So, the massive experiment is over. FIFA took the old, somewhat sleepy seven-team format, threw it in the trash, and gave us a full-blown 32-team marathon across the United States. If you were looking for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup bracket to see if your favorite team survived the meat grinder, you already know it was a wild ride from June 14 to July 13.
Chelsea ended up lifting the trophy at MetLife Stadium. Yeah, really.
Honestly, the bracket felt more like a mini-World Cup for clubs than anything else. We had eight groups of four, a classic round-of-16 setup, and enough drama to fill ten seasons of a Netflix docuseries. No third-place match either—FIFA kept it lean once the semifinals wrapped.
How the Bracket Actually Shook Out
The knockout stage kicked off on June 28, and it didn't take long for things to get weird. The bracket was split into two distinct pathways. One side looked like a European heavyweight convention, while the other had a heavy South American flavor mixed with some surprising results from the Saudi and American sides.
Basically, the top two from each group moved on. Group A winners played Group B runners-up, and so on. It sounds simple until you realize Manchester City—the heavy favorites for many—got bounced in the Round of 16 by Al-Hilal.
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That single result blew the bottom half of the bracket wide open.
The Round of 16: Heartbreak and Weather Delays
- Palmeiras vs. Botafogo: An all-Brazilian clash in Philadelphia. It went to extra time, and Paulinho finally broke the deadlock in the 100th minute. 1-0.
- Benfica vs. Chelsea: This was a mess, but in a fun way. There was a massive weather delay in Charlotte—lightning, basically. When they finally got back on the pitch, Chelsea exploded in extra time to win 4-1.
- PSG vs. Inter Miami: Everyone wanted to see if Messi’s squad could pull off a miracle. They couldn't. PSG cruised to a 4-0 win in Miami Gardens, effectively ending the "home team" dream.
- Real Madrid vs. Juventus: A classic. Madrid squeezed through with a 1-0 win, proving that even in a new format, the old kings still knew how to grind.
The rest of the bracket saw Fluminense take down Inter Milan 2-0, while Borussia Dortmund handled Monterrey. It set up a quarterfinal lineup that felt surprisingly fresh.
The Quarterfinals: Where the Giants Stumbled
By July 4, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup bracket was looking pretty lean.
Fluminense continued their tear by beating Al-Hilal 2-1. People keep underestimating the Brazilian sides, but they showed up in a big way. Meanwhile, Chelsea faced Palmeiras. It was a 2-1 nail-biter that saw the London side advance to the semis.
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On the other side of the bracket, PSG was busy dismantling Bayern Munich. A 2-0 win for the Parisians. Real Madrid had a tougher time with Dortmund but managed a 3-2 victory to set up a massive semifinal against PSG.
Semifinals and the Big Finale
The semifinals were played on July 8 and 9.
Chelsea took on Fluminense and finally ended the Brazilian dream with a 2-0 win. It wasn't particularly flashy, but it was effective. Then came the big one: PSG vs. Real Madrid. Most people expected a battle. Instead, PSG put on a clinic, winning 4-0.
The Final at MetLife
July 13, 2025. MetLife Stadium was packed. Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain.
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Chelsea won 3-0.
It sounds one-sided, but PSG had their chances. Chelsea was just clinical. Cole Palmer ended up being named the best player of the tournament, which, if you've watched him lately, isn't much of a shock. They walked away with a massive chunk of the $1 billion prize pot—somewhere in the neighborhood of $128 million total when you add up the participation fees and the performance bonuses.
What This Means for 2029
The tournament wasn't perfect. Attendance varied depending on the city, and the schedule was punishing for the players. But the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup bracket proved that there's a huge appetite for seeing these cross-continental matchups outside of occasional friendlies.
If you're already looking ahead, the next edition is slated for 2029. We don't know the host yet, but expect the qualification process to be just as rigorous.
Key Takeaways for Fans
- European dominance remains, but it's shaky. Man City and Inter Milan falling early shows that the gap is closing, or at least that a single-game knockout is a great equalizer.
- South American teams are the real deal. Fluminense and Palmeiras didn't just participate; they dictated how the bracket looked for most of the tournament.
- The money is insane. With $1 billion distributed, this is now officially the most lucrative club competition in the world.
If you want to track how your team qualifies for the next one, keep an eye on the continental rankings. FIFA is using a four-year performance window, so every match in the Champions League or Copa Libertadores counts toward that 2029 seed.
Don't wait until the bracket is released to start paying attention.