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The FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla., is the largest, richest and most ambitious club soccer tournament in history. The 32 teams will play 63 games across 12 U.S. venues, competing for a share of a $1 billion prize-money purse.
There will be six first-round games played at the Rose Bowl, featuring UEFA Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain of France and Italy’s Inter Milan. LAFC has also qualified and will play its group-play games in Atlanta, Nashville and Orlando.
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Group A
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
Palmeiras (Brazil)
Notable achievements: 12-time Brazilian champion and winner of three Copa Libertadores
Top players: F Estevao, GK Weverton, MF Facundo Torres
Porto (Portugal)
Notable achievements: 30-time Portuguese champion; winner of two European titles and two UEFA Cup/Europa League crowns
Top players: F Samuel Aghehowa, D Francisco Moura, GK Dioga Costa
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Notable achievements: 45-time Egyptian champion and winner of 12 African Champions League titles
Top players: MF Emam Ashour, F Wessam Abou Ali
After border patrol announced it will be at the Club World Cup opener in Florida, a FIFA source couldn’t rule out ICE agents working at L.A. games.
Inter Miami (U.S.)
Notable achievements: 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield winner and 2023 Leagues Cup champion
Top players: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Tadeo Allende
Group-play schedule
June 14: Al Ahly-Inter Miami, Miami Gardens
June 15: Palmeiras-Porto, East Rutherford, N.J.
June 19: Palmeiras-Al Ahly, East Rutherford, N.J.; Inter Miami-Porto, Atlanta
June 23: Inter Miami-Palmeiras, Miami Gardens; Porto-Al Ahly, East Rutherford, N.J.
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Group B
(Christophe Ena / Associated Press)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Notable achievements: Reigning European champion and 13-time Ligue 1 winner
Top players: F Ousmane Dembele, F Bradley Barcola, D Achraf Hakimi,
Atlético Madrid (Spain)
Notable achievements: 11-time Spanish champion and three-time Europa League winner
Top players: F Alexander Sorloth, F Julián Alvarez, MF Antoine Griezmann, GK Jan Oblak
Botafogo (Brazil)
Notable achievements: Three-time Brazilian champion and 2024 Copa Libertadores winner
Top players: F Igor Jesus, F Artur Guimaraes, GK John Victor
The 32-team is not only a test of how to run next summer’s World Cup. It’s the largest, richest and most ambitious global club tournament.
Seattle Sounders (U.S.)
Qualification: Two-time MLS champion, 2014 Supporters’ Shield winner and the only MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League this century
Top players: MF Albert Rusnak, MF Cristian Roldan, GK Stefan Frei
Group-play schedule
June 15: PSG-Atlético Madrid, Rose Bowl; Botafogo-Seattle, Seattle
June 19: Seattle-Atlético Madrid, Seattle; PSG-Botafogo, Rose Bowl
June 23: Seattle-PSG, Seattle; Atlético Madrid-Botafogo, Rose Bowl
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Group C
(Matthias Schrader / Associated Press)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Notable achievements: Winner of 34 German titles, including 12 of the last 13, six-time European champion and two-time Club World Cup winner
Top players: F Harry Kane, MF Michael Olise, MF Joshua Kimmich, GK Manuel Neuer
Auckland City (New Zealand)
Notable achievements: 10-time New Zealand champion and winner of 13 OFC Champions League titles
Top players: F Guillermo May, D Ryan De Vries, GK Alex Paulsen
Boca Juniors (Argentina)
Notable achievements: 35-time Argentine champion, winner of six Copa Libertadores and two Copa Sudamericanas
Top players: F Miguel Merentiel, MF Carlos Palacios, D Lautaro Blanco, F Edinson Cavani
Benfica (Portugal)
Notable achievements: 38-time Portuguese champion and two-time European champion
Top players: F Vangelis Pavlidies, MF Kerem Akturkoglu, D Nicolás Otamendi, GK Anatoliy Trubin
Group-play schedule
June 15: Bayern-Auckland, Cincinnati
June 16: Boca-Benfica, Miami Gardens
June 20: Benfica-Auckland, Orlando; Bayern-Boca, Miami Gardens
June 24: Auckland-Boca, Nashville; Benfica-Bayern, Charlotte
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Group D
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Flamengo (Brazil)
Notable achievements: Seven-time Brazilian champion and three-time Copa Libertadores winner
Top players: F Giorgian De Arrascaeta, F Pedro, GK Agustín Rossi
Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
Qualification: 34-time Tunisian champion, four-time CAF Champions League winner and 1995 African Super Cup titlest
Top players: F Yan Sasse, F Youcef Belaili, GK Amanallah Memmiche
Chelsea (England)
Notable achievements: Six-time English champion, two-time European champion, winner of two Europa League titles and the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
Top players: F Cole Palmer, GK Robert Sánchez, MF Moisés Caicedo
LAFC (U.S.)
Notable achievements: 2022 MLS Cup winner, winner of two MLS Supporters’ Shields and a two-time CONCACAF Champions League finalist
Top players: F Denis Bouanga, GK Hugo Lloris, MF Mark Delgado
Group-play schedule
June 16: Chelsea-LAFC, Atlanta; Flamengo-Esperance, Philadelphia
June 20: Flamengo-Chelsea, Philadelphia; LAFC-Esperance, Nashville
June 24: LAFC-Flamengo, Orlando; Esperance-Chelsea, Philadelphia
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Group E
River Plate (Argentina)
Notable achievements: 38-time Argentine champion, winner of four Copa Libertadores and one Copa Sudamericana
Top players: F Miguel Borja, MF Franco Mastantuono, D Lucas Martínez Quarta, GK Franco Armani
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
Notable achievements: Five-time Japanese champion and three-time AFC Champions League winner
Top players: MF Ryoma Watanabe, MF Matheus Savio, GK Shusaku Nishikawa
Monterrey (Mexico)
Notable achievements: Five-time Mexican champion and five-time CONCACAF Champions League winner
Top players: F German Berterame, MF Jesús Corona, MF Sergio Canales, GK Esteban Andrada
Inter Milan (Italy)
Notable achievements: 20-time Italian champion, three-time European champion (and runner-up last month), winner of three UEFA Cups and the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup
Top players: F Marcus Thurman, F Lautaro Martinez, MF Hakan Calhanoglu, GK Yann Sommer
Group-play schedule
June 17: River-Urawa, Seattle; Monterrey-Inter, Rose Bowl
June 21: Inter-Urawa, Seattle; River-Monterrey, Rose Bowl
June 25: Inter-River, Seattle; Urawa-Monterrey, Rose Bowl
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Group F
(Martin Meissner / Associated Press)
Fluminense (Brazil)
Notable achievements: Four-time Brazilian champion and winner of the 2023 Copa Libertadores
Top players: F Kevin Serna, MF Jhon Arias, GK Fabio
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Notable achievements: Eight-time German champion and 1997 European champion
Top players: F Serhou Guirassy, MF Julian Brandt, MF Pascal Gross
Ulsan HD (South Korea)
Notable achievements: Five-time Korean champion and two-time AFC Champions League winner
Top players: F Erick Farias, MF Won-Sang Um, MF Darijan Bojanic, GK Hyeon-Woo Jo
Mamelodi (South Africa)
Notable achievements: 18-time South African champion, 2016 CAF Champions League winner (and runner-up this season), and 2023 African Football League titlist
Top players: F Lucas Ribeiro, F Iqraam Rayners, F Arthur Sales, GK Ronwen Williams
Group-play schedule
June 17: Fluminense-Dortmund, East Rutherford; Ulsan-Mamelodi, Orlando
June 21: Mamelodi-Dortmund, Cincinnati; Fluminense-Ulsan HD, East Rutherford
June 25: Dortmund-Ulsan, Cincinnati; Fluminense-Mamelodi, Miami Gardens
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Group G
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, left, challenges for the ball with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English FA Cup final on May 17.
(Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)
Manchester City (England)
Notable achievements: Winner of 10 English championships, including six of the last eight; 2023 European and Club World Cup winner
Top players: F Erling Haaland, MF Kevin De Bruyne, MF Rodri, MF Savinho, MF Phil Foden
Wydad AC (Morocco)
Notable achievements: 22-time Moroccan champion and three-time CAF Champions League winner
Top players: F Mohamed Rayhi, F Cassius Mailula, GK El Mehdi Benabid
Al Ain (Abu Dhabi)
Notable achievements: 14-time national champion and runner-up in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup
Top players: F Kodjo Laba, MF Alejandro Romero, GK Khalid Eisa
The CONCACAF Gold Cup isn’t much of a competition for the U.S. and Mexico, but it could provide a valuable framework for their World Cup preparations.
Juventus (Italy)
Notable achievements: 36-time Italian champion, two-time European champion and winner of three UEFA Cup/Europa League titles
Top players: F Dusan Vlahovic, MF Khephren Thurman-Ulien, MF Kenan Yidiz, GK Michele Di Gregorio
Group-play schedule
June 18: Manchester City-Wydad, Philadelphia; Al Ain-Juventus, Washington D.C.
June 22: Juventus-Wydad, Philadelphia; Manchester City-Al Ain, Atlanta
June 26: Juventus-Manchester City, Orlando; Wydad-Al Ain, Washington D.C.
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Group H
(Cesar Cebolla / Associated Press)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Notable achievements: 36-time Spanish champion and winner of a record 15 European championships; two-time UEFA Cup/Europa League winner and winner of a record five FIFA Club World Cups
Top players: F Kylian Mbappe, MF Vinicius Junior, GK Thibaut Courtois
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabi)
Notable achievements: 19-time national champion, four-time AFC Champions League Elite winner and runner-up in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup
Top players: F Aleksandar Mitrovic, F Marcos Leonardo, MF Salem Al-Dawsari
Pachuca (Mexico)
Notable achievements: Seven-time Mexican champion and six-time CONCACAF Champions League winner
Top players: F José Salomon Rondon, MF John Kennedy, MF Oussama Idrissi
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
Notable achievements: 17-time Austrian champion
Top players: F Dorgeles Nene, F Petra Ratkov, MF Oscar Gloukh, GK Alexander Schlager
Group-play schedule
June 18: Real Madrid-Al-Hilal, Miami Gardens; Pachuca-Salzburg, Cincinnati
June 22: Real Madrid-Pachuca, Charlotte; Salzburg-Al-Hilal, Washington D.C.
June 26: Al-Hilal-Pachuca, Nashville; Real Madrid-Salzburg, Philadelphia
