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With the FIFA Club World Cup just around the corner, we have delved into the qualifying criteria for the new-look competition.
We explain the qualifying process for the new-look FIFA Club World Cup which will take place between June 15-July 13, 2025.
Clubs from across the globe will take part in the new-look competition, which will now be held every four years rather than each season.
Here we take a look at how the 32 teams got there.
Who will be playing in the 2025 Club World Cup?
Entrants will come from all six of FIFA’s confederations: Asia, Africa, CONCACAF (North & Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), Oceania and Europe.
Qualification via continental title
Each confederation is allocated a certain number of slots within the 32-club system. Europe holds the most with 12, while South America was given six.
Asia, North America and Africa hold four spots each, while one has been reserved for both Oceania and the host country.
Manchester City, Real Madrid and Chelsea’s qualification for this year’s tournament was due to their respective UEFA Champions League triumphs in the last four years.
This route for qualification also extends to the AFC Champions League, Concacaf Champions Cup, CAF Champions League and CONMEBOL Libertadores.
As a result, teams including Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Al Ahly (Egypt), and Flamengo (Brazil) all had their spot for the summer tournament automatically booked.
Other giants of the game such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid had to seal their spot via UEFA’s ranking pathway.
Qualification via ranking
The automatic qualifications of City, Madrid and Chelsea left nine European slots available, and those are secured via a ranking system.
FIFA states that ranking points are awarded from the group stage of the confederation’s relevant premier club competition, via the following points system.
But this does not apply to UEFA, which already uses a coefficient system. As a result, FIFA will utilise the following ranking system to establish for European teams to qualify.
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2 points for a win
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1 point for a draw
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4 points for qualification for the group stage
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5 points for qualification for the round of 16
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1 point for progress to each stage of the competition thereafter
But there are some exceptions.
Only a maximum of two teams from the same country can compete, unless spots are earned via a continental title.
That is why the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona will not be present at this tournament, despite placing above teams such as Benfica and Juventus in the UEFA ranking pathway.
Brazil, though, will be represented by four teams in the United States, following a dominant four years in the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
Confederations with four slots, such as CAF, AFC and Concacaf, only see teams qualify via ranking points if one of their clubs has won their premier club competition more than once in the last four years.
Continental cup qualifiers
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Al Ahly (Egypt) – 2020/21, 2022/23 and 2023/24 CAF Champions League
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Wydad (Morocco) – 2021/22 CAF Champions League
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Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) – 2021 AFC Champions League
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Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) – 2022 AFC Champions League
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Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) – 2023/24 AFC Champions League
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Chelsea (England) – 2020/21 UEFA Champions League
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Real Madrid (Spain) – 2021/22 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League
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Manchester City (England) – 2022/23 UEFA Champions League
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Monterrey (Mexico) – 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup
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Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup
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Club Leon (Mexico) – 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup
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Pachuca (Mexico) – 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup
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Palmeiras (Brazil) – 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores
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Flamengo (Brazil) – 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores
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Fluminense (Brazil) – 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores
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Botafogo (Brazil) – 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Other qualifiers
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Bayern Munich (Germany) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Paris Saint-Germain (France) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Inter Milan (Italy) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Porto (Portugal) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Benfica (Portugal) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Juventus (Italy) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Atletico Madrid (Spain) – UEFA ranking pathway
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FC Salzburg (Austria) – UEFA ranking pathway
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Auckland City (New Zealand) – OFC ranking pathway
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Ulsan HD FC (Korea) – AFC ranking pathway
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ES Tunis (Tunisia) – CAF ranking pathway
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Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) – CAF ranking pathway
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River Plate (Argentina) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
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Boca Juniors (Argentina) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
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Inter Miami (USA) – Host nation
The teams are divided into eight groups of four with the top two progressing to the last-16 knockout stage.
The winners of each match will progress until the final is played between the two remaining teams.
Unlike the international World Cup, there will be no third-place playoff.
