The Club World Cup returns this summer, bigger than ever, featuring many of football’s biggest stars. The tournament will include 32 teams from across the globe, competing in 11 U.S. cities. The month-long event kicks off at 01:00 BST on Sunday and concludes on July 13.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see the superstars, as teams have already finalized their squads for the opening matches. Inter Miami, who qualified by winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield (best regular-season record), will start the competition on day one. Their squad boasts eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi alongside former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
Mexican side Monterrey is captained by World Cup winner Sergio Ramos, while Los Angeles FC features French World Cup champions Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, having qualified after defeating Club America. World Cup stars Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann are set to represent Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, respectively.
English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea will also showcase some new signings. City’s squad includes Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, and Rayan Cherki, while Chelsea will field Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, and Mamadou Sarr.
During a mid-tournament registration window (June 27 – July 3), clubs may add up to two extra players, expanding their squads to a maximum of 37, with six changes allowed overall. This busy summer promises heavy involvement from key English players.
The England national team recently played two matches in June, securing a World Cup qualifier win against Andorra before losing a friendly to Senegal. Several English internationals will feature in the Club World Cup for their clubs: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), who joined the Spanish giants after Liverpool accepted an £8.4m transfer fee.
Chelsea’s England contingent includes Cole Palmer, Reece James, Levi Colwill, and Noni Madueke, fresh off their Conference League triumph. Manchester City will also have Phil Foden, John Stones, and Rico Lewis, while Jack Grealish has been left out amid uncertainty over his future.
Europe is well-represented with 12 teams qualified based on recent UEFA competition success. Chelsea (2021 Champions League winners) and Manchester City (2023 champions) earned their spots, while Premier League champions Liverpool and Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal missed out.
Many squads feature former Premier League stars. Real Madrid has ex-Chelsea players Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger, while Atletico Madrid includes Cesar Azpilicueta and Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, who transferred from Manchester City for £81.5m last summer.
Inter Milan’s squad features former Manchester United players Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian, while Benfica counts Angel di Maria, and Borussia Dortmund includes Marcel Sabitzer and Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka. Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham is also part of Dortmund’s squad.
Bayern Munich, alongside Harry Kane, will feature Michael Olise and Leroy Sane—both Premier League veterans. Several other players familiar to British fans will be in action, including former Manchester United quartet Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, and Edinson Cavani, now with Argentine side Boca Juniors.
Brazilian clubs include former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva (Fluminense), West Ham alumni Felipe Anderson (Palmeiras) and Manuel Lanzini (River Plate). Salomon Rondon (ex-West Brom, Newcastle, Everton) is with Mexican side Pachuca, and winger Ryan Kent, who has played for Liverpool and Rangers, is now at Seattle Sounders in the USA.
While stars like Messi and Mbappe will be there, Cristiano Ronaldo will not feature. His Saudi Arabian club, Al-Nassr, failed to qualify after losing in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals. However, Al-Hilal, the only Saudi club competing, boasts notable players such as former Premier League winner Joao Cancelo, ex-Newcastle and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves, Renan Lodi, and Kalidou Koulibaly.
