On June 14, the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in a new, vastly expanded format.

Why has this new Club World Cup been created?

"It will be like a World Cup," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in late 2022 when he announced his plans for this expanded Club World Cup with 32 teams. Until now, only the six winners of the continental club championships and a club from the host country had taken part. Infantino's main goal for the new format is that it will generate increased revenue.

The "new" Club World Cup is to be held every four years beginning in 2025. In the intervening years, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup will be played – following the old Club World Cup format. FIFA is planning to introduce a Women's Club World Cup in 2026.

What are the key facts?

The teams are divided into eight groups of four, with each team facing the other three in their group once. The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16 – at which point play continues in a knockout format through to the final.

If a knockout-stage match is tied after 90 minutes, there will be two 15-minute periods of extra time. If the score is still tied, the match will be decided in a penalty shootout follows. Unlike the World Cup there will be no third-place match.

The games will be played in 12 stadiums, all of which are in east of the United States, apart from Los Angeles and Seattle on the Pacific coast. The tournament opens on June 14 in Miami with the first match of Group A between the winner of the African Champions League, Al Ahly FC of Egypt, and MLS club Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi now plays. The final is slated for July 13 in New York.

Who will compete in the Club World Cup?

Europe has the most participants, with 12 teams. The last four winners of the Champions League qualified plus the eight-best ranked teams in Europe over the past four years. Germany is represented by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

South America has six teams, Asia and Africa have four teams, as does the region of North and Central America plus the Caribbean (CONCACAF). Oceania is represented by Auckland City FC of New Zealand.

How much money is up for grabs?

In its 2024 financial report, FIFA projected revenue of $2 billion (€1.75 billion) for this year's Club World Cup, with $1 billion to go to the participating clubs. FIFA will shell out just over half of this in participation  payments – although this is not evenly distributed among the clubs.

Some UEFA clubs receive the most. Under a special ranking that combines the clubs' sporting and commercial value, the payments per European club range between $12.8 million and $38.2 million. According to Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, the Bundesliga champions will receive around $30 million. Auckland are to receive just over a tenth of that.

$475 million will be distributed as performance bonuses: for wins and draws in the group stage, for winning a group, and for advancing through the knockout rounds. The winner of the tournament receives $40 million in prize money, while the other finalist takes home $30 million. If a European club wins the Club World Cup, they could take home more than $125 million.

How has the new Club World Cup format been received?

Opinions are divided. The participating clubs are pleased about the generous financial rewards and have therefore been muted in their criticism. Many critics, though, point to the already overcrowded football calendar, arguing that this additional four-week tournament gives the players even less time to rest and recover – further increasing the risk of injury. 

Some Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund players will be on their way to the USA with their clubs just a few days after they were involved in the Nations League Finals. If any of these players were to reach the final on July 13, he would be left with under six weeks to go before the start of the new Bundesliga season on August 22.

Another point of criticism is the scheduling conflict with the Gold Cup (June 14 to July 6), the continental championship of the national teams of North and Central America and the Caribbean, will also be played in the USA and Canada. FIFA has exempted the clubs participating in the Club World Cup from the usual obligation to release players to their national teams.

The Club World Cup could also distract football fans from the first 11 days of the Women's Euros, which is taking place in Switzerland (July 2 to 27).

How has the fan response been?

Ticket sales have been slow. Thousands of tickets are still available for the opening match in Miami. FIFA has since drastically reduced ticket prices for the match to prevent the embarrassment of TV images of empty stands. There are even plenty of tickets left for the final. No wonder: the cheapest ticket costs $766.

The restrictive entry policies introduced by President Donald Trump's administration may deter some foreign fans from attending the tournament. The current protests in Los Angeles, one of host cities, also seem unlikely to encourage anyone to make a last-minute trip to the Club World Cup.

This article was originally published in German.