Real Madrid, Chelsea, Flamengo, and Manchester City to all feature in Philadelphia for 2025 Club World Cup

FIFA has announced the fixtures and times for next summer’s Club World Cup, the largest- ever format of the competition which features the best clubs from every continent. As a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Philadelphia will experience a dry-run of sorts, showcasing eight matches, beginning with the June 20 matchup between Flamengo and Espérance de Tunis at Lincoln Financial Field.

The headliners may be five-time World Champions Real Madrid and current Club World Cup holders Manchester City, but the featured first-round matchup will be Flamengo vs Chelsea on Friday, June 20. Flamengo, one of the most successful clubs in Brazil, with thirteen titles over the last five years, qualified after winning the 2022 Copa Libertadores, defeating fellow Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense. In the 2022 Club World Cup, Flamengo crashed out in the semifinals after being upset by Al Hilal 3-2 then claimed third place after defeating Al Ahly 4-2.

Flamengo also reached the 2021 Club World Cup final, falling to Liverpool 1-0 in extra time. Led by captain Zico, the club won the 1981 Intertoto Cup, a precursor to the Club World Cup, defeating Liverpool 3-0.

Chelsea won the Club World Cup in 2021, defeating Palmeiras 2-1 in extra time. They previously reached the final in 2010, falling to Corinthians 1-0. Chelsea qualified by winning the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League over Manchester City 1-0. Kai Havertz, now with Arsenal, scored the winners in both the Champions League and Club World Cup finals in 2021. Since 2000, Chelsea has won a combined 23 trophies, most of any English club. In the summer of 2023, Chelsea defeated Brighton & Hove Albion in a 4-3 preseason thriller in front of over 65,000 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, one of the biggest crowds to see an international game in the United States.

On Thursday, June 26 th , Real Madrid will bring its star power to Philadelphia in a much- anticipated game against FC Salzburg, former home of Union Homegrown Brendan Aaronson. Madrid qualified after winning both the 2021-22 (1-0 vs Liverpool) and 2023-24 (2-0 vs Borussia Dortmund) UEFA Champions League. Making their seventh appearance in the current Club World Cup format, they last won in 2022 after defeating Al Hilal 5-3. From 2014 to 2018, Madrid won their 4 other CWC titles, including three-straight from 2016-2018. They previously won three Intercontinental Cups, a former Club World Cup format, and have been the champions of Europe six times over the last ten years. With young talents such as Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappé, Madrid will be sure to entertain a Philly crowd desperate for attacking soccer.

Lincoln Financial Field will also host a Round of 16 match on Saturday June 28 th between the first place team in Group A and the second place team in Group B. Group A features Inter Miami, Palmeiras, Porto, and Al Ahly while Group B includes Paris St. Germain, Atlético Madrid, Botafogo, and Seattle Sounders.

The final game at the Linc will be the quarterfinals on July 4 th , which would be a vibrant way to spend our nation’s birthday in the city. Potential teams in that game could be Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors, Benfica, Flamengo, Chelsea, or Léon in addition to Philly’s potential Round of 16 winners, ensuring a top quality matchup unlike any seen in the area for a non-friendly. Though the format is new, the Club World Cup has existed in some form since the early 1950s
and even further back into the late 1800s depending on one’s definition of world clubs at that time. The 1951 Copa Rio, the first to include South American and European Champions, saw Palmeiras defeat Juventus. Several attempts followed in the ensuing years, leading up to the Intercontinental Cup, which was won by a Real Madrid team in 1960 that included Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás. The competition lasted until 2004 and was won by some of the
greatest teams of the 20 th Century, including Pelé’s Santos, Johan Cruyff’s Ajax, Franz Beckenbauer’s Bayern Munich, Zico’s Flamengo, Paulo Maldini’s AC Milan, and Cafu’s São Paulo among others.

The current format began in 2000 when Corinthians defeated Vasco De Gama. This will be the first time the modern competition will include 32 teams across multiple years of continental championships and high club rankings.

The competition does come with its share of controversy. On the heels of several complaints from high-profile players about the congestion of games in a calendar year without periods of rest, FIFA went ahead and expanded the field and moved the event to a summer normally reserved as an off period in between World Cups and international continental competitions.

The addition of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami as a FIFA pick can also be viewed as the organization’s marketing over a demonstration of fair play. To their credit, Miami is the current Supporter’s Shield holders and winners of the Leagues Cup, however, the other North American entrants qualified through the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a competition similar to the ones held by the other organizing bodies around the world. Monterrey (2021), Seattle Sounders (2022), Léon (2023), and Pachuca (2024) all won the competition while Miami was awarded a host slot, ignoring previous MLS Cup (LAFC, NYCFC) and Shield winners (Cincinnati), including the Philadelphia Union, who could also claim hosting duties.

Whatever happens with the competition in later years will be no concern to Philadelphia soccer fans now, who are guaranteed to see some of the best players and teams in the world in a meaningful competition, building momentum for what will be a historic 2026 when the city will host the most-attended World Cup competition ever seen, which is expected to surpass the record numbers of 1994. Back then, Philly barely had an acceptable playing surface, and U.S.
Soccer barely had an organization or a professional league. We’ve come a long way since USA vs Dnepr at Franklin Field and driving to Giants Stadium or RFK Stadium to see big soccer competitions sponsored by tobacco companies.

FIFA Club World Cup Matches in Philadelphia

Monday, June 16, Flamengo vs Espérance de Tunis 9 p.m.
Wednesday, June 18, Manchester City vs Wydad AC, Noon
Friday, June 20, Flamengo vs Chelsea, 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 22, Juventus vs Wydad AC, Noon
Tuesday, June 24, Espérance de Tunis vs Chelsea, 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 26, FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid, 9 p.m.
Saturday, June 28 th 49 Round of 16: 1A vs 2B, Noon
Friday, July 4 th 58 Quarterfinal: Winner of 49 vs Winner of 50, 9 p.m.

Full Schedule

Tickets will go on sale December 18 at 10 a.m. through FIFA.