World Football

The draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is in the books, giving fans a full slate of matchups they can start preparing for when the event begins on June 14.

This marks the first time the event will be held in the United States. It will also be the first Club World Cup to feature 32 clubs from AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA. The U.S. also received one slot as the host country.

The clubs were drawn into eight groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the knockout round.

Here is the full schedule of dates, games and host cities for the entire tournament.

Group Stage

Saturday, June 14

Group A: Al Ahly Egypt vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. ET (Miami)

Sunday, June 15

Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, 12 pm ET (Cincinnati)

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid, 3 pm ET (Pasadena)

Group A: Palmeiras vs. Porto, 6 pm ET (East Rutherford)

Group B: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, 10 p.m. ET (Seattle)

Monday, June 16

Group C: Chelsea vs. León, 3 pm ET (Atlanta)

Group D: Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, 6 p.m. ET (Miami)

Group C: Flamengo vs. Espérance de Tunis, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)

Tuesday, June 17

Group F: Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (East Rutherford)

Group E River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle)

Group F: Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 6 p.m. ET (Orlando)

Group E: Monterrey vs. Inter Milan, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena)

Wednesday, June 18

Group G: Manchester City vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)

Group H: Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, 3 p.m. ET (Miami)

Group H: Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg, 6 p.m. ET (Cincinnati)

Group G: Al Ain vs. Juventus, 9 p.m. (Washington)

Thursday, June 19

Group A: Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly, 12 p.m. ET (East Rutherford)

Group A: Inter Miami vs. Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Atlanta)

Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid, 6 p.m. ET (Seattle)

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena)

Friday, June 20

Group C: Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET (Orlando)

Group D: Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)

Group D: León vs. Espérance de Tunis, 6 p.m. ET (Nashville)

Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, 9 p.m. ET (Miami)

Saturday, June 21

Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (Cincinnati)

Group E: Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle)

Group F: Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford)

Group E: River Plate vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena)

Sunday, June 22

Group G: Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)

Group H: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte)

Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Al Hilal, 6 p.m. ET (Washington)

Group G: Manchester City vs. Al Ain, 9 p.m. ET (Atlanta)

Monday, June 23

Group B: Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena)

Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle)

Group A: Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9 p.m. ET (Miami Gardens)

Group A: Porto vs. Al Ahly, 9 p.m. ET, (East Rutherford)

Tuesday, June 24

Group C: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET, (Charlotte)

Group C: Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3 p.m. ET, (Nashville)

Group D: Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9 p.m. ET, (Philadelphia)

Group D: León vs. Flamengo, 9 p.m. ET, (Orlando)

Wednesday, June 25

Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, 3 p.m. ET, (Cincinnati)

Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3 p.m. ET, (Miami)

Group E: Inter Milan vs. River Plate, 9 p.m. ET, (Seattle)

Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET, (Pasadena)

Thursday, June 26

Group G: Wydad AC vs. Al Ain, 3 p.m. ET, (Washington)

Group G: Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ET, (Orlando)

Group H: Al Hilal vs. Mexico Pachuca, 9 p.m. ET, (Nashville)

Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9 p.m. ET, (Philadelphia)

Round of 16

Saturday, June 28

Match 49: Winners of Group A vs. Runners of Group B (Philadelphia)

Match 50: Winners of Group C vs. Runners of Group D (Charlotte)

Sunday, June 29

Match 51: Winners of Group B vs. Runners of Group A (Atlanta)

Match 52: Winners of Group D vs. Runners of Group C (Miami)

Monday, June 30

Match 53: Winners of Group E vs. Runners of Group F (Charlotte)

Match 54: Winners of Group G vs. Runners of Group H (Orlando)

Tuesday, July 1

Match 55: Winners of Group F vs. Runners of Group E (Atlanta)Match 56: Winners of Group H vs. Runners of Group G (Miami)

Quarterfinals

Friday, July 4

Match 57: Winners of Match 49 vs. Winners of Match 50 (Philadelphia)

Match 58: Winners of Match 53 vs. Winners of Match 54 (Orlando)

Saturday, July 5

Match 59: Winners of Match 51 vs. Winners of Match 52 (Atlanta)

Match 60: Winners of Match 55 vs. Winners of Match 56 (East Rutherford)

Semifinals

Tuesday, July 8

Match 61: Winners of Match 57 vs. Winners of Match 58 (East Rutherford)

Wednesday, July 9

Match 62: Winners of Match 59 vs. Winners of Match 60 (East Rutherford)

Final

Sunday, July 13

Match 63: Winners of Match 61 vs. Winners of Match 62 (East Rutherford)

The plan to expand the Club World Cup with 24 teams was originally supposed to happen in 2021, but those plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been played in each of the past three years with seven clubs.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said during the draw held in Miami that the goal of the expanded Club World Cup is to help make the sport even bigger around the globe:

"Any club from anywhere in the world can dream [about] playing in the FIFA Club World Cup. And any player from anywhere in the world can dream [about] playing for one of these clubs because these are the best clubs in the world.

"The 32 best teams of the world—12 European, six South American, four from the other continents, one from Oceania, [two] from North America—will play to determine, for the first time in history which will be, really, the best club in the world. You cannot be the best if you don't play against clubs from everywhere—the best clubs from everywhere."

Manchester City will enter the 2025 Club World Cup as the defending champion, having defeated Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 final, but that tournament only consisted of seven games across 10 days.

The 32-team tournament will follow the exact same format as the traditional World Cup, which has been played with 32 teams since 1998.

The Club World Cup will also serve as a test run for the United States as its prepares to host the 2026 World Cup. The semifinals and finals of the Club World Cup will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

MetLife Stadium will also be the host site for the 2026 World Cup final.

After scoring 20 goals in 19 matches, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi was named the 2024 MLS MVP on Friday.

The 37-year-old veteran was a dominant force in his second season with the club, and he played a huge role in Miami posting 22 wins, eight draws and only four losses during the regular season, giving the team an MLS single-season record of 74 points.

In addition to being tied for second in goals scored across the league in 2024, Messi was also tied for third in assists with 16.

What set Messi apart from the players who put up similar stats in 2024 is the fact that he played in far fewer matches than all of them.

While D.C. United's Christian Benteke led MLS with 23 goals, he did so in 30 games, compared to Messi's 19. Also, FC Cincinnati's Luciana Acosta and Portland Timbers' Evander had 20 and 19 assists in 32 and 28 matches, respectively.

After starring for 17 seasons at Barcelona and then two at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi became the biggest signing in MLS history when he arrived stateside in 2023.

Messi has scored nearly 900 goals in his career across all competitions for club and country, putting him firmly in the conversation for greatest soccer player of all time along with Pelé, Cristiano Ronaldo and a select few others.

Winning MLS MVP is another accomplishment added to one of the most impressive résumés in the history of the sport.

Before joining Inter Miami, Messi was an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or as the best soccer player in the world. He also twice won the Golden Ball, which is given to the top player at the FIFA World Cup.

With Messi leading the way, Barca won 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. He also won a pair of Ligue 1 titles at PSG.

The crowning achievement of Messi's career may have come in 2022 when he won the World Cup for the first time, leading Argentina to its first World Cup victory since 1986.

Now that Messi has an MLS MVP to his credit, winning the MLS championship is one of the last accolades he has yet to attain.

Inter Miami were favored to win it all last season, but they were shocked by Atlanta United FC in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

With star players such as Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba set to return to the club in 2025, Inter Miami will likely once again be favored to hoist the MLS Cup for the first time.

Jerry Jones is apparently content owning only one team with a long-held reputation for failing to win titles.

Football London's Alasdair Gold reported Wednesday that "there's nothing" in the unfounded rumors the Dallas Cowboys owner is looking to purchase Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

This isn't the first time Jones has been linked with the possible acquisition of the London-based side. The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke also reported in April that Tottenham's were exploring at least a partial sale as a way to general significant funds.

The Premier League is the richest soccer league in the world. Deloitte estimated that the revenue of all 20 clubs hit £6.1 billion for the 2022-23 season.

Tottenham in particular will hold a lot of appeal for somebody looking to enter the world of PL club ownership. Spurs ranked eighth in the Deloitte Money League with a total revenue of €631.5 million, which was up 21 percent from the previous year.

Even when the club isn't qualifying for the Champions League, being stationed in London with a relatively new stadium clearly has its advantages.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium might be of particular interest to an NFL owners such as Jones because it continues to be a staging ground for American football games as part of the NFL's International Series. The venue hosted games in back-to-back weeks in October.

Spurs supporters have long lamented the club's prudent transfer policy and would surely welcome a new ownership regime that promised to loosen the purse strings.

Given the Cowboys' fortunes over the three decades, they'll be thankful that Jones isn't answering the call.

Alyssa Naeher didn't get a shutout in her final game as the goalkeeper for the United States women's team. But thanks to Lynn Williams, she did secure one final victory before her retirement from international play.

Despite the absence of the Triple Espresso trio of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, the USWNT bested a tough Netherlands team on Tuesday, 2-1.

Williams scored the game-winner in the 71st minute, while the Americans were also aided by Veerle Buurman's own-goal in the first half.

Buurman also opened the friendly's scoring, notching the Dutch's lone goal in the 15th minute.

But Naeher was the story, and not only because it was her final match for the USWNT. She also made a number of key saves in the contest (six in total), stifling a torrid Dutch attack in the first half while keeping the United States in the contest.

After the match, social media gave the USWNT legend her well-deserved flowers:

It was a fantastic end to Naeher's decorated international career, and a positive close to what has been a superb year for the USNWT in general, highlighted by the gold medal at the Summer Olympics. The Americans will surely take an away draw against England and an away win over the Dutch—both without Triple Espresso—to close out the calendar year.

It didn't come easy on Tuesday, however. The Netherlands dominated possession (57.2 percent), outshot the USWNT by a 23-5 margin (7-4 on goal) and had nine corners to exactly zero for the Americans. The Dutch dominated this game, especially the first half, but the USWNT managed to steal a win regardless.

It was certainly what Naeher after a career that has included a gold medal and two World Cup triumphs.

"Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor," she said in a statement announcing her retirement last week. "When I began this journey, I never could have imagined where it would take me, and now I find myself so grateful for all the incredible teammates that I have shared the field with; teammates that have turned into lifelong friends."

Fifty-six people were killed as the result of a stampede at a soccer match in Nzerekore, Guinea, according to the Associated Press.

Reuters' Saliou Samb and Bate Felix cited an eyewitness who said the supporters in attendance initially took issue with a red card that was issued in the 82nd minute of the match.

"The stone throwing started and the police joined in, firing tear gas," Amara Conde said to the outlet. "In the rush and scramble that followed, I saw people fall to the ground, girls and children trampled underfoot. It was horrible."

Samb and Felix reported supporters "rushed to leave, leading to a dangerous scrum at the exits." One video showed them "scrambling over high walls to escape."

"Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official from the city's administration said many victims were minors caught in the turmoil after police started firing tear gas," Samb and Felix wrote. "The official described scenes of confusion and chaos with parents retrieving bodies before they were officially counted."

The Guinean government confirmed the early death toll and Communications Minister Fana Soumah said an investigation is underway, per the AP.

The United States women's national team concludes its 2024 schedule against the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The Americans played to a scoreless draw with England on Saturday in the first leg of their two-game European tour.

The USWNT takes a 19-game unbeaten streak into The Hague to take on the 11th-ranked team in the world.

Emma Hayes has not suffered a loss since taking over as USWNT manager this summer. A win would be a nice conclusion to her first six months in charge.

USWNT vs. Netherlands Info

Date: Tuesday, December 3

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

The Americans are trying to reach 20 games on their unbeaten streak.

The USWNT's only defeat of the calendar year took place in February's Gold Cup group stage against Mexico.

Hayes' arrival this summer raised the program to a new level and that helped the Americans capture Olympic gold.

Tuesday's game is part of a two-game swing to Europe for the USWNT to see how it compares to UEFA's top teams.

The USWNT played to a 0-0 draw with England, the No. 2 team in the world, on Saturday. That was the 14th clean sheet earned by the Americans in 2024.

There's more reliance on the defense in this international window because the top American attackers are not in the squad due to various reasons.

Alyssa Thompson and Lynn Williams headlined an attack that produced three shots on target against the Lionesses. Williams is the only forward on the current USWNT roster with a double-digit goal tally at the international level.

Jaedyn Shaw, who entered as a substitute against England, will be a candidate to enter the starting lineup. Shaw scored eight times in 20 international appearances.

Korbin Albert should slide into one of the midfield spots in one of Hayes' other lineup changes. Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan started together in midfield in the tougher matchup against England. One of them could sit on Tuesday with Albert taking that position in the starting XI.

Tuesday marks the final game for goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who announced her international retirement prior to the USWNT's matches in Europe. Naeher has earned 114 caps in her career and her retirement will usher in a new era at goalkeeper for the USWNT.

The Netherlands started the international window with a 4-1 win over China. That was a rare high-scoring game for the Dutch. Six of their last seven games against European opposition had two goals or less.

The Oranje have one edge over the USWNT and that's in experience up top. Lineth Beerensteyn is the top forward to watch. She has 36 goals in 109 caps.

Defending strong attacks has not been the problem for the USWNT all year long, and with that foundation in place, the Americans just have to worry about converting their chances to come away with a win.

Prediction: USWNT 1, Netherlands 0

Sunday's Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter Milan was abandoned after Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch.

The Athletic's James Horncastle reported Bove was tying his shoes during a stoppage in play in the first half when he fell to the turf. First responders tended to the 22-year-old before he was placed onto a stretcher and transported to a local hospital. Fiorentina announced Monday that Bove "is currently awake, alert and oriented."

Horncastle noted that players from both clubs "appeared shaken and some were in tears."

Match referee Daniele Doveri initially had the players go to the dressing room during Bove's medical emergency. Officials decided to reschedule the match for a later date rather than continuing on.

Sunday's fixture carried a lot of intrigue with Inter and Fiorentina sitting third and fourth respectively in Serie A with 28 points. Napoli has a four-point lead in first place after beating Torino 1-0 in Matchday 14.

Bove is in his first season with Fiorentina. He came up though the ranks at AS Roma and made 92 appearances across all competitions for the Giallorossi.

Fiorentina signed Bove to a season-long loan in August and the deal allows for the Viola to make the transfer permanent.

The USWNT were without the Triple Espresso attacking line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith for Saturday's friendly against England, and it showed.

While the team played admirably in their stead, earning a scoreless draw against a tough foe, there was little doubt that the attack left something to be desired without the clinical trio up top.

After the contest, USWNT supporters had mixed feelings on the result:

On balance, this was a positive result for a reshuffled USWNT side, especially away at Wembley against a talented England bunch. The Americans held 53.6 percent of possession, outshot England 10-4 (3-1 on goal) and had six corners compared to three for England. The USWNT was the better despite being without its three most exciting players, a trio that accounted for a whopping 10 of the country's 12 goals during this summer's Olympics.

They were kept off the roster for Saturday's friendly against England and Tuesday's clash with the Netherlands to allow them time to rest the end of the NWSL season and recuperate from lingering injuries.

"Let me be clear, not one of these players want to ever miss a game for playing for their country," Emma Hayes told reporters earlier in November. "So, I want to be really clear about that... I want to make sure these players are prepared for a long time to come. And when you're in the back end of a season, and you're playing a lot, your body's tired, your mind's tired, that's where sometimes it can become risky."

A scoreless draw rarely inspires exuberance among supporters, and Saturday was no exception. But given the context of the match, the USWNT can be pleased enough with the result.