2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup

2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Tournament details
Host countryTBD
DatesTBD – 17 December
Teams6 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)TBD
2024
2026

The 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup will be the second edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, an annual club association football tournament organised by FIFA. The tournament will comprise the six teams that won the previous edition of the continental championships in each FIFA confederation, playing each other in a single-elimination bracket. The last three matches will take place at a neutral venue from 10 to 17 December 2025.[1]

The tournament broadly maintains the format of the previous annual versions of the FIFA Club World Cup, which was expanded and reorganised into a quadrennial tournament with more entrants, with the exception of changes to venues for the initial rounds.[2]

Real Madrid are the defending champions, but they are not able to defend their title after being eliminated by Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.

Format

The details were approved by the FIFA Council on 17 December 2023, with the format formally confirmed on 20 September 2024.[3][4][5][6]

  • First round: The winners of the 2024–25 CAF Champions League[a] will play the winners of the 2025 OFC Champions League in the "FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-off". The match will be hosted by the club from the country with the higher ranking in the FIFA Men's World Ranking.
  • Second round: The winners of the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite will play the winners of the first round for the title of the "FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup". The match will be hosted by the club from the country with the higher ranking in the FIFA Men's World Ranking. In parallel, the winners of the 2025 Copa Libertadores and the winners of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup will play each other at a neutral venue in a match that will be denominated the "FIFA Derby of the Americas".
  • Play-off: The winners of the second round matches will play each other in the "FIFA Challenger Cup".
  • Final: The winners of the play-off (FIFA Challenger Cup) will play the winners of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.

Qualified teams

Location of the teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
Team Confederation Qualification Qualified date Participation
Entering in the final
France Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Winners of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League 31 May 2025 1st
Entering in the second round
Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli AFC Winners of the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite 3 May 2025 1st
Mexico Cruz Azul CONCACAF Winners of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup 1 June 2025 1st
CONMEBOL Winners of the 2025 Copa Libertadores 29 November 2025
Entering in the first round
Egypt Pyramids CAF Winners of the 2024–25 CAF Champions League 1 June 2025 1st
New Zealand Auckland City OFC Winners of the 2025 OFC Champions League 12 April 2025 2nd (Previous: 2024)

Matches

If a match is tied after normal playing time, extra time will be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will be held to determine the winner.

Derby of the AmericasChallenger CupIntercontinental Cup
10 December – Neutral venue17 December – Neutral venue
CONMEBOL representativeFrance Paris Saint-Germain
13 December – Neutral venue
Mexico Cruz Azul Winner Match 4
Winner Match 3
African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-offAfrican–Asian–Pacific Cup Winner Match 2
TBD
TBDSaudi Arabia Al-Ahli
Egypt Pyramids Winner Match 1
New Zealand Auckland City

First round

African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-off
Pyramids EgyptMatch 1New Zealand Auckland City

Second round

African–Asian–Pacific Cup
Al-Ahli Saudi ArabiaMatch 2 Winner Match 1

Derby of the Americas
CONMEBOL representative Match 3Mexico Cruz Azul

Play-off

Challenger Cup
Winner Match 3 Match 4 Winner Match 2

Final

Paris Saint-Germain FranceMatch 5 Winner Match 4

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As per the rotation policy between AFC and CAF.

References

  1. ^ "FIFA Council approves unprecedented prize money pot for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and takes key decisions on women's competitions". FIFA. 5 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  2. ^ "FIFA Council confirms key details for FIFA Club World Cup 2025" (Press release). FIFA. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  3. ^ Bonn, Kyle (17 December 2023). "Club World Cup 2025 in USA: Confirmed teams, format, schedule, dates for FIFA tournament with expanded field". The Sporting News. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  4. ^ Nair, Rohith (17 December 2023). "Club World Cup set for June–July 2025, new Intercontinental Cup in 2024 –FIFA". Reuters. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  5. ^ "FIFA Intercontinental Cup: Key information". FIFA. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Bureau of the Council update on FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024". FIFA. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.