In the upcoming season, among the many new additions to the calendar, there will also be the inaugural edition of the new format of the Club World Cup - which will be held every four years, just like the World Cup for national teams. This new format features 32 participating teams, initially divided into eight groups of four teams each, playing in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16, with the knockout phase being single-elimination from the Round of 16 to the final.
A true tournament, where we will discover the participating teams, including Juventus, which has secured its spot in the competition. The tournament will kick off on June 15, 2025, and conclude on July 13, 2025, in the United States.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE CLUB WORLD CUP
The allocation of teams that gain access to the competition is primarily based on continental distribution (where Europe, Asia, America, etc., have a predetermined number of participating teams), followed by ranking criteria to select the clubs that will take part in the tournament.
For Europe, 12 teams qualify: the last four Champions League winners plus eight more based on their performance in the Champions League over the last four seasons. Additionally, there are six teams from South America; Asia, Africa, and North and Central America each have 4 spots. Finally, one spot is reserved for Oceania and one for the host country.
HOW THE UEFA RANKING IS CALCULATED
A club's coefficient in the UEFA ranking - crucial for creating the aforementioned classification - is generally calculated by adding the total number of points obtained in a given season in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League. As highlighted, for the Club World Cup, only points obtained in the Champions League count.
A club's coefficient over four seasons is obtained by summing the coefficients of the four previous seasons or by considering 20% of the coefficient of the respective federation over four years. The higher value between the two is used. Points in the Champions League are awarded as follows:
- 2 points for each win from the group stage onward
- 1 point for each draw from the group stage onward
- 4 bonus points for participating in the group stage
- 4 bonus points for reaching the Round of 16
- 1 point for each round reached from the Round of 16 onward
2025 Club World Cup: 29 Teams Qualified (3 Spots Remaining)
So, which teams will participate in the competition? The lineup is almost complete, with 29 teams already guaranteed a spot in the tournament's final phase and ready to head to the United States next June. Let's see which teams they are:
THE 12 EUROPEAN QUALIFIED TEAMS
Champions League Winners:
- Manchester City (2023 winner)
- Real Madrid (2022 winner)
- Chelsea (2021 winner)
Teams Qualified by Ranking:
- Bayern Munich
- Paris Saint Germain
- Inter
- Porto
- Benfica
- Borussia Dortmund
- JUVENTUS
- Atletico Madrid
- Salzburg
THE 6 SOUTH AMERICAN QUALIFIED TEAMS
4 Libertadores Winners:
- Palmeiras (BRA) - 2021 winner
- Flamengo (BRA) - 2022 winner
- Fluminense FC (BRA) - 2023 winner
- 2024: to be determined
Qualified by Ranking:
- River Plate (ARG)
- One spot to be assigned
THE 4 AFRICAN QUALIFIED TEAMS
Three (now two) spots assigned to African Champions League winners:
- Al Ahly SC (EGY) - 2020/21 and 2022-23 winner
- Wydad AC (MAR) - 2021/22 winner
Teams Qualified by Ranking:
- Espérance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) - in the African Champions League final with already qualified Al Ahly
- Mamelodi Sundowns (SAF)
THE 4 ASIAN QUALIFIED TEAMS
Three Asian Champions League Winners:
- Al Hilal SFC (Saudi Arabia) - 2021 winner
- Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) - 2022 winner
- Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) - 2023/24 winner
One Qualified by Ranking:
- Ulsan (KOR)
THE 4 NORTH-CENTRAL AMERICAN QUALIFIED TEAMS
Four North-Central American Champions League Winners:
- CF Monterrey (MEX) - 2021 winner
- Seattle Sounders FC (USA) - 2022 winner
- Club León (MEX) - 2023 winner
- Pachuca - 2024 winner
THE OCEANIA QUALIFIED TEAM:
- Auckland City FC (NZL) - Qualified by Ranking
THE OTHER CURRENTLY QUALIFIED TEAMS
- Boca Juniors (South America)
- Club Olimpia* (South America)
- Philadelphia Union* (Central and North America)
- Jeonbuk Motors (Asia)
*Qualified by ranking if the winner of the continental cup in 2024 is already among the teams admitted to the next Club World Cup.