What is this month's FIFA Club World Cup?
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The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in the U.S. this month — giving soccer fans a taste of elite action ahead of next year's World Cup
Why it matters: This year's tournament features a new $1 billion prize pool and expands to 32 teams.
This is not the FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico next summer, but a FIFA-organized tournament bringing together the best club teams from each continental confederation.
Between the lines: This men's tournament provides global exposure and large potential winnings for teams. It's also great preparation for the U.S., which hasn't hosted a World Cup since 1994 (men's) and 2003 (women's).
Yes, but: The tournament follows a format to similar to the FIFA World Cup's.
- The teams are split into eight groups of four. The top two in each group advance to a round of 16 and then knockout play through the finals
By the numbers: 32 teams will play 63 matches across 12 stadiums.
State of play: All participating club teams won a continental championship or ranked high in their continental tournaments throughout the past four seasons.
- Each confederation was given a set number of spots: twelve UEFA, six CONMEBOL, four CAF, AFC and Concacaf, and one team from the OFC and the host country.
What's next: The tournament begins June 14 with a match featuring Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF and ends July 13. View the full schedule here.
How to watch it in the U.S.
Fans can watch the entire tournament live with a free subscription to DAZN. TNT, truTV and TBS will televise select matches.
- Tickets to watch games in person are available.
Other teams from the U.S. are the Seattle Sounders FC and Los Angeles FC. Here are the stadiums that the tournament will be played in:
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
- Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
- Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles.
- Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
- GEODIS Park in Nashville.
- MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
- Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
- Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando.
- Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
- Lumen Field in Seattle.
- Audi Field in D.C.
