The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicks off with Inter Miami facing Al Ahly, as top clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, PSG, and Boca Juniors compete for global supremacy in the expanded tournament.
To reach the final on July 13 in New Jersey, teams must keep their key players available—and that means navigating strict but slightly forgiving disciplinary rules. Notably, yellow cards won’t carry over from the quarter-finals onward, so a player can only miss the final if sent off in the semi-final.
No yellow cards from domestic leagues or other tournaments will carry into this Club World Cup. FIFA has cleared all previous bookings, offering players and coaches a clean slate.
If a red card is issued—either straight or from two yellows—it results in a one-match suspension. But the FIFA Disciplinary Committee can extend this ban depending on the severity of the offense.
VAR will feature once again, alongside semi-automated offside detection. In a unique twist, assistant referees will hear audio alerts like “offside, offside” in real-time via earpiece communication.
FIFA is also introducing new trial rules. Goalkeepers who fail to release the ball within eight seconds may be penalized, and penalties where the taker touches the ball twice in a row will be retaken rather than nullified.
The officiating crew includes 117 match officials worldwide, with England’s Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor among those overseeing the action in what could be a historic Club World Cup edition.