The significant changes to the revamped tournament has led to the temporary formation of two transfer windows, with two different deadlines and a short break in between.
The Club World Cup begins on Sunday June 15, when Egyptian side Al-Ahly take on Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Inter Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
When does the transfer window close?
Officially, the first mini-transfer window that opened on June 1 will close tonight on Tuesday June 10, at 7pm BST.
It means that clubs competing in the Club World Cup will need to scramble to get deals done if they want their new signings to be able to play in the USA, though teams not at the competition are also free to do business still.
Chelsea and Manchester City are the two Premier League clubs that are taking part this summer, and both Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola are hoping to make additions before Tuesday’s deadline.
As for City, they are set to add three new bodies to Guardiola’s ranks.
Tijjani Reijnders, the AC Milan midfielder, is set to move to the Etihad Stadium, while Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki are also en route to Manchester.
The question is, though, will they get the deals done in time to have their new signings for the group stage?
Why are there two transfer windows?
FIFA rules stipulate that a transfer window cannot span any longer than a 16-week period, hence this summer’s unique split.
The week-long closure allows teams to gather their current squads together with full focus on the Club World Cup.
Just in time: Trent Alexander-Arnold will play for Real Madrid at the Club World Cup
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When does the transfer window open again?
The window will reopen on Monday June 16, with the Club World Cup just two days old.
Clubs will be able to do business once more from then on, although Chelsea might be preoccupied with their first game of the tournament against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta that day.
Can teams in the Club World Cup sign players mid-tournament?
Yes, they can, but they will need to wait until a re-registration window opens before anyone signed during the tournament takes to the field.
Between Friday, June 27 and Thursday, July 3, clubs can register any new signings for the Club World Cup knockout stages.
No show: Cristiano Ronaldo has ruled himself out of the Club World Cup
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Will Cristiano Ronaldo play at the Club World Cup?
FIFA adjusted their registration rules to allow clubs to sign players purely for the duration of the tournament.
That could have been the case for Ronaldo, whose Al-Nassr contract expires at the end of June, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealing that discussions had taken place to try and secure the Portuguese superstar a move to a club that would be participating in the Club World Cup. Al-Nassr are not involved in the tournament this year.
