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World Cup 2022 Draw: The Group Assignments

Here are the latest results from FIFA’s draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

By Victor Mather

• Published April 1, 2022 Updated Dec. 18, 2022

Regional and historic rivalries were renewed on Friday as the draw for the 2022 World Cup set out the paths for 32 teams hoping to claim soccer’s biggest championship. The tournament won’t start until November, but for a few teams it might have already been lost: There is only so much luck of the draw to go around, after all.

The United States, back in the field after missing Russia 2018, landed in a group with England, a finalist at last summer’s European Championship; Iran, a geopolitical (and soccer) rival; and a European team still to be determined. That will happen in June, when the final European place will be decided by games involving Ukraine, Scotland or Wales.

Each team plays the other three countries in its group once, and the top two finishers from each group advance to the knockout stages.

The #FIFAWorldCup groups are set 🤩 We can't wait! 🏆 #FinalDraw pic.twitter.com/uaDfdIvbaZ — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) April 1, 2022

Here is the full list of groups:

Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

Group B: England, Iran, United States, (Wales or Scotland or Ukraine)

Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

Group D: France, (U.A.E. or Australia or Peru), Denmark, Tunisia

Group E: Spain, (Costa Rica or New Zealand), Germany, Japan

Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Victor Mather covers every sport for The Times. More about Victor Mather

2022 FIFA World Cup Assignments

Kyle Atkins , Ismail Elfath , Drew Fischer , Kathryn Nesbitt , Corey Parker and Armando Villarreal r epresented the Professional Referee Organization at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

They have officiated in the following games:

Game 5, France vs Australia (11/22/22) RAR: Kathryn Nesbitt VAR: Drew Fischer Offside VAR: Kyle Atkins Standby AVAR: Corey Parker

Game 6, Denmark vs Tunisia (11/22/22) AVAR: Armando Villarreal

Game 11, Germany vs Japan (11/23/22) AVAR: Armando Villarreal Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt

Game 15, Portugal vs Ghana (11/24/22) REF: Ismail Elfath AR1: Kyle Atkins AR2: Corey Parker VAR: Armando Villarreal AVAR: Drew Fischer

Game 17, Wales vs Iran (11/25/22) VAR: Drew Fischer

Game 21, Tunisia vs Australia (11/26/22) Offside VAR: Corey Parker Standby AVAR: Kathryn Nesbitt

Game 22, Poland vs Saudi Arabia (11/26/22) VAR: Drew Fischer AVAR: Armando Villarreal

Game 26, Belgium vs Morocco (11/27/22) Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt Support VAR: Armando Villarreal Standby AVAR: Kyle Atkins

Game 30, South Korea vs Ghana (11/28/22) Offside VAR: Kyle Atkins Standby AVAR: Corey Parker

Game 31, Brazil vs Switzerland (11/28/22) VAR: Drew Fischer AVAR: Armando Villarreal Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt

Game 35, Ecuador vs Senegal (11/29/22) Support VAR: Drew Fischer

Game 39, Poland vs Argentina (11/30/22) Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt

Game 43, Japan vs Spain (12/01/22) AVAR: Armando Villarreal Offside VAR: Kyle Atkins

Game 44, Costa Rica vs Germany (12/01/22) VAR: Drew Fischer Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt Standby AVAR: Corey Parker

Game 46, South Korea vs Portugal (12/02/22) Support VAR: Armando Villarreal

Game 48, Cameroon vs Brazil (12/02/22) REF: Ismail Elfath AR1: Kyle Atkins AR2: Corey Parker

Game 51, England vs Senegal (12/04/22) AR2: Kathryn Nesbitt VAR: Drew Fischer AVAR: Armando Villarreal

Game 53, Japan vs Croatia (12/05/22) REF: Ismail Elfath AR1: Corey Parker AR2: Kyle Atkins

Game 56, Portugal vs Switzerland (12/06/22) VAR: Drew Fischer

Game 57, Netherlands vs Argentina (12/09/22) RAR: Kyle Atkins AVAR: Drew Fischer Standby AVAR: Corey Parker

Game 58, Croatia vs Brazil (12/09/22) Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt

Game 60, Morocco vs Portugal (12/10/22) Support VAR: Armando Villarreal

Game 61 – Semifinal, Argentina vs Croatia (12/13/22) Offside VAR: Kathryn Nesbitt Standby AVAR: Kyle Atkins

Game 62 – Semifinal, France vs Morocco (12/14/22) VAR: Drew Fischer Support VAR: Armando Villarreal Standby AVAR: Corey Parker

Game 63 – Playoff for third place, Croatia vs Morocco (12/17/22) Support VAR: Armando Villarreal

Game 64 – Final, Argentina vs France (12/18/22) 4TH: Ismail Elfath RAR: Kathryn Nesbitt Offside VAR: Kyle Atkins Standby AVAR: Corey Parker

FOX Sports announces broadcaster match assignments for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Weekday Round of 16

DOHA, QATAR – The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ thrilling Round of 16 continues with an action-packed week ahead featuring the world’s biggest stars on FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the celebrated tournament. David Neal , Executive Producer of FIFA World Cup™ on FOX and Vice President of Production for FOX Sports, today announces broadcaster match assignments for the exciting slate of must-watch weekday matches starring Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, Neymar and Brazil and much more.

On Monday, Dec. 5 , the FIFA World Cup™ Round of 16 kick starts the week with Luka Modrić and Croatia taking on Japan and the streaking Samurai Blue in the first match of a doubleheader on FOX. Live coverage starts at 9:00 AM ET with FIFA WORLD CUP LIVE before the match begins at 10:00 AM ET with esteemed play-by-play announcer JP Dellacamera and former United States Men’s National Team legend and match analyst Cobi Jones on the call. At 2:00 PM ET, all eyes will be on star-studded Brazil as they battle South Korea. FOX Sports’ lead play-by-play announcer  John Strong  and lead match analyst  Stu Holden  will call the match with Tom Rinaldi and Geoff Shreeves reporting from the sidelines.

The FIFA World Cup™ Round of 16 concludes on Tuesday, Dec. 6 with another doubleheader on FOX featuring high-octane Spain and Morocco looking to secure their spot in the quarterfinals, before Portugal and global icon Cristiano Ronaldo square off against Switzerland. The first-class pairing of  Ian Darke  and  Landon Donovan will call Spain vs. Morocco at 10:00 AM ET with Rodolfo Landeros  on the sidelines, while the Strong-Holden-Rinaldi-Shreeves quartet will cover Portugal vs. Switzerland at 2:00 PM ET. Rules analysts across the Round of 16 matches include Dr. Joe Machnik and Mark Clattenburg .

JAPAN vs. CROATIA 

• Play-By-Play: JP Dellacamera
• Match Analyst: Cobi Jones

BRAZIL vs. SOUTH KOREA

• Play-By-Play: John Strong
• Match Analyst; Stu Holden
• Sideline: Tom Rinaldi and Geoff Shreeves

MOROCCO vs. SPAIN

• Play-By-Play: Ian Darke
• Match Analyst: Landon Donovan
• Sideline: Rodolfo Landeros

PORTUGAL vs. SWITZERLAND

• Match Analyst: Stu Holden

*= subject to change

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“Star Wars” alum Daisy Ridley is set to narrate “We Were There,” a newly-announced doc series set to explore what are described as the “remarkable human stories” from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The series — which was announced by both FIFA and Qatar’s supreme committee, the government body that was set up to help deliver the World Cup — is being co-produced by Noah Media Group and HBS, and will be available worldwide as an 8-part series of 30-minute episodes centred around key protagonists from the tournament, both on and off the field.

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The series is directed by Luke Mellows (“Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes,” “Dan Carter: A Perfect 10”) and produced by Noah Media Group’s Tarun Thind and executive producer Richard Makinson. Noah Media Group’s head of international sales, Catherine Quantschnigg, will be handling the global sales of the series.

Added Noah Media Group’s Quantschnigg: “’We Were There’ brings together an incredible array of footballing superstars and passionate fans from around the world with the amazing archive from the biggest sporting event in the world. We are looking forward to making this series available to global buyers.”

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'Call me!' - the bosses who could revive your team

Thomas Tuchel is one of a number of managers still out of work this season

• Published 1 hour ago

The new football season is already a month old.

And while the garden might be rosy for Manchester City, Liverpool, Brighton, Arsenal and a few others, some Premier League clubs have had far more underwhelming starts.

Fans - and maybe chairmen - will already be casting glances at the market of available managers and coaches.

At present, this talent pool appears to be impressively deep.

BBC Sport takes a look at some of the out-of-work big names awaiting their next big assignment.

Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel won the Bundesliga just weeks after taking over at Bayern Munich but could not retain the title last season

The 51-year-old German spent little more than 18 months in the Premier League - but while his tenure at Chelsea was short, it was trophy-laden.

He won the Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup in his first few months, and the Blues reached both FA Cup and EFL Cup finals in the next season too.

Disagreements with the club's new owners nevertheless meant Chelsea dispensed with his services.

A subsequent spell with Bayern Munich did not go to plan, but Tuchel remains the man to have taken Paris St-Germain closest to Champions League glory - they reached the 2020 final under his guidance - and his resume is hugely impressive.

Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate resigned as England boss after defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final

After eight years as England manager, taking the Three Lions to two European Championship finals, Southgate is on the market again.

The 54-year-old's only experience in club management was a three-year stint at Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009 but - after his achievements with England - surely it will not be long before he returns to the game.

Manchester United were heavily linked with a move for Southgate in the summer, until they backed current boss Erik ten Hag.

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard enjoyed a 52.4% win record at Chelsea - but that dropped to 27.3% at Everton

Tuchel's predecessor at Stamford Bridge, Blues legend Lampard earned credit for the job he did during a difficult 18 months for the club between 2019-21.

Hamstrung by a transfer embargo, the ex-England midfielder still guided Chelsea to a top-four finish, an FA Cup final, helped youngsters like Reece James flourish and arguably set the platform for Tuchel's success.

Having previously taken Derby to the Championship play-off final, his stock was high after his Blues exit but, after a year fighting fires at Everton and a forgettable interim Chelsea return, Lampard has been out of management since May 2023.

Graham Potter

In his first professional managerial job, Graham Potter turned Swedish outfit Ostersund from a fourth-tier side into a top-flight club who qualified for Europe

When he was sacked by Chelsea - yes, them again - in April 2023, few would have expected Graham Potter to be out of a job for long. But almost 18 months later, here we are.

Potter's short stay at Stamford Bridge did not work out amid a huge squad overhaul, but he previously received widespread acclaim for his work at Brighton, having initially honed his managerial skills with Swedish club Ostersund and Swansea.

The 49-year-old turned Brighton into a respected Premier League force in three years on the south coast and remains heavily touted for any high-profile job that becomes vacant - including the England post.

David Moyes

David Moyes brought West Ham their first major trophy of the 21st century

David Moyes has never managed Chelsea! However, he had a fruitful spell in London until recently.

The 61-year-old Scot is a free agent after four and a half years at West Ham, where he not only provided regular European football against the odds but guided the Hammers to a Europa League semi-final and the Europa Conference League title.

Given the success he achieved at Preston and Everton earlier in his managerial career, Moyes will surely have suitors at some point in the near future.

It is to his enormous credit that he has come back strongly from his ill-fated season as Sir Alex Ferguson's hand-picked successor at Manchester United.

Xavi played 767 matches for Barcelona before returning as head coach in 2021

One La Liga title in two and a half years was not enough for Barcelona to offer club legend Xavi an extended stay in the Nou Camp dugout.

The 44-year-old did, however, keep the Catalan giants dining at most of football's top tables during a lengthy period of financial uncertainty and upheaval.

The prospect of him following one-time mentor Pep Guardiola to the Premier League is surely a salivating one for footballing purists.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane won 108 caps for France, landing the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship two years later

Speaking of midfield maestros, the mercurial Zinedine Zidane has been out of management since leaving Barcelona's Clasico rivals Real Madrid in 2021.

The Frenchman is untested as a coach outside the Spanish capital but his record there, with admittedly vast resources at his disposal, was jaw-dropping.

He led Madrid to three successive Champions League titles - a first for any coach - in his first spell, and won a La Liga title in his second tilt at the job. But could any club carrying a torch for the 52-year-old tempt him back - bar his beloved Real?

Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp spent nine years at Anfield before stepping down at the end of last season

The ex-Liverpool boss has said he wants at least a year away from the game - and that he would never manage another Premier League club apart from the Reds.

Many a well-intentioned promise has been broken in football, of course, but perhaps Klopp's comeback really will come outside England.

The 57-year-old - who won virtually every major trophy club football has to offer during his nine years at Anfield - will surely have Europe's heavyweights forming a queue when he does decide the time is right to return.

Who else is out there?

Alan Curbishley is still waiting for the call. Many managers who looked destined for great things in the Premier League have slipped back into near anonymity, such is the harsh nature of the game.

As well as bosses with Premier League experience, the continent is awash with available talent.

Multiple Serie A winner Max Allegri awaits a new challenge after a decade, across two spells, at Juventus, while ex-Roma and Lyon boss Rudi Garcia was ditched by Napoli last year.

Max Allegri has managed just two clubs since 2010 - AC Milan and Juventus

Joachim Low has spent three years waiting for the phone to ring after a 15-year spell as Germany boss that brought Die Mannschaft the most recent of their World Cup triumphs.

Niko Kovac , a Bundesliga title-winning boss with Bayern Munich, left Wolfsburg in the spring, while Edin Terzic ended his Borussia Dortmund reign in June after a run to the Champions League final.

Stefano Pioli , the 58-year-old who has managed AC Milan and Inter Milan among a string of top Italian teams, remains on the market, as does long-time Porto boss Sergio Conceicao , who ended his seven-year reign this summer.

And one more Stamford Bridge alumnus deserves a mention - veteran Maurizio Sarri , whose eccentricities made for good fun at Chelsea in 2018-19 and who left Lazio after three years in March.

Related topics

• Premier League

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• Published 6 June

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What we know (and don't know) about 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

James Olley, Rob Dawson and Mark Ogden discuss the increasing workload on players. (2:31)

You might have missed it, but further details about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup were released last week. The inaugural tournament, in which 32 teams from across the globe will compete over four weeks in the United States, now has an official emblem.

That's right; on Sept. 4, FIFA released the logo and audio signature for the competition. As for detail as to where exactly the games will be played, FIFA has yet to reveal that information. So with just nine months to go until the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on June 15, competing teams and their supporters have no idea whether they will be travelling to New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle or Los Angeles. Or somewhere else entirely.

But the competition is happening, and it is why global players' union FIFPRO and European Leagues (which represents 39 leagues in 33 countries) have been engaged in a legal dispute with FIFA since July over what they allege to be the world governing body's "abuse of dominance" in the game. FIFA responded by accusing the leagues of "hypocrisy."

High-profile coaches and players including Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Erling Haaland , Kevin De Bruyne and Robert Lewandowski , have raised concerns over the demands being placed on players by the Club World Cup with burnout -- physically and mentally -- a fear within the game.

But what is the reality of the FIFA Club World Cup and why is it proving to be so controversial?

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The competition is the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who first promoted the idea of a 32-team Club World Cup in 2016.

Between 1960 and 2004, the champions of Europe and South America met to contest the Inter-Continental Cup until that competition developed into the FIFA Club World Cup, a seven-team tournament involving the champions of FIFA's six continental confederations and a team from the host nation, staged from 2005 onward.

FIFA had planned to launch the expanded version of the tournament, initially with 24 teams, in 2021 in China, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation. In June 2023, FIFA confirmed that it would launch a 32-team Club World Cup in the U.S. in 2025, scheduling the tournament over a four-week period from June 15-July 13.

"Thirty-two of the best clubs from all corners of the world will be competing in the United States in June and July 2025," Infantino said. "They are at the heart of the tournament. And we cannot wait. Thirty-two of the best clubs globally will meet on the world stage and only one will be crowned world champions."

Which teams will be competing?

Twelve European teams, including Real Madrid and Manchester City , will represent UEFA, with six South American clubs filling the CONMEBOL slots. Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF) and North & Central America (CONCACAF) each get four clubs with Oceania (OFC) given one berth and a final position going to the U.S. as host nation.

In most cases, the slots are taken by the continental champions of recent years, but UEFA and CONMEBOL also provide teams based on a four-year ranking, which is why Austrian club FC Salzburg are taking one of Europe's 12 slots.

Qualification is based on recent performances rather than the size of the club, which is why Manchester United , Liverpool and Barcelona failed to make the cut. In Europe, only two teams from each national league can participate, unless the same league has provided the last three Champions League winners.

Why is there so much opposition to the competition?

Club owners have been conspicuously silent on the FIFA Club World Cup but managers, players and unions, including FIFPRO and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) in England, have all flagged concerns over an increasing workload.

Manchester City face 75 competitive games this season if they reach the Club World Cup final and their campaign won't end until July 13. With the 2025-26 Premier League season expected to start on Aug. 10, to enable a rest period between the end of the campaign and start of the next FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2026, Pep Guardiola and his players would have just a month between one season ending and another beginning.

All players are entitled to at least three weeks' holiday, so the logjam facing competing clubs -- particularly European teams -- is clear. Sources have told ESPN that the Premier League is concerned by the imposition of the Club World Cup in the summer window -- a space usually taken by international football.

Is there any support for the Club World Cup?

FIFA sources say the tournament will ensure a greater spread of profile and financial resources to clubs and leagues outside the hugely powerful European market.

There is an acceptance that the first tournament may highlight a gulf in standard between some teams -- New Zealand's Auckland City could play Real Madrid, for example -- but FIFA sees the Club World Cup as a tournament that will soon grow into one that will generate global interest just like the international World Cup.

And while players and coaches have voiced their concerns, the financial benefits of the competition will appeal to club owners. Sources have said that prize money for the top teams could exceed $100 million each. Eventual winners Real Madrid banked $131m for winning the UEFA Champions League last season, so the money at stake for one months' work in the Club World Cup will be huge.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by FIFA World Cup (@fifaworldcup)

What do we know about the 2025 Club World Cup?

It's more a case of what we don't know. The lack of clarity is adding to a view within the game that FIFA's Club World Cup plans have not been fully stress-tested.

We do know the dates of the competition and which teams will participate, save for the winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores and MLS Cup. And, of course, we now have the competition emblem and even the official song: Gala's "Freed from Desire." But we don't know when the draw for the tournament will take place or which cities will host the games.

Usually in FIFA tournaments of this magnitude, everything related to games -- venues, dates, kickoff times -- is finalised and announced years in advance, but competing clubs are still waiting to be told where they will play and be based.

Sources have said that the original plan was for the Club World Cup be staged in cities on the east coast of the U.S. due to reasons such as it offering a more suitable time zone for European broadcasters, less travel for European teams and also because the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be staged on the West Coast between June 14 and July 6.

The East Coast remains the most likely outcome, but the qualification of Seattle Sounders -- one of the best-supported teams in MLS - may yet lead to the Pacific Northwest being considered for some games.

There is also an issue over who will broadcast the Club World Cup. FIFA announced in mid-July that it had opened a bidding tender for broadcast rights after it was reported that talks with Apple had stalled due to the tech giant's $1 billion bid falling way short of FIFA's $4bn asking price.

Is there a chance it might not go ahead next summer?

Plenty of people in the game would like to see the Club World Cup scrapped, but that isn't going to happen. Nearly all the participating teams have been announced and the prospect of a hefty financial claim by all of them if FIFA pulled the plug is a real one.

Sources have told ESPN that last week's announcement of the tournament emblem, while low-key, marked the start of the build-up toward more significant news about the tournament. Sources have told ESPN that host cities and the date of the tournament draw will be announced before the end of 2024.

The legal action undertaken by FIFPRO and the European Leagues is ongoing and PFA CEO Maheta Molango told ESPN in August that the players' union could "absolutely not" discount the prospect of strike action if their fears over burnout were not addressed.

So there are potential obstacles in front of FIFA and its plans to launch a 32-team Club World Cup, but the ball is rolling towards the tournament and it would be a seismic development if the competition does not go ahead.

You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above.

What we know (and don't know) about 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

James Olley, Rob Dawson and Mark Ogden discuss the increasing workload on players. (2:31)

You might have missed it, but further details about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup were released last week. The inaugural tournament, in which 32 teams from across the globe will compete over four weeks in the United States, now has an official emblem.

That's right; on Sept. 4, FIFA released the logo and audio signature for the competition. As for detail as to where exactly the games will be played, FIFA has yet to reveal that information. So with just nine months to go until the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on June 15, competing teams and their supporters have no idea whether they will be travelling to New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle or Los Angeles. Or somewhere else entirely.

But the competition is happening, and it is why global players' union FIFPRO and European Leagues (which represents 39 leagues in 33 countries) have been engaged in a legal dispute with FIFA since July over what they allege to be the world governing body's "abuse of dominance" in the game. FIFA responded by accusing the leagues of "hypocrisy."

High-profile coaches and players including Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Erling Haaland , Kevin De Bruyne and Robert Lewandowski , have raised concerns over the demands being placed on players by the Club World Cup with burnout -- physically and mentally -- a fear within the game.

But what is the reality of the FIFA Club World Cup and why is it proving to be so controversial?

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The competition is the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who first promoted the idea of a 32-team Club World Cup in 2016.

Between 1960 and 2004, the champions of Europe and South America met to contest the Inter-Continental Cup until that competition developed into the FIFA Club World Cup, a seven-team tournament involving the champions of FIFA's six continental confederations and a team from the host nation, staged from 2005 onward.

FIFA had planned to launch the expanded version of the tournament, initially with 24 teams, in 2021 in China, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation. In June 2023, FIFA confirmed that it would launch a 32-team Club World Cup in the U.S. in 2025, scheduling the tournament over a four-week period from June 15-July 13.

"Thirty-two of the best clubs from all corners of the world will be competing in the United States in June and July 2025," Infantino said. "They are at the heart of the tournament. And we cannot wait. Thirty-two of the best clubs globally will meet on the world stage and only one will be crowned world champions."

Which teams will be competing?

Twelve European teams, including Real Madrid and Manchester City , will represent UEFA, with six South American clubs filling the CONMEBOL slots. Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF) and North & Central America (CONCACAF) each get four clubs with Oceania (OFC) given one berth and a final position going to the U.S. as host nation.

In most cases, the slots are taken by the continental champions of recent years, but UEFA and CONMEBOL also provide teams based on a four-year ranking, which is why Austrian club FC Salzburg are taking one of Europe's 12 slots.

Qualification is based on recent performances rather than the size of the club, which is why Manchester United , Liverpool and Barcelona failed to make the cut. In Europe, only two teams from each national league can participate, unless the same league has provided the last three Champions League winners.

Why is there so much opposition to the competition?

Club owners have been conspicuously silent on the FIFA Club World Cup but managers, players and unions, including FIFPRO and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) in England, have all flagged concerns over an increasing workload.

Manchester City face 75 competitive games this season if they reach the Club World Cup final and their campaign won't end until July 13. With the 2025-26 Premier League season expected to start on Aug. 10, to enable a rest period between the end of the campaign and start of the next FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2026, Pep Guardiola and his players would have just a month between one season ending and another beginning.

All players are entitled to at least three weeks' holiday, so the logjam facing competing clubs -- particularly European teams -- is clear. Sources have told ESPN that the Premier League is concerned by the imposition of the Club World Cup in the summer window -- a space usually taken by international football.

Is there any support for the Club World Cup?

FIFA sources say the tournament will ensure a greater spread of profile and financial resources to clubs and leagues outside the hugely powerful European market.

There is an acceptance that the first tournament may highlight a gulf in standard between some teams -- New Zealand's Auckland City could play Real Madrid, for example -- but FIFA sees the Club World Cup as a tournament that will soon grow into one that will generate global interest just like the international World Cup.

And while players and coaches have voiced their concerns, the financial benefits of the competition will appeal to club owners. Sources have said that prize money for the top teams could exceed $100 million each. Eventual winners Real Madrid banked $131m for winning the UEFA Champions League last season, so the money at stake for one months' work in the Club World Cup will be huge.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by FIFA World Cup (@fifaworldcup)

What do we know about the 2025 Club World Cup?

It's more a case of what we don't know. The lack of clarity is adding to a view within the game that FIFA's Club World Cup plans have not been fully stress-tested.

We do know the dates of the competition and which teams will participate, save for the winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores and MLS Cup. And, of course, we now have the competition emblem and even the official song: Gala's "Freed from Desire." But we don't know when the draw for the tournament will take place or which cities will host the games.

Usually in FIFA tournaments of this magnitude, everything related to games -- venues, dates, kickoff times -- is finalised and announced years in advance, but competing clubs are still waiting to be told where they will play and be based.

Sources have said that the original plan was for the Club World Cup be staged in cities on the east coast of the U.S. due to reasons such as it offering a more suitable time zone for European broadcasters, less travel for European teams and also because the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be staged on the West Coast between June 14 and July 6.

The East Coast remains the most likely outcome, but the qualification of Seattle Sounders -- one of the best-supported teams in MLS - may yet lead to the Pacific Northwest being considered for some games.

There is also an issue over who will broadcast the Club World Cup. FIFA announced in mid-July that it had opened a bidding tender for broadcast rights after it was reported that talks with Apple had stalled due to the tech giant's $1 billion bid falling way short of FIFA's $4bn asking price.

Is there a chance it might not go ahead next summer?

Plenty of people in the game would like to see the Club World Cup scrapped, but that isn't going to happen. Nearly all the participating teams have been announced and the prospect of a hefty financial claim by all of them if FIFA pulled the plug is a real one.

Sources have told ESPN that last week's announcement of the tournament emblem, while low-key, marked the start of the build-up toward more significant news about the tournament. Sources have told ESPN that host cities and the date of the tournament draw will be announced before the end of 2024.

The legal action undertaken by FIFPRO and the European Leagues is ongoing and PFA CEO Maheta Molango told ESPN in August that the players' union could "absolutely not" discount the prospect of strike action if their fears over burnout were not addressed.

So there are potential obstacles in front of FIFA and its plans to launch a 32-team Club World Cup, but the ball is rolling towards the tournament and it would be a seismic development if the competition does not go ahead.

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2024™

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FIFA unveils emblem and announces audio signature for the new FIFA Club World Cup™

Contemporary minimal emblem features tournament initials and takes inspiration from the ball, football history and culture

Gala’s iconic track Freed from Desire will be the audio signature for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™

Inaugural 32-team tournament in the United States will change the face of club football globally

FIFA has unveiled the emblem for the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup™ , the most inclusive competition in the history of club football, as the countdown to the first edition in the United States next year continues. Gala's Freed from Desire , which has become a rallying football anthem for fans of both clubs and national teams over the past two decades, has been announced as the audio signature while FIFA has also launched "Take it to the World" – a call to action for fans to showcase what makes their club special. The FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, to be played from 15 June to 13 July 2025, will include representatives from each of the six continental confederations – AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania) and UEFA (Europe). It will redefine how, when and where true club world champions are crowned.

FIFA unveils emblem for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™

4 Sept 2024

The new competition is part of FIFA's efforts to provide more match opportunities at national-team and club level for all FIFA Member Associations – one of FIFA’s strategic objectives for the 2023-2027 cycle – and to level up standards around the world. To date, 30 of the 32 teams have qualified, with an additional club from CONMEBOL (South America) and the host country representative to be confirmed in due course. The qualification path, which is via continental club competitions, is based on sporting merit across a four-year cycle, ensuring that continental champions and clubs demonstrating consistency are rewarded.

The emblem, which will be adapted and used for all future editions of the tournament, takes inspiration from the ball, football history and culture, with the initials of the tournament “C – W – C” abstracted into a circular icon. The unique FIFA Club World Cup emblem features space in the centre for FIFA to showcase the elements closest to the tournament – namely the successful clubs from all six confederations that will compete in the United States FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “What a special moment. Today, we launched the brand of the new FIFA Club World Cup – the start of a new era in club football.” “Thirty-two of the best clubs from all corners of the world will be competing in the United States in June and July 2025. They are at the heart of the tournament. And we cannot wait. Thirty-two of the best clubs globally will meet on the world stage and only one will be crowned world champions.” “So we want you – the fans from across the world – to share your club stories, to bring your love, your passion, your support; to show what your club is made of, and take it to the world.”

At the same time FIFA has collaborated with Italian pop singer and songwriter Gala to make Freed from Desire , which holds an iconic status in football culture, the tournament's audio signature. Given its resonance with fans globally, integrating this classic track validates the historical significance of football and clubs whilst marking a new chapter in the sport’s evolution. FIFA will work with the qualified clubs to elevate, showcase and celebrate the unique features and folklore of each one, removing borders to their international ambitions and providing the opportunity for them to share their stories with the world. New social media accounts dedicated to the tournament have also been launched: X: FIFACWC Facebook: FIFA Club World Cup Instagram: FIFAClubWorldCup TikTok: FIFAClubWorldCup Threads: FIFAClubWorldCup FIFA will make several FIFA Club World Cup 2025 announcements in due course, including the venues that will host the 63 matches in the tournament, a new trophy, and draw, ticketing and match schedule details.