 clubs will make an appearance from all corners of the world, dreaming of winning the title that will crown them kings of the globe for the next four years. The FIFA Club World Cup will be played at 12 sites across the US, including Miami Gardens, from June 14 to July 13.Five teams from the Middle East and North Africa are set to compete in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, showing the rise of Arab teams on the global stage.: Al Ahly (Egypt), Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Al Ain (UAE), Wydad AC (Morocco) and Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia).Europe has the largest share of participation in the current edition, with 12 clubs, followed by South American clubs with six, then four clubs each from Africa, Asia, and North America, in addition to one club from Oceania, and two teams: Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC.The tournament will be officiated by 117 referees representing 41 FIFA member associations, the largest refereeing team ever assembled at a global club tournament.A total of 63 matches will be played across the US, with 32 teams competing for the title. The final will be played on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The last edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, held in 2023, saw English giants Manchester City win the seven-team tournament. Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the tournament, having won it five times.
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