Manchester City have been drawn with Juventus in the Club World Cup, while Lionel Messi's Inter Miami avoid Europe's big guns in the group stage.
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Inter Miami drawn in group with Palmeiras, Porto, Al AhlyReal Madrid will play Neymar's Al HilalTournament set to kick off in June 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
FIFA revealed its group stage for the Club World Cup in full Thursday evening, the expanded 32-team tournament featuring matchups from top teams around the globe. Messi's Inter Miami were selected in a seemingly comfortable group, set to face Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras and Portugese stalwarts Porto, as well as Egyptian side Al Ahly.
Elsewhere, Madrid will have to get out of a group that includes Red Bull Salzburg, Al-Hilal and Pachuca, while City have drawn Juve, Wydad AC, and Al Ain. Group B would seem to be the most difficult, with Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Botafogo all vying for just two possible spots into the knockout stages.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The expanded tournament has been pushed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino for years, and will play out in 12 stadiums across 11 cities in the United States next summer. The format will function much like the World Cup, with the top two teams in every group advancing to a single-elimination knockout stage. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the final, 12 months in advance of being the site for the 2026 World Cup final.
DRAW IN FULL
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
Group B: PSG, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
Group D: Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis, Chelsea, Leon
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Man City, Wydad AC, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H: Real Madrid, Pachuca, Al Hilal, RB Salzburg
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR THE CLUB WORLD CUP?
With the groups set, the countdown now begins until the tournament officially starts. Miami will host the first game, with Messi's MLS club set to open the competition against Al Ahly on June 15.