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In normal circumstances, a chance for Manchester City to defend their title as world champions in a major showpiece tournament would be one they would relish.
However, the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup from seven teams to 32 has been beset by delays, controversies and criticism. Pep Guardiola has insisted City will travel to the USA with a full squad and with the intention to defend their crown - but he has been equally critical of the new format that will extend City's season into 12 months.
Guardiola is out of contract midway through the tournament, while Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne are in the same position. FIFA recently introduced rules to account for such situations, handing City a potential triple contract boost - although Guardiola reacted angrily when he learned of rules that will force clubs to take their 'strongest teams' to the Club World Cup.
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What do we know so far about the 2025 Club World Cup?
The new-look tournament will take place between June 15 and July 13, kicking off just 16 days after the Champions League final, with an international window in between.
It will be held in the USA, with FIFA announcing 12 venues this week. They are:
- Rose Bowl, Pasadena (Los Angeles)
- Lumen Field, Seattle
- MetLife Stadium, New Jersey (New York)
- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- Audi Field, Washington
- TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
- Geodis Park, Nashville
- Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando
- Camping World Stadium, Orlando
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
The final will be held at the MetLife Stadium, with specific locations for group games and the knockout stages still to be confirmed.
30 of the 32 participating clubs have been confirmed, with a host representative from the MLS to be decided as well as the winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores. If River Plate, who have already qualified, win that tournament, then Club Olympia of Paraguay will qualify.
Places have been allocated on performance in the top club competition for each federation, including the Champions League and Copa Libertadores which is how City qualified as 2023 winners.
Other places were allocated on four-year rankings, with a maximum of two clubs per nation qualifying via the rankings route - so Red Bull Salzburg have qualified as a result as the highest-ranked club outside of England, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Italy.
The following clubs have qualified:
- UEFA: Chelsea (ENG), Real Madrid (SPA), Man City (ENG), Bayern Munich (GER), PSG (FRA), Inter Milan (ITA), Porto (POR), Benfica (POR), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Juventus (ITA), Atletico Madrid (SPA), Red Bull Salzburg (AUS).
- CONMEBOL: Palmeiras (BRA), Flamengo (BRA), Fluminense (BRA), River Plate (ARG), Boca Juniors (ARG) - plus the winner of the 2024 Copa Libertadores or Olympia.
- CONCACAF: Monterrey (MEX), Seattle Sounders (USA), Club Leon (MEX), Pachuca (MEX) - plus one place for an MLS team as host country).
- AFC: Al-Hilal (KSA), Urawa Red Diamonds (JAP), Al Ain (UAE), Ulsan HD (KOR)
- CAF: Al Ahly (EGY), Wydad AC (MAR), Esperance de Tunis (TUN), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA).
- OFC: Auckland City (NZL)
Reports this week have suggested that the MLS place will be allocated to Inter Miami, winners of the Supporters' Shield as best-performing side in the regular league season across the Eastern and Western Conference. The MLS will progress to the postseason play-offs to decide the MLS Cup winners, which carries greater weight in the USA, but that will conclude after the draw is expected to take place.
So it is reported that Miami will be chosen - in part because FIFA will then be able to market the tournament as having Lionel Messi take part, which could set up a tantalising reunion between Messi and Pep Guardiola should they be drawn against City. FIFA also have headquarters based in Miami, with the Hard Rock Stadium selected as one of the 12 venues for the tournament.
What other rules have been introduced?
Last week, FIFA confirmed new rules which will see an "exceptional registration window" enforced to account for the June 30 contract expiry date that is common among many contracts. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are out of contract mid-way through the tournament, as are a number of Bayern Munich players.
FIFA is introducing a second temporary window, allowing participating clubs in the Club World Cup to sign players who will become free agents on July 1. The rules are more aimed at players who would be transferring clubs to a Club World Cup participant after their contract expired on June 30, giving them chance to play in the tournament for their new clubs.
But the rules will also help players with expiring contracts to sign a brief two-week extension without impacting their ability to move clubs later in the window. As the second half of the tournament takes place technically at the start of the 2025/26 season, the changes will essentially treat the Club World Cup as the end of the 2024/25 season.
In City's case, that could see them award temporary extensions to De Bruyne and Gundogan, although Gundogan's contract has an option of another year which could be triggered. De Bruyne says he expects talks to begin at some point this season over a potential extension after he considered leaving last summer.
What about Pep Guardiola's contract?
It is understood the rules do not apply to managers, who do not need to be registered in the same way as players. So City could arrange a two-week extension for Guardiola, who is out of contract on June 30.
Guardiola is expected to leave at the end of the contract, but said in the summer he would love to take City to the Club World Cup. That would be a fitting end to his nine year spell at City, however it could also complicate the transition to a successor who may only have a month to start their new role without any proper pre-season.
Guardiola has also dropped hints that he would be prepared to stay and is happy at the Etihad - but the decision will ultimately be his over whether he is in charge next season or not.
Where will City be based?
We don't know yet, despite the venues being announced. The date for the draw has not been confirmed but MEN Sport understands it will be conducted before the end of the year.
It is expected some accommodations will be made for US-based clubs like Seattle Sounders, who have already announced their three group games will be at their home stadium, the same could be applied to Miami should they be given one of the final spots.
But City will not be able to request any specific location, so cannot plan where they will be based until after the draw. The Blues spent time in both New York and Orlando this summer, and have used sister-club New York City's training facilities in recent visits to the States. But until they learn their opponents, they cannot finalise any plans.
However, the schedule will look similar to previous UEFA and FIFA tournaments, where groups will mostly take place in close proximity as much as possible. So City will not, for example, play In Los Angeles for one game, Seattle for the next, and New York for another.
The schedule will also take into account TV audiences and demand for tickets, with some stadiums smaller in size for games that are not expected to attract sell-out crowds - particularly when clubs from Asia, Oceania and Africa are playing each other. City, for example, would expect to play the Camping World Stadium in Orlando if they were slated to play in the Florida city, where they sold out tickets this summer against Barcelona, rather than the smaller 25,000-capacity Inter&Co Stadium in the same city.
Similarly, the Blues could probably expect not to play in Washington, Nashville or Cincinnati where capacities reach as high as 30,000 - which was the lowest attendance in their pre-season tour in 2024 in Chapel Hill. They attracted 46,000 in New York, 63,000 in Orlando and 71,000 in Columbus, so will be one of the tournament's biggest draws.