The Club World Cup Draw Places Al-Hilal Against Real Madrid
The draw for the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup, hosted in Miami, USA, has paired reigning champions Manchester City with Juventus. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, record holders with five Club World Cup titles, will face Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in their opening match. They will also play against Pachuca from Mexico and Salzburg from Austria in Group H.
The highly anticipated encounter between Real Madrid and Al-Hilal promises a showdown of global stars, as French captain Kylian Mbappé and Brazilian sensation Neymar—former Paris Saint-Germain teammates from 2017 to 2023—face off on opposing sides.
The opening edition of this newly expanded tournament, scheduled to occur every four years, has drawn widespread criticism from international players and local league associations. It is set to take place from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States, before hosting the FIFA World Cup, which the country will co-host with Mexico and Canada the following year.
In October, key football organizations representing players and clubs across Europe lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of exploiting its dominant position. The complaint highlighted concerns about modifications to the international match calendar and the expansion of major tournaments.
The 32-team tournament will feature an allocation of slots designed to ensure global representation: 12 teams from Europe, 6 from South America, and 4 each from Africa, Asia, and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean). Additionally, one spot has been reserved for Oceania, and the host nation, the United States, will occupy the final slot.
Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump sent a video message during the draw ceremony, praising the development of football in the United States over recent decades.
In the draw, which retired Italian star Alessandro Del Piero humorously described as “very simple,” referencing the complexities of the revamped UEFA Champions League format, Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning French Ligue 1 champions, were placed in Group B. This group also includes Spanish team Atlético Madrid, Botafogo from Brazil’s, and the U.S.’s Seattle Sounder.
Bayern Munich, leaders of the German Bundesliga, are placed in Group C alongside Benfica—whom they face in this season’s Champions League—Boca Juniors of Argentina, and Auckland City of New Zealand. Inter Milan, runners-up in the 2023 Champions League, headline Group E, sharing it with Argentina’s River Plate, Mexico’s Monterrey, and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.
Group A sees Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami facing Egyptian side Al-Ahly, Palmeiras of Brazil, and Porto from Portugal.
Chelsea have been drawn into Group D alongside Tunisian club Esperance, León from Mexico, and Flamengo from Brazil.
Borussia Dortmund, Champions League runners-up from the previous season, will open their campaign against Brazilian side Fluminense in Group F, which also includes South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
The format mirrors the FIFA World Cup structure used from 1998 to 2022. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Round of 16, followed by single-elimination matches leading to the final. However, the tournament will not include a third-place playoff.
The competition will feature 63 matches spread across 12 stadiums in the United States. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium will host the opening game between Inter Miami and Palmeiras, while the final will take place at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
