The draw for FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup is coming up. Here’s what to know

GENEVA (AP) — Soccer’s biggest ever global club tournament is coming to the United States next year and the 32-team group stage will be drawn Thursday.

European powers Real Madrid and Manchester City, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, recently crowned South American champion Botafogo and top clubs from Asia, Africa and Oceania are among the teams who are in the draw for FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup.

The tournament, which used to be played annually in December, will take place in 11 U.S. cities from June 15 to July 13 in an expanded format with 32 teams instead of the previous seven. Going forward the Club World Cup will be played every four years – just like the World Cup for national teams, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2026.

Here’s what to know about the Club World Cup draw, which is made in Miami at 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Thursday.

FIFA and its presidents have long coveted a prime piece of club soccer content.

The 2025 Club World Cup is FIFA’s most ambitious project, creating a month-long tournament in a mid-June to mid-July slot historically used by the men’s World Cup, which draws the biggest audiences in global sports.

The new club competition uses the traditional 32-team format used by the World Cup from 1998 to 2022. Eight round-robin groups of four teams each, and the top two advance to a knockout bracket of 16.

In allocating 32 entries, FIFA tried to balance getting the best and most watchable teams with giving all the world a chance to compete and develop.

Europe got 12 places, South America six, while Africa, Asia and North America got four each. One place went to Oceania and one to the host nation that should change for each edition.

Teams qualified by winning their continental championship from 2021 through 2024, or ranking highly with consistent results across those four seasons. Countries are capped at two entries unless more won titles. Brazil will send four different Copa Libertadores winners and Mexico three champions of the CONCACAF region. The other North American champion was Seattle Sounders.

Storied and wealthy European names are in: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. The current leaders of most of Europe’s strongest leagues miss out: Liverpool, Barcelona, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon.

Salzburg earned the last European entry last season based on FIFA’s ranking system though it can hardly be considered among Europe's top clubs: it's currently 32nd in the new 36-team Champions League standings.

Argentina’s big two clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors, are in. The Brazilian and Mexican entries include, respectively, Fluminense and Pachuca, both currently 16th in their national league standings.

Africa’s entries include Al Ahly of Egypt — three times champion of Africa in the last four years — and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, which is owned by FIFA vice president Patrice Motsepe.

Saudi Arabia sends Al-Hilal, the 2021 champion of Asia, which won the domestic league last season despite losing Neymar to a long-term injury.

If they stay fit, the tournament will feature a new generation of stars such as Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will be there, with a FIFA thumb on the scales in October to give the team the host nation’s entry. Two other stars from Messi's generation will miss out: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and Barcelona with Robert Lewandowski failed to qualify through their continental Champions League competitions.

The previous version of the Club World Cup kept an entry for the host nation’s champion. But this time FIFA did not wait for the MLS Cup title game on Saturday, when LA Galaxy hosts New York Red Bulls. Neither will be in the draw Thursday.

Instead, Inter Miami, with the star power of Lionel Messi on the field and co-owner David Beckham, was given the Club World Cup place in October based on regular-season standings. It will play three group-stage games in Florida, including opening the tournament at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Money and a trophy. Which is more prized by club owners is a debate to be had.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money, with reported guarantees of $50 million to top European teams, though it is currently unclear where from.

FIFA signed a global broadcasting deal Wednesday with streaming service DAZN to make all 63 games available for free. The value of the deal was not disclosed, and allows the streaming service to sell on rights to public broadcasters.

DAZN has close ties with Saudi Arabia, which promotes and stages top-level boxing title fights. Saudi financial backing for the Club World Cup is expected after the kingdom is confirmed next week as the 2034 World Cup host.

The new gold trophy has been fashioned by Tiffany and has Infantino’s name engraved on it twice. Plus his signature.

Traditionally, the champions of Europe and South America played for the Intercontinental Cup. From 1980 to 2004 the game was played in Japan and usually in December.

FIFA launched a Club World Championship in 2000, played in January by eight teams in Brazil. It was not held again for nearly six years.

From 2005 through last year, the annual FIFA Club World Cup was played each December, settling on a seven-team knockout format: the six reigning continental champions and the host nation’s domestic champion. Hosts rotated between Japan, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, Qatar and, for its final edition last December, Saudi Arabia.

This annual event was unloved in Europe. The UEFA Champions League winner typically arrived for two games in four days and took home the trophy. Chelsea in 2012 was the only European team to lose in the past 17 years.

When first elected in 2016, Infantino spoke of FIFA’s need for a bigger, more attractive and lucrative club event.

In his previous job as UEFA general secretary, he helped organize the Champions League, in peak years of Messi winning the title at Barcelona and Ronaldo with Manchester United and then Real Madrid.

First, Infantino had a secretive $25 billion deal for new tournaments including a 24-team Club World Cup worth $3 billion every four years from 2021. That was blocked by European soccer officials.

Agreement was reached to play an inaugural 24-team tournament in June 2021 in China. Europe was to send just six teams.

No broadcast or sponsor deals had been announced by early 2020 when the tournament was scrapped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The June 2021 slot was needed for the postponed Euro 2020 and Copa America.

After the failed Super League project in April 2021 rocked European soccer, FIFA found agreement for a 32-team Club World Cup.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Players of Brazil's Botafogo parade through the streets on a truck during a homecoming celebration after winning the Copa Libertadores soccer tournament, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Seattle Sounders midfielder Alex Roldan (16) controls the ball next to Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil (28) during the second half of an MLS Western Conference final soccer match, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

Bayern's Jamal Musiala celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Coach Artur Jorge of Brazil's Botafogo, right, and Junior Santos celebrate after winning the Copa Libertadores final soccer match against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland contols the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe takes control of the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Eagles need a new offensive coordinator.

Ask most fans, commentators — and, privately, some players — and the change from Kevin Patullo was inevitable long before Philadelphia actually made the move this week in the wake of a playoff loss.

There's a “help wanted” sign for the new boss of an offense — one loaded with elite talent such as Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — that fell way short as the Eagles failed in their bid to win consecutive Super Bowl titles.

Coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman were vague on details Thursday about why they waited until the end of the season to make the move — the Eagles ranked 24th in yards per game (311) and 19th in points per game (19.3) — and less clear on what they wanted out of a new coordinator.

“You’re looking to continue to evolve as an offense, and I’m looking to bring in the guy that’s going to best help us do that,” Sirianni said. “I think that there are many different ways to be successful on offense and everybody has different styles, everybody has different players, and there’s many different ways to be successful.”

The Eagles have plenty of credible candidates to choose from — everyone from Josh McCown and Cam Turner to former NFL coaches Brian Daboll, Mike McDaniel and Kliff Kingsbury. The new OC could have complete autonomy to run the offense, though collaboration has been key under Sirianni.

No matter the coordinator, the Eagles expect to be contenders again after playing in two of the last four Super Bowls. Just winning an NFC East title doesn't cut it these days in Philly.

“If it doesn’t end with confetti falling on our heads, I don’t feel like it’s good enough,” Roseman said. “I know that we’re not going to win the Super Bowl every year. I think I know that from a broad perspective, but I believe we can. I go into every offseason thinking we’re going to do whatever it takes to win a Super Bowl.”

Two-time All-Pro offensive tackle Lane Johnson has built a Hall of Fame-level career and won two Super Bowls since the Eagles made him a 2013 first-round pick.

Retirement talk was a hot topic for most of the season.

Johnson turns 36 in May and did not play after Week 11 because of a foot injury. He did not talk to the media this week when the Eagles cleaned out their lockers.

Roseman kept private his conversation with Johnson about retirement. Johnson reworked his contract last May and is signed through 2027.

“You're talking about a Hall of Fame player who’s been a huge, huge part of any of our success that we’ve had, and when you watch him play, he’s still playing at an elite level,” Roseman said.

Brown is likely staying put.

While he isn't shy about airing his grievances, the wide receiver is often worth the distractions because of his production.

Just not this season.

Brown had 78 receptions (down from 106 in 2023) for 1,003 yards (he had 1,496 in 2022) and only five 100-yard games. Of course, some of that dip in production resulted from how he was used in Patullo's offense. The changes ahead are one reason why the Eagles are in no rush to give up on the 28-year star — along with the $43 million dead salary cap hit they'd take if Brown wasn't on the roster.

“It is hard to find great players in the NFL and A.J.’s a great player,” Roseman said. “I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for when we go out here in free agency and in the draft is trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy. I think that would be my answer.”

Special teams coach Michael Clay had a virtual interview Thursday for the same job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sirianni also hasn't ruled out Patullo staying on the staff in a different role.

“I know Kevin’s going to have other opportunities, and obviously always want what’s best for Kevin and for his family, so we’ll see how that plays out,” Sirianni said.

Patullo could want a fresh start after his house was egged earlier this season and one area indoor golf establishment let fans hit golf balls into a photo of his face after the playoff loss.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman, left, looks over as head coach Nick Sirianni, right, speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, right, and executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman, left, speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)