FIFA, following the trend of other football organizations, is introducing innovations to its competitions and rules. The latest tournament to undergo significant changes is the Club World Cup.
The international football body has announced a completely reorganized format for the 2025 Club World Cup, expanding the number of participating teams to 32.
This article outlines the qualification process for this upcoming edition of the Club World Cup and lists the teams that have already secured their place in this major event.Qualified Teams for Club World Cup 2025
| Confederation | Number of Teams | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Los Angeles FC, 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 |
A total of 32 teams are set to compete in the 2025 Club World Cup, representing six different confederations.
UEFA has the largest contingent with 12 slots, followed by CONMEBOL with six places. The AFC and CAF each have four representative teams. CONCACAF typically receives four slots but gets an additional one for 2025 due to hosting the tournament. The OFC is allocated one slot.
Among the prominent teams qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup are Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, and Al-Hilal. Los Angeles FC entered the tournament as a replacement for Leon after winning a qualification playoff.
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), Los Angeles FC (USA), 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) |
How Club World Cup 2025 Qualification Works
The qualification criteria are based on team performance over the past four seasons in their respective confederation`s premier club competition (e.g., Champions League, Copa Libertadores). Points are awarded starting from the group stage of these tournaments.
The standard points system established by FIFA is:
- 3 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 3 points for progressing to each subsequent stage of the competition
For example, let`s look at Fluminense, the champions of Copa Libertadores 2023. Throughout the group stage, they earned points based on their wins and a draw. In the knockout stages, they added points from their victories and draws, plus the points awarded for advancing through each round, culminating in a total of 39 points for their winning campaign.Club World Cup Qualification for European Teams (UEFA)
The qualification scenario for European teams follows a slightly different methodology, specifically for performance in the UEFA Champions League over the four seasons. While UEFA has its own coefficient system, FIFA uses a distinct points structure for Club World Cup qualification:
- 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 subsequent stage of the competition
As another illustration, consider Manchester City`s victorious 2022-23 UEFA Champions League campaign. They earned points for qualifying for the group stage, points for wins and draws in the group stage, and points for reaching the Round of 16 and advancing through each subsequent round. Their performance accumulated a total of 33 points leading up to their tournament victory.
