Just like the UEFA Champions League, the next edition of the FIFA Club World Cup (2025) will also undergo a major revamp in an attempt to make the competition more appealing.
Football fans across the continent will enjoy the new format, which will see 32 clubs from six confederations compete for FIFA’s global bragging rights.
Join us as we unravel FIFA’s convoluted changes to the intercontinental club contest, which has left football experts and novices alike in an intricate maze of confusion.
The inaugural edition of the FIFA Club World Cup was held in the year 2000 as the FIFA Club World Championship. The unpopular intercontinental club contest has been held successively since 2005 after it failed to hold between 2001 and 2004.
However, this year, in 2024, the competition will no longer be held annually after FIFA announced on December 16, 2022, that the new format of the Club World Cup will begin in 2025.
The competition will now be held quadrennially, with the second edition of its type billed to take place in 2029.
However, FIFA introduced a new annual competition called the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, officially known as the Coupe Intercontinentale de la FIFA. This new competition will kick off in December 2024 with its inaugural edition.
With six clubs from six confederations expected to qualify via the championship pathway, it can easily be described as an old wine in a new bottle.
In what will be a prelude to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whose API we provide, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
In January, it was disclosed that the tournament would take place on the East Coast in a bid to appeal to European broadcasters and viewers.
However, the host cities have not been made known at the time of this writing.
In the well-known format of the FIFA Club World Cup, six clubs from six confederations took part in the competition, along with one nominated club from the host confederation.
Hence, the host confederation has two participants in the tournament, comprising of seven contestants.
For clarity, these were the winners of the Copa Libertadores (CONMEBOL), the UEFA Champions League (UEFA), and the AFC Champions League.
Winners of the CAF Champions League also took part in the tournament, along with the title holders from the CONCACAF Champions League. The winners of the OFC Champions League also featured.
Finally, the host confederation selects an additional club of choice. In the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, which took place in Saudi Arabia, the winner of the 2022–23 edition of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ittihad, was selected by the host confederation (AFC).
In other cases, like the 2022 edition, the runners-up of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League, Egypt-based Al Ahly, was selected by CAF, despite the host nation being Morocco.
Way back in 2020, host confederation OFC handpicked Auckland City, a New Zealand-based club that later withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities.
Only seven games were played in the old format, all spread across the first round, second round, semi-finals, final, and third-placed match.
The selected club from the host confederation will take on the club side from OFC in the first round.
In the second round, the winner from the first round will play against one of the teams from CAF, AFC, or CONCACAF, while the other two will face each other.
The winners from the second round will face clubs from UEFA and CONMEBOL in the semifinals.
The winners will then go on to play in the final, while the second-best teams from the semifinals will play a third-placed match.
The 2023 edition of the tournament in Saudi Arabia was the last seven-team Club World Cup. Now that twenty-five more teams are allowed to compete, football fans will have the feel of a proper tournament.
To make up the 32 teams, 12 slots were given to UEFA, while 6 were given to CONMEBOL. The AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF were all given four slots, while the OFC and the host confederation were given one slot each.
The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four teams in the group stage. In the familiar FIFA World Cup format, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the round of 16.
The tournament will then progress on to the quarter-final round, semi-final round, and final. There will be no third-place playoff.
While the likes of AC Milan, Manchester United, and Liverpool are missing from the list, twenty-nine other clubs have already qualified for what will be the 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Although some of the clubs qualified via the Champions pathway, a few others made the cut based on a four-year club ranking between 2021 and 2024.
Four clubs from the Asian Football Confederation will take part in the tournament. These four clubs were granted access after becoming winners of the confederation’s top club competition between 2021 and 2024.
In addition, if a club wins four or more of the confederation’s top club competition, then additional teams will be considered by club ranking over the mentioned four-year period.
The Saudi-based club will be taking part in the next edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, having qualified on March 14, 2023, after they were crowned champions of the 2021 AFC Champions League.
This will be their fourth participation in the tournament.
The Japan-based club qualified on May 6, 2023, as champions of the AFC Champions League in 2022. Just like Al-Hilal, this will also be their fourth participation in the tournament.
Based in the UAE, Al Ain secured their place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on May 25, 2024, after becoming champions of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League. This will be their second participation in the tournament.
The South Korean-based club qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup based on a four-year ranking in the AFC. Ulsan qualified for the tournament on April 17, 2024. This will be their third appearance in the competition’s history.
Four club representatives from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will take part in the tournament.
Being one of the qualified teams based in Egypt, Al Ahly qualified on March 14, 2023. Al Ahly were winners of the 2020–21, 2022–23, and 2023–24 CAF Champions League. This will be their 10th participation in the tournament.
Based in Morocco, Casablanca qualified on March 14, 2023, as winners of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League. This will be their third appearance at the competition.
As the name suggests, this Tunis-based club qualified for the tournament on April 26, 2024, based on their four-year CAF ranking (2021–2024). The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be their fourth appearance in the history of the tournament.
A four-year CAF ranking helped South African side Sundowns secure qualification on April 26, 2024. This will be their second appearance in the competition.
Four slots were also awarded to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, CONCACAF.
As winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, the Mexican-based club qualified for the tournament on March 14, 2023. This will be their sixth appearance.
Sounders were winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. The American side will be making their second appearance at the tournament after qualifying on March 14, 2023.
Winners of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, Club León qualified on June 4, 2023. This will be the second appearance for the Mexican side.
Winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, Pachuca qualified on June 1, 2024. This will be their fifth appearance at the tournament.
Six slots were allocated to the South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL
The South America-based side will be taking part for the third time after picking up a spot on March 14, 2023, as winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores.
Flamengo were the winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores. They also qualified on March 14, 2023. This will also be their third appearance at the tournament.
In what will be their second appearance, Brazilian side Fluminese qualified on November 4, 2023, as winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores.
The Argentine side qualified on May 14, 2024, for what will be their third appearance in the competition.
Two more spots remain open in this confederation. These are reserved for the winner of the 2024 Copa Libertadores, which will be revealed on November 30, 2024, and another club, based on a four-year club ranking between 2021 and 2024.
The Oceania Football Confederation was given only one slot.
Auckland City snatched the only spot as the best OFC Champions League winners in the OFC’s 4-year ranking. This will be the 12th appearance for the New Zealand-based club, which qualified on December 17, 2023.
The host confederation, CONCACAF, will have the benefit of picking any club of choice based on any criteria as one of the participating clubs.
Twelve slots were given to European teams under the umbrella of UEFA. Three of these twelve teams came in through the Champions pathway, while the others were based on a four-year club ranking between 2021 and 2024.
The Blues, who qualified on March 14, 2023, were winners of the UEFA Champions League in 2020–21. It will be the third appearance at the competition for the European club.
Being the most successful club in Europe, Madrid will be taking part for the 7th time as winners of the 2021–22 and 2023–24 UEFA Champions League.
Winners of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, City qualified on June 10, 2023. This will be their second appearance at the tournament.
The Bavarian side qualified via UEFA’s four-year club ranking. Bayern qualified on December 17, 2023, for what will be their third appearance at the tournament.
Les Parisiens qualified on December 17, 2023, via UEFA’s four-year ranking. This will be their maiden appearance at the tournament.
Inter also made the cut via UEFA’s four-year ranking on December 17, 2023. This will be the second appearance at the tournament for the European club.
The Portuguese outfit qualified through the four-year ranking on December 17, 2023. This will be Porto’s maiden appearance at the tournament.
The Portuguese side also qualified through the four-year ranking on December 17, 2023. This will be Benfica’s maiden appearance at the tournament.
Dortmund also made the cut via UEFA’s 4-year ranking on March 6, 2024. This will be their first appearance at the Club World Cup.
The Old Lady got in via UEFA’s 4-year ranking on March 12, 2024. Surprisingly, despite being one of the biggest clubs in Italy, this will be Juve’s first appearance at the tournament.
The Spanish side will also be making their first appearance at the tournament after qualifying via the four-year ranking on April 16, 2024.
Just like ATL Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg will also be making their first appearance at the tournament after qualifying via the four-year ranking on April 17, 2024.
As expected, FIFA’s decision to expand the competition to 32 teams did not escape criticism. The proposal was criticised by FIFPRO, a global union of professional players.
In addition to legal action over the newly proposed 32-team tournament, FIFA also came under fire from the World Leagues Forum, an organisation that represents professional leagues.
Fingers were pointed at the global football authority over a lack of concern about players’ welfare.
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