Excitement abounds among the five Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf)-affiliated clubs who will take part in the new FIFA Club World Cup™ after the draw for the group stage of the most inclusive, merit-based competition in club football history was made in Miami, Florida on Thursday, 5 December.

Club representatives from CF Monterrey, CF Pachuca, Club Léon, Inter Miami CF and Seattle Sounders FC attended the ceremony, which was broadcast and streamed live to football fans around the world.

Inter Miami CF will commence the inaugural edition of the new tournament against Egypt’s Al Ahly FC in Group A. Pachuca have a mouth-watering showdown with Spanish giants Real Madrid to look forward to in Group H, while Group B’s Seattle Sounders go up against Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. In two further tantalising fixtures, European heavyweights Chelsea FC and FC Internazionale Milano await Club Léon and Monterrey in Groups D and E, respectively. Inside FIFA rounds up the reaction…

Jorge Mas, Inter Miami CF President “(I’m) just super excited about participating with 31 of the best teams in the world. You know, opening our match with Al Ahly [FC] is, for us, a privilege. I think that we are going to be able to showcase Miami and the world to what we represent to global football. It’s an exciting group. For us, with [FC] Porto and with [SE] Palmeiras – amazing. We are going to battle to get out of the group, to advance in the tournament, to compete, to show what Major League Soccer is capable of, to show what football in this country is capable of. So, (I’m) looking forward to the challenge. I think it’s a validation for soccer in this country; that we can build a team that can compete with the best in the world; that it’s a growing sport here; it is one that will continue growing.”

José Antonio Noriega Zavala, CF Monterrey President “We’re very happy, because it’s a very diverse group. We will face three opponents from three different continents, and that means something, right? I’m sure that there are different styles and football cultures. And apart from that, they are big teams on each of their continents. The most well-known ones in this case, Inter [FC Internazionale Milano] and [CA] River [Plate], not only have a magnificent history, but also a great present, and that’s a huge challenge for us. We need to rise to the occasion, prepare ourselves properly and compete in the best way possible. Reaching this stage, through sporting merit, fills us with pride. Apart from that, it’s an opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world, and prove to ourselves and our fans that we can keep growing and creating happiness on the world stage, resonating at levels that go beyond the usual ones. So, it’s a privilege to be here in this inaugural edition.”

Armando Martínez, CF Pachuca President “We were all saying that we drew the short straw. But we’re very excited to be facing Real Madrid [C. F.]. They’re a great team and everyone knows it. The group is very even. [FC] Salzburg have done a fantastic job as well. And Al Hilal are amongst the strongest in Asia, too. So, we’re very happy, very excited, and we can’t wait for this to start. We’re very happy and proud to be here with the 32 best teams in the world. We’re ready to compete. The draw was amazing. We actually really wanted to play against a big team and we’ll be facing the most highly regarded team in the world. But we’re the oldest team in Mexico, so I think it’ll be alright.”

Luis Montes, Club Léon legend “It’s a tough group, especially with the opponent we’ll face in the first match [Chelsea FC]. We know how important this tournament is, we’re not only representing Club León, but the whole of Mexico. So, we have to prepare ourselves for what’s coming up. You can’t waste this opportunity, and you really have to try and qualify for the next round, where you’ll also face big teams, while trying to leave a mark in this inaugural (FIFA) Club World Club, which is so inclusive.”

Craig Waibel, Seattle Sounders FC General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer “What a group. I mean, PSG [Paris Saint-Germain FC], Atlético [de Madrid] and Botafogo. You know, getting to host them in our city, to treat our fans to this, it’s incredible. There’s no-one that walks out of that draw and that room with this many good teams that feels that everything’s assured, but look, our job is to show up and fight and represent our city and represent our fans and that’s what we’re going to do. To treat our fans to this and to represent ourselves well; that’s the goal, it’s to really go out and combat what we know are giants, teams that command respect. [Being here] is a statement of not only our history, our heritage, but of our fanbase and what they pushed us to because they were as big a part of that win in the [CONCACAF] Champions League as anyone.”

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will grace the world stage from 14 June to 13 July 2025, with a total of 63 matches to be played across 12 different venues in 11 US Host Cities. The inaugural edition of the 32-team competition features the most successful club sides from each of the six FIFA confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

The group stage is comprised of eight groups of four teams playing in a single-game round-robin format. The top two teams per group progress to the round of 16, the beginning of a direct single-match knockout stage, culminating in the final at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey, where the world’s best club will be presented with the new FIFA Club World Cup trophy.

Fans wishing to keep up to date with the latest news and information regarding FIFA Club World Cup 2025 tickets can register at FIFA.com/tickets. More information about ticket and hospitality sales will be released in due course.