I’ve been surrounded by soccer my entire life. Our love and passion for the sport is the only thing about it that my dad’s side of the family can agree on. I even have cousins named after legends of my favorite team, like Cristiano and Marcelo. Despite being introduced to soccer at a very young age, I didn’t know much about the sport. This meant that when I moved away from Miami, I lost my ties to soccer.
During quarantine, however, I reintroduced myself to the sport. I started watching matches religiously and learning about the technical side of things. I ended up moving back to Miami and my love for soccer grew back. My dad, uncles, and I are always talking about different teams and leagues from around the world. Soccer has easily become one of my favorite things, and I plan to pursue a career related to it.
This year’s Club World Cup is an international men’s football competition organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and held every four years. The tournament was first held in Brazil in 2000. Due to financial and organizational issues, it was not held again until 2005. The tournament is composed of each of the six continental confederations (AFC-Asia, CAF- Africa, CONCACAF-North and Central America, CONMEBOL-South America, OFC – Oceania, and UEFA-Europe) and the host nation’s national champion.
The tournament is taking place across 12 venues in the United States from June 14th, 2025, to July 13th, 2025. The stadiums include MetLife Stadium (New Jersey), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Hard Rock Stadium (Miami). Tickets to the tournament can still be purchased on various online platforms including the official FIFA website, Ticketmaster, and Vivid Seats.
The Club World Cup, will be adopting a new format. The tournament will be composed of 32 teams: SE Palmeiras, Botafogo, CA Boca Juniors, CR Flamengo, CA River Plate, Fluminense FC (CONMEBOL); FC Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, FC Bayern München, SL Benfica, Real Madrid C. F., Manchester City, FC Internazionale Milano, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea FC, FC Salzburg, Juventus FC (UEFA); Urawa Red Diamonds, Ulsan HD, Al Ain FC, Al Hilal (AFC); Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Wydad AC, Al Ahly FC, Mamelodi Sundowns FC (CAF); Auckland City FC (OFC); Seattle Sounders FC, Club León, CF Monterrey, CF Pachuca (CONCACAF) and Inter Miami CF (Host).
The 32 teams will have to go through a knockout stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, and semi-finals to reach the final stage of the tournament. This new format presents soccer fans with the perfect opportunity to learn more about it as it is the same format used in other major competitions such as the World Cup. The teams participating are the top teams from each continental federation, ensuring an entertaining competition.
As a Real Madrid fan myself, I am biased when I say they will win the competition. Real Madrid has continuously proven themselves to be one of the best teams in Europe. They are even the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having won it five times. Despite facing setbacks in both La Liga and the Champions League this season, Real Madrid will push through and, I am confident, will come out on top once again.
Also, I am excited to see how Inter Miami will play throughout the tournament. Having iconic players on their squad like Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets has led them to be successful in both the MLS and other competitions in North America. However, I don’t believe Inter Miami will make it very far when major European and South American clubs have the possibility of playing against them.
