The new-format FIFA Club World Cup is set to kick off June 14, when 32 of the world’s best club-level teams take to the United States to compete for the crown. 

With River Plate and Boca Juniors as the sole Argentine representatives among teams from all six football continental confederations, the tournament promises to take club football to a new level. Here’s everything you need to know to cheer the Argentine teams and players once the ball starts rolling.

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) is an international football tournament gathering the best clubs from around the world. The 2025 tournament sees the competition expanded from its usual seven teams — namely, the winners of each year’s top continental trophy — to 32 teams. It’s also moving from an annual competition to a once-every-four-years tournament, similar to the nation’s World Cup.

As with the old format, the winner of each continent’s biggest international trophy qualifies — such as the Copa Libertadores for South America or the Champions League for Europe. Since the competition will be held every four years, the four past winners will qualify. 

However, the teams that didn’t claim any of those trophies but performed well across the four years will also be qualified, thus ramping up the number to 32 participants.

For its inaugural new-format tournament, the CWC will be played with the 32 teams split into eight groups of four teams each, the same format used by the FIFA World Cup before 2026. Teams will play each other once in the group stage, with the winner and runner-up moving ahead to a single-game elimination knockout stage.

Where will the FIFA Club World Cup be played?

The CWC will be played in twelve venues in eleven cities in the U.S. The Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, which will host the opening match. The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the final.

Only five of the selected stadiums will make a repeat appearance in the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. 

Which Argentine teams are playing in the FIFA Club World Cup?

Out of the 32 teams that secured a spot for the tournament, only two are from Argentina, the aforementioned River Plate and Boca Juniors. 

The two greatest teams in Argentine football neither secured their spot via winning the Copa Libertadores — Boca missed the chance in 2023. Instead, they are in the U.S. as the two best-placed eligible teams in CONMEBOL’s four-year ranking.

River was drawn as the top-seeded team in Group E due to its points tally in the ranking. It will face Italy’s Inter Milan, Mexico’s Monterrey, and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds. The Millonario will debut against the latter, taking to the pitch at Seattle’s Lumen Field on June 17 at 4 p.m. Argentina time.

Meanwhile, Boca entered as the sixth team in the rankings and wasn’t afforded seeded privileges, making for a tougher draw. The Xeneize is part of Group C, and it will face German giants Bayern Munich, Portugal’s Benfica, and Auckland City from New Zealand. Boca is set to debut against Benfica on June 16, at 7 p.m. Argentina time, at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Boca rivals Benfica will feature Qatar 2022 winners Ángel Di María and Nicolás Otamendi in its squad, with the former making his farewell to the Lisbon side, set to move to youth team Rosario Central after the competition is done.

The other CONMEBOL representatives are 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Botafogo, respectively, all from Brazil. 

Who are the Argentine stars playing in the FIFA Club World Cup?

Several of the Argentine men’s national football team will make an appearance at the tournament.

The 2024 Copa América top goalscorer Lautaro Martínez will lead Inter Milan once again, looking for revenge on a second UEFA Champions League title lost in three years. The Nerazzurri will face Mexico’s Monterrey on June 17 at 10 p.m. in the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles.

Spanish contenders Atlético de Madrid is one of the clubs with the most Argentines amongst its ranks, with six. Qatar 2022 winners Rodrigo de Paul, Julián Álvarez, Nahuel Molina, and Ángel Correa lead the way, with another Argentine international, Diego Simeone, as head coach. They have one of the toughest debuts, as they face 2025 Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on June 15 in the Rose Bowl at 4 p.m.

Former River star Enzo Fernández will feature for English Premier League side Chelsea. The Blues, who also employ former Boca prodigy Aaron Anselmino, will play MLS’s LAFC on June 16 at 4 p.m. in the Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta.

However, nobody can outduel Inter Miami for Argentine feel in the dressing room, with a staggering nine Albiceleste players donning the Herons’s pink shirt. The most famous, of course, is Argentina captain Lionel Messi, but keep an eye out for young talents like Federico Redondo and Tomás Avilés. The Javier Mascherano-coached team will play in the opening match, on June 14 at 9 p.m., against Egyptian giant Al-Ahly.

All times are Argentina time.