FIFA Announces Dec 5 as Official Date for Inaugural FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA has officially set December 5, 2024, as the date for the draw of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. This highly anticipated event will take place in Miami, United States, and will be broadcast globally via FIFA.com and other platforms.

The draw is scheduled to begin at 1800 GMT and will determine the eight groups of four teams each, which will compete in the tournament. The expanded Club World Cup, a brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, will feature 32 clubs, including renowned teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.

The tournament itself is set to kick off on June 15, 2025, and will conclude on July 13, 2025, with matches held across 12 venues in the United States. The final match is slated to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey/New York.

The competition format mirrors that of recent FIFA World Cups for national teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing to a knockout stage starting from the Round of 16.

The total prize money for the tournament is approximately €2.5 billion, with an initial €2 billion distributed among the participating teams. Each team that qualifies will receive a minimum of €50 million, while the tournament winner will earn around €100 million.

Despite the excitement surrounding the event, questions remain about the competition's revenues and benefits for the clubs, as TV broadcasters have not yet been announced, and only one sponsor, Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense, has been confirmed.