Since Manchester City breezed past Brazilian side Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup finals in Saudi Arabia, there has been a dramatic transformation.
Not only will the winning team collect the trophy and €30.3 million (US$35m) in prize money, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be utilized to help referees.
Soccer’s governing body FIFA are using the Club World Cup as an audition for next year’s World Cup finals, testing out technology.
Trial run
Fans will be able to view the action from the point of view of referees and AI will detect offsides earlier than usual.
Shotstoppers will be punished for time wasting, permitted just eight seconds to release the ball or their team will concede a corner.
The cash-rich tournament kicks off today, with the final set for 13 July. Juventus have featured in the top 10 most likely champions, according to a forecast by a supercomputer.
Igor Tudor has been promoted from interim manager to permanent head coach, although he will still be judged on how the Bianconeri perform in the month-long competition.
Juve are expected to make progress to the last 16 knockout stages as one of top two teams from the initial group phase. They will tackle UAE’s Al-Ain FC, then face Morocco’s Wydad AC before a showdown with Pep Guardiola’s mighty Manchester City.
Rich rewards
On top of big bucks to be earned from winning matches, clubs pick up handsome rewards for a draw but nothing should they lose their match. The pressure is mounting, and there are some major overhauls for the month-long tournament in the United States.
The referee body camera was successfully trialled at last year’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Once more there will be small cameras on the referee’s ears in order to capture the live action, which will be relayed to the match broadcasters.
As long as there’s no game-changing controversies, such as appeals for a penalty and disputed calls, this action will be aired to viewers.
Offside checks
Checking for offside during the Club World Cup will be taken up a gear, with video feed from 16 cameras providing footage to an AI-based programme.
This is designed to alert match officials as soon as an offside player touches the ball, and should dramatically speed up decision-making that can be slow with video assistant referee (VAR) reviews. VAR-based offside reviews will still exist, with footage shown on big screens to supporters inside the stadiums.
The new timeout rule for keepers is more complicated, with corners rather than an indirect free-kick given away the easy bit to comprehend.
Club World Cup rules stipulate that referees will issue a warning at five seconds, and the keeper must release the ball before a total of eight seconds. Yet the rules also state that glovemen cannot hold onto the ball for longer than six seconds.
Bonus videos
Arguably the best added bonus for soccer fans will be the videos of crosses, goals, player runs, saves and tackles. However, this feature will only be available in the seven National Football League stadiums used during the tournament that comprises Atlanta, Charlotte, East Rutherford, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and Seattle.
This modern technology is a trial ahead of next year’s much-anticipated World Cup finals co-hosted by Canada, Costa Rica and the United States.
Tudor, who is not the sort of manager to complain about decisions that go against his team, can rest assured that his troops will have to do the talking on the pitch and let technology come up with decisions to keep the sport as “the beautiful game”.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup schedule
Club World Cup group games (14 June-26 June)
14 June
Group A | Al -Ahly vs. Inter Miami, 8pm ET (Miami)
15 June
Group C | Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, 12pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group B | Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid, 3pm ET (Pasadena, California)
Group A | SE Palmeiras vs. FC Porto, 6pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group B | Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, 10pm ET (Seattle)
16 June
Group D | Chelsea vs. Club America or LAFC, 3pm ET (Atlanta)
Group C | Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, 6pm ET (Miami)
Group D | Flamengo vs. Esperance de Tunis, 9pm ET (Philadelphia)
17 June
Group F | Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group E | River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3pm ET (Seattle)
Group F | Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 6pm ET (Orlando, Florida)
Group E | Monterrey vs. Inter Milan, 9pm ET (Pasadena, California)
18 June
Group G | Manchester City vs. Wydad AC, 12pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group H | Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal, 3pm ET (Miami)
Group H | Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg, 6pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group G | Al-Ain vs. Juventus, 9pm (Washington, D.C.)
19 June
Group A | Palmeiras vs. Al-Ahly, 12pm ET, (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group A | Inter Miami vs. Porto, 3pm ET, (Atlanta)
Group B | Seattle Sounders vs. Atletico Madrid, 6pm ET (Seattle)
Group B | Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, 9pm ET (Pasadena, California)
20 June
Group C | Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12pm ET (Orlando, Florida)
Group D | Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group D | Club America or LAFC vs. Esperance de Tunis, 6pm ET (Nashville, Tennessee)
Group C | Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, 9pm ET (Miami)
21 June
Group F | Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group E | Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3pm ET (Seattle)
Group F | Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, 6pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Group E | River Plate vs. Monterrey, 9pm ET (Pasadena, California)
22 June
Group G | Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group H | Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3pm ET (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Group H | FC Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal, 6pm ET (Washington, D.C.)
Group G | Manchester City vs. Al-Ain, 9pm ET (Atlanta)
23 June
Group B | Atletico Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3pm ET (Pasadena, California)
Group B | Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3pm ET (Seattle)
Group A | Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9pm ET (Miami)
Group A | Porto vs. Al-Ahly, 9pm ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
24 June
Group C | Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3pm ET (Charlotte)
Group C | Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3pm ET (Nashville)
Group D | Esperance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9pm ET (Philadelphia)
Group D | Club America or LAFC vs. Flamengo, 9pm ET (Orlando)
25 June
Group F | Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, 3pm ET (Cincinnati)
Group F | Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3pm ET (Miami)
Group E | Inter Milan vs. River Plate, 9pm ET (Seattle)
Group E | Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, 9pm ET (Pasadena)
26 June
Group G | Wydad AC vs. Al-Ain, 3pm ET (Washington)
Group G | Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3pm ET (Orlando)
Group H | Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca, 9pm ET (Nashville)
Group H | FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9pm ET (Philadelphia)
Club World Cup Round of 16 (28 June-1 July)
28 June
Match 49 | Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Philadelphia)
Match 50 | Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Charlotte)
29 June
Match 51 | Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Atlanta)
Match 52 | Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Miami)
30 June
Match 53 | Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Charlotte)
Match 54 | Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Orlando)
1 July
Match 55 | Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Atlanta)
Match 56 | Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up (Miami)
Club World Cup quarter-finals (4-5 July)
4 July
Match 57 | Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner (Philadelphia)
Match 58 | Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner (Orlando)
5 July
Match 59 | Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner (Atlanta)
Match 60 | Match 55 winner vs. Match 56 winner (East Rutherford)
Club World Cup semi-finals (8-9 July)
8 July
Match 61 | Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner (East Rutherford)
9 July
Match 62 | Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner (East Rutherford)
Club World Cup final (13 July)
13 July
Match 63 | Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner (East Rutherford)