The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be full of firsts as the revamped and expanded tournament treads new ground, with a number of fresh signings making their club debuts in the competition.
The presence of the Club World Cup—which runs from June 14 to July 13—has seen the summer transfer window brought forward earlier than usual, with an emergency 10-day period that started at the beginning of the month allowing clubs to confirm deals for priority targets before the ‘proper’ window opens.
That means a band of fresh faces will travel with their new clubs to the upcoming tournament in the United States, earning their first minutes and potentially a piece of silverware.
Here are the eye-catching debutants featuring at the Club World Cup.
Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand here
Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid haven’t made any new additions ahead of the Club World Cup but Diego Simeone has lost several players heading into the tournament. César Azpilicueta, Axel Witsel and Reinildo have all departed on free transfers, while Arthur Vermeeren’s loan has become permanent at RB Leipzig.
Bayern Munich
𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀. 🔥#ServusJona pic.twitter.com/kDKe4SYkJR
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) May 29, 2025
Bayern Munich have wasted no time in bolstering their squad after reclaiming their Bundesliga crown in 2024–25. Jonathan Tah has arrived on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen—the club that had dethroned them—and will make his debut for Die Roten in North America.
Bayern also announced the signing of Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim some time ago but were left sweating over his involvement this summer as he was due to join on a free transfer midway through the competition. An agreement with his old side was struck and Bischof was on the plane.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund don’t have any debutants at the Club World Cup but previous loanees Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson should make their first appearances for the club since signing permanently at the end of the 2024–25 season.
Chelsea
Liam Delap, welcome to our house. 🏡 pic.twitter.com/EO3GIT0mlv
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 4, 2025
Chelsea’s squad is full of fresh faces. Dário Essugo arrives from Sporting CP in time for the Club World Cup, while Andrey Santos, who signed for Chelsea in 2023 but spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, could make his competitive debut for the Blues at long last.
Liam Delap is part of the team after choosing club over country, while towering goalkeeper Mike Penders is also in the mix alongside another goalkeeper, 21-year-old United States international Gabriel Slonina.
Inter
A new Interista joins the family 🇭🇷🖤💙 #ForzaInter #WelcomePetar
— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) June 4, 2025
Inter head into the Club World Cup looking to recover from Champions League final heartbreak but will have to do so without Simone Inzaghi in the dugout. The Italian has joined Al Hilal after another close call in Europe’s premier competition.
But Inter will have new signings to show off in the United States. Petar Sučic has arrived from Dinamo Zagreb to bolster their midfield options, while Luis Henrique has joined from Marseille in time for the tournament.
Juventus
Juventus have made three loan deals permanent ahead of the Club World Cup. Pierre Kalulu has now joined Lloyd Kelly and Nicolas González in making Turin his long-term home, while Renato Veiga’s deal from Chelsea has expired.
Manchester City
Home 🏡 pic.twitter.com/0uDoSCFaBW
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 13, 2025
Manchester City are without Kevin De Bruyne for the Club World Cup after he joined Napoli, but there are plenty of new faces in Pep Guardiola’s group.
Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli will all hope for their first tastes of action.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain have little room for improvement after winning the Champions League at a canter and they will be keen to assert their dominance in the United States. There are no new signings for Luis Enrique but the French giants will still be among the favourites to be crowned world champions.
Real Madrid
😎 @TrentAA 🤜🤛 @XabiAlonso 😎 pic.twitter.com/ECnmaDdhcd
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 30, 2025
Real Madrid have been incredibly busy bees at the beginning of the transfer window. They have recruited Xabi Alonso as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement in the dugout and the Spaniard will oversee his first matches in charge of Los Blancos at the Club World Cup.
On the pitch, two former Premier League defenders will make their debuts. Dean Huijsen has been signed from Bournemouth for big money, while Madrid have paid Liverpool a compensation fee of up to £10 million ($13.5 million) to ensure Trent Alexander-Arnold is available to them at the tournament.
READ THE LATEST CLUB WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS AND PLAYER RATINGS
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The New Signings Set for Debuts at the Club World Cup.
