By Sama Marwan ,
Italian side Inter Milan is preparing for a decisive showdown against Argentina’s River Plate in the final round of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage, amid positive news regarding the potential return of three injured stars to the squad.
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Inter vs. River Plate
According to Football Italia, head coach Christian Chivu may be able to call on Denzel Dumfries, Marcus Thuram, and Davide Frattesi for the match against River Plate, although they are unlikely to start the game.
Inter had missed this trio during their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, a match that saw standout performances from Valentín Carboni and Lautaro Martínez, who scored in the final minutes to turn a deficit into a dramatic win at Lumen Field in Seattle.
With that victory, Inter now shares the top spot in Group E with River Plate, both sitting on four points. However, the Argentine side holds the advantage on goal difference, following their earlier draw with Mexico’s Monterrey.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2025 Club World Cup follows the same format as the most recent edition of the FIFA World Cup for national teams, with 32 clubs divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16, where the knockout stage begins and continues through to the final.
Group winners and runners-up from each of the eight groups will qualify for the Round of 16, which will be played in a single-elimination format, culminating in the final on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Tournament Structure
The new Club World Cup format includes 32 teams, distributed as follows:
12 teams from UEFA (Europe)
4 teams from the AFC (Asia)
4 teams from the CAF (Africa)
4 teams from CONCACAF (North and Central America & the Caribbean)
6 teams from CONMEBOL (South America)
1 team from OFC (Oceania)
1 team from the host nation.
