FIFA, like other football governing bodies, continually seeks to evolve its competitions and rules. The latest major change is the revamped FIFA Club World Cup.
The international federation has announced a significant overhaul for the tournament starting in 2025, expanding it to include 32 teams.
Here`s an explanation of how teams qualify for this new edition of the Club World Cup and which teams have already secured their participation in this major event.
Qualified Teams for Club World Cup 2025: Full List
A total of 32 clubs will compete in the 2025 Club World Cup, representing six different confederations.
UEFA receives the largest allocation with 12 slots, followed by CONMEBOL with six spots. AFC and CAF each have four representative teams. CONCACAF typically has four slots but gets an additional one in 2025 as the host confederation. OFC has a single slot.
Teams already qualified include prominent clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, and Al-Hilal.
| Confederation | No. of teams | Teams Qualified |
|---|---|---|
| AFC | 4 | Al Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, Ulsan HD |
| CAF | 4 | Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns |
| CONCACAF | 4 | Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, TBD, Pachuca |
| CONMEBOL | 6 | Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, River Plate, Boca Juniors |
| OFC | 1 | Auckland City |
| UEFA | 12 | Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg |
| CONCACAF (host) | 1 | Inter Miami |
Club World Cup 2025 Seeding Pots
| Seeding Pot | Teams |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Manchester City (ENG), Real Madrid (ESP), Bayern Munich (GER), PSG (FRA), Flamengo (BRA), Palmeiras (BRA), River Plate (ARG), Fluminense (BRA) |
| Pot 2 | Chelsea (ENG), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Inter (ITA), Porto (POR), Atletico Madrid (ESP), Benfica (POR), Juventus (ITA), Salzburg (AUT) |
| Pot 3 | Al Hilal (KSA), Ulsan HD (KOR), Al Ahly (EGY), Wydad AC (MAR), Monterrey (MEX), Leon (MEX)*, Boca Juniors (ARG), Botafogo (BRA) |
| Pot 4 | Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Al Ain (UAE), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA), Pachuca (MEX), Seattle Sounders (USA), Auckland City (NZL), Inter Miami (USA) |
*Note: Leon has since been disqualified.
How Club World Cup 2025 Qualification Works
The qualification criteria consider the results from the past four seasons of each confederation`s premier club competition (such as the Champions League or Copa Libertadores). Points are awarded based on performance starting from the group stage.
FIFA`s standard methodology for awarding points is:
- 3 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 3 points for progressing to each subsequent stage of the competition
As an example, consider Fluminense, who won the Copa Libertadores in 2023 after defeating Boca Juniors in the final.
In the group stage, Fluminense earned 10 points from three wins, one draw, and two losses. In the knockout stages, they added 17 points from five wins and two draws. Additionally, they received 12 points for advancing through the different knockout rounds of the Copa Libertadores 2023.
In total, Fluminense accumulated 39 points for their successful campaign in the tournament.
Qualification for European Teams
The qualification system for Europe is slightly different because UEFA already has an established club ranking coefficient system. FIFA has implemented a specific methodology to calculate rankings for European clubs to ensure fairness and competitiveness in the tournament.
The point system for UEFA teams is:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 4 points for qualifying for the group stage
- 5 points for qualifying for the Round of 16
- 1 point for progressing to each stage thereafter
Let`s look at Manchester City`s performance in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, which they won, to illustrate this system.
Manchester City automatically received four points for reaching the group stage. In the group stage, they earned 10 points from four wins and two draws. By qualifying for the Round of 16, they gained an additional five points, plus three points for advancing through the subsequent knockout stages to reach the final. In the knockout matches themselves, the Sky Blues earned 11 points from four wins and three draws.
Cumulatively, Manchester City earned a total of 33 points for winning Europe`s most prestigious club competition.
