Manchester City and Chelsea are England's only representatives in the newly revamped FIFA Club World Cup, which now has a very different format.
In a move heavily criticized by players, coaches and executives alike, the league has undergone significant restructuring ahead of 2025. It will now feature an expanded field, with 32 teams taking part in a summer tournament very similar to the World Cup.
The change will add to an already tight fixture list for the participants, but fans will still wait with bated breath for the draw as the clubs involved find out who they will face next summer. With a different format, different time of year and different qualification process, the change has also included the Club World Cup.
Mirror Football takes an in-depth look at everything you need to know about the new competition.
FIFA Club World Cup draw
The draw for the 2025 Club World Cup will take place tonight on Thursday 5 December. The draw will take place in Miami and start at 1:00 PM local time (6:00 PM GMT).
Unlike the old format, in which seven teams from the six FIFA confederations played against each other over 11 days, the competition will now feature 32 teams in a World Cup-style group stage.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages, which will ultimately culminate in a highly anticipated final to conclude the tournament.
Dates of the competition
Teams will travel to the United States for the revamped summer competition, with games starting June 15 and lasting through July 13.
Miami will host the opening match, while the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Philadelphia and Nashville are just a few of the other host cities.
Who will act
On a European level, no more than two teams from one country can qualify for the competition, with participants chosen based on the UEFA rankings – or if they have recently won the Champions League.
This means that both 2021 winner Chelsea and 2023 winner Manchester City will be present from England. They are joined by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Juventus, Porto Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg and Atletico Madrid from Europe.
Elsewhere, Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminese, River Plate, Boca Juniors and Botafogo have qualified from South America, while Al Ahly, Wydad, Esperance de Tunis and Mamelodi Sundowns. Al Hilal, Urawa Red Riamonds, Al Ain and Ulsan HD represent Asia, while Auckland City book their place from Oceania.
The line-up is completed by five teams from North America; Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, Leon, Pachuca and Inter Miami, who host the country. The latter's participation was not without controversy, as the team of David Beckham and Lionel Messi did not win the MLS.
How does the draw work?
Just like in the past with the Champions League and World Cup draws, the 32 teams are divided into four pots of eight. They are then divided into eight separate groups, each consisting of four teams. The pots are as follows:
Pot 1: Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate, Fluminese.
Pot 2: Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, Red Bull Salzburg
Pot 3: Al Hilal, Ulsan HD, Al Ahly, Wydad, Monterrey, Club Leon, Boca Juniors, Botafogo
Pot 4: Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, Esperance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, Pachuca, Seattle Sounders, Auckland City, Inter Miami
How to watch
DAZN has acquired the rights to broadcast next year's Club World Cup after talks with Apple collapsed, the Athletic said.
They claim that FIFA and DAZN have struck a $1 billion deal that will see all 63 matches made available for free on their platform. It is also claimed that DAZN will also have the ability to sub-license to local free-to-air broadcasters as part of its deal with FIFA.
Tickets
Ticket information is also still in its early stages, with fans wishing to attend any of the matches being urged to register their interest via FIFA's website.
While the new Club World Cup format adds to an already busy calendar for players and coaches, it gives fans another chance to watch the greatest football match, whether on TV or in real life.
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