Kicking Off in Style: The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Takes Over the U.S. with Inter Miami Leading the Charge

 

The long-awaited 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is now here, and it's bigger than life! From June 15 through July 13, the United States will be home to this new, expanded 32-team event with the world's greatest football clubs. With 12 iconic stadiums across the country set to host 63 matches, and Inter Miami stepping up as the host nation’s representative, this event promises to be a month-long celebration of football. As a fan, I’m thrilled to see this tournament unfold on U.S. soil, especially with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami leading the charge. Let’s dive into what makes this Club World Cup a historic moment, the stadiums lighting up the nation, and what Inter Miami’s role means for American soccer.

A New Era for the FIFA Club World Cup

For the first time, the FIFA Club World Cup has expanded to include 32 teams, a massive leap from its previous seven-team format. This tournament, now held every four years, mirrors the structure of the FIFA World Cup for national teams, with eight groups of four teams each and the top two from each group playing a knockout phase. It is a setup that ensures drama, competition, and true evidence of who is the king of world football. It opens on June 14 with an isolated match pitting Inter Miami against Egyptian giants Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and closing out with a wonderful final on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a stadium already scheduled to host the 2026 World Cup final.

I love this setup because it is inclusive. Teams represent all six FIFA confederations—UEFA (Europe), CONMEBOL (South America), Concacaf (North and Central America), AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), and OFC (Oceania). Europe has 12 giant clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, and there are six giants in South America like Flamengo, Palmeiras, and River Plate. Africa, Asia, and North America have four each, and Oceania has one, and Inter Miami rounds out the list as a pick from the host country. It's an international tournament that pits regional powerhouses against each other, and I'm excited to see how these match-ups shape up.

The 12 U.S. Stadiums Hosting the Action

The competition will be staged in 12 stadiums across 11 cities, blending historic NFL stadiums with new soccer-specific stadiums. And here is the list:

Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, Florida): It hosts the opener on June 14 with Inter Miami against Al Ahly. It has a capacity of 65,000 and is the home of NFL team Miami Dolphins and has hosted Copa América games before and will host eight Club World Cup fixtures, including knockout-stage games.

MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey): Its 82,500 capacity will be used on July 13 for the final, and both semifinals on July 8 and 9, and a quarterfinal. It is a suitable location for the dramatic finale, according to its previous experience with top-level events like the 2016 Copa América Centenario final.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia): The 75,000-seat venue is home to Atlanta United and NFL's Atlanta Falcons, and it will host six matches, including the knockout games. Atlanta United always sell out in this stadium, so the atmosphere will be electric.

Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington): Seattle Sounders home stadium, with 69,000 capacity, will host six group-stage matches, among which are the Sounders vs. PSG and vs. Atlético Madrid. It's a soccer fortress in America, due to its passionate supporters.

Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): The 67,000-seat home of the Eagles and, on occasion, home to the Philadelphia Union will host eight games, including the knockout rounds. It's a legendary international soccer stadium.

Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, California): The 92,000-seat old ground will host six group-stage matches. It hosted the 1994 World Cup final, famously, so it's no stranger to big football occasions.

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida): 65,000 seats and it will host six games. It has been Orlando's soccer hub, where Orlando Pride plays and 1994 World Cup action has occurred.

Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, Florida): Orlando City's 25,000-seat soccer stadium will also host six games. It's a soccer gem that has hosted MLS All-Star Games and Copa América games.

Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina): This 74,000-seat venue, home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, will host four matches, including knockout games. It’s a newer addition to major soccer events but promises a big atmosphere.

TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio): FC Cincinnati’s 26,000-seat stadium will host four matches. It’s a soccer-specific venue that’s quickly become a fan favorite since opening in 2021.

GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee): Nashville SC's 30,000-capacity stadium, the newest on the list, will host three matches. It has already hosted U.S. national team games and is well-known for having that cozy, charged-up vibe.

Audi Field (Washington, D.C.): D.C. United's 20,000-capacity stadium will host three matches. It's a modern stadium centrally located in the capital, having already played host to the 2023 MLS All-Star Game.

What strikes me as impressive in this lineup is the combination of massive NFL stadiums with more diminutive, soccer-only stadiums. It is a balance of hugeness and closeness that will appeal to both the global spectacle and to the fervent local soccer bases. And with five of these stadiums—MetLife, Hard Rock, Mercedes-Benz, Lumen Field, and Lincoln Financial Field—also hosting 2026 World Cup matches, the tournament feels like a rehearsal for that global spectacle.

Inter Miami: The Pride of the Home Country

The inclusion of Inter Miami, a home country representative, has been both met with enthusiasm and controversy. They earned their place by capturing the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield with a league-best 74 points in 34 matches. FIFA's move to include the home country is understandable—it guarantees home country interest and gives American fans a team to rally behind. Inter Miami, led by international legend Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, is the perfect squad to carry that banner. Their group-stage schedule is thrilling:

June 14 vs. Al Ahly (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami): Season opener against Egypt's giant, a team steeped in history in the CAF Champions League.

June 19 vs. FC Porto (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta): A clash with the Portuguese giants, two-time Champions League winners.

June 23 vs. Palmeiras (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami): A showdown with the 2021 Copa Libertadores champions from Brazil.

As a fan, I’m buzzing to see Messi take on these global titans on home soil. Inter Miami’s presence, alongside the Seattle Sounders (who qualified by winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup), gives MLS two teams in the tournament, a nod to the league’s growing global stature. But there’s been some skepticism—some fans on X have pointed out that Inter Miami’s selection feels subjective, arguing that FIFA handpicked them to capitalize on Messi’s star power. While I see their point, with Inter Miami's domestic success and popularity, they are the right choice. They're not just visiting to play—they're visiting to show American soccer what it can do.

Challenges and Controversies

The tournament has not been immune to criticism. The World Leagues Forum and the players' organization FIFPRO have both decried the scheduling. They argue that the June-July window, combined with the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup to be hosted annually, creates a crowded calendar and threatens to lead to player fatigue. FIFPRO and others wrote to FIFA in May 2024, requesting rescheduling and reforming the international match calendar to allow players to recover. Others went so far as to threaten a lawsuit, with England's PFA and France's UNPF filing a complaint in Brussels to protest the tournament. As a fan, I am torn—yet I wish to see the world's best play, but not at the expense of their health. FIFA has tried to address this by mapping the game schedule in such a way as to have maximum rest and minimal travel, but the controversy continues.

Ticket prices were also controversial. The original prices were astronomical—some last-minute tickets were $2,200 owing to dynamic pricing. After low demand, FIFA reduced prices in February 2025, with the cheapest semifinal and final tickets dropping to $140 and $300, respectively. However, they still retained a 10% cancellation fee on ticket exchanges that soured fans' experience. I comprehend the requirement of the event being profitable, but FIFA can do that while keeping accessibility in mind—football is everybody's game.

Why This Matters to U.S. Soccer

The 2025 Club World Cup hosting is a huge thing for soccer in the United States. It's an opportunity to highlight the nation's expanding football culture, infrastructure, and fan base before the 2026 World Cup. South Florida, in particular, is under the spotlight, with Hard Rock Stadium hosting eight matches, including Inter Miami’s opener. The soccer craze of the region—courtesy of Messi joining Inter Miami—is transforming the city into a football capital, and this tournament will further boost that.

For Inter Miami, this is an opportunity to establish themselves on the international stage. They're not only the host side—they're a representation of MLS aspirations. A good performance can elevate the reputation of the league, proving that American teams are on par with the rest. And to us fans like me, it is a dream to be able to watch teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Palmeiras play in our own backyard. The variety of cultures, the rivalries, the quality of talent on display—it's going to be a football extravaganza.

Looking Ahead

Now that the tournament is set to start, everyone will be keeping an eye on Inter Miami to kick things off. Can they look past a tough group of Al Ahly, Porto, and Palmeiras? Will Messi magic shine at Hard Rock Stadium? And who will lift the trophy on July 13 at MetLife? With big hitters Manchester City (champions last year), Real Madrid, and Flamengo, it won't be simple. But it's this unpredictability that makes this Club World Cup so enthralling—it's global, unpredictable, and a genuine celebration of the beautiful game.

So, whether you’re heading to one of the 12 stadiums or watching from home, get ready for a month of football that’ll set the stage for even bigger things in 2026. For now, let’s cheer on Inter Miami and soak in the spectacle of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. It’s going to be one for the history books.