2025 FIFA Club World Cup

International soccer tournament held in 2025

2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Take it to the World

Tournament details
Host country| United States
Dates| June 15 – July 13
Teams| 32 (from 6 confederations)

<- 2023

2029 ->

International football competition

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is the planned 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized by FIFA. The tournament is scheduled to be played in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. It is planned to be the first under an expanded format with 32 teams,[1] including the winners of the four previous continental championships.[2]

Manchester City is the defending champion.

## Background and format

[edit]

Since its return from hiatus in 2005, the FIFA Club World Cup had been held annually in December and limited to the winners of continental club competitions.[3] As early as late 2016, FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested expanding the Club World Cup to 32 teams beginning in 2019 and rescheduling it to June/July to be more balanced and more attractive to broadcasters and sponsors.[4] In late 2017, FIFA discussed proposals to expand the competition to 24 teams and have it be played every four years by 2021, replacing the FIFA Confederations Cup.[5] The expanded format and schedule of Club World Cup, to be played in June and July 2021, was confirmed at the March 2019 FIFA Council meeting in Miami.[6][7] China was appointed as host in October 2019,[8] but the 2021 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10]

On June 23, 2023, FIFA confirmed that the United States will host the 2025 tournament as a prelude to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[11] The host cities for the tournament remain undecided.[12] The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four teams with the top two teams in each group qualifying to the knockout stage.[13] The format will be the same that was used in the FIFA World Cup between 1998 and 2022, with the exception of a third-place play-off.[14]

In January 2024, it was reported that the tournament would take place on the East Coast to be closer to European broadcasters and viewers while also avoiding conflicts with the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will also take place primarily in the United States around the same time but on the West Coast.[15]

## Slot allocation

[edit]

Al-Hilal

Urawa Red Diamonds

Ulsan HD

Al Ain

Al Ahly

Wydad AC

Espérance de Tunis

Mamelodi Sundowns

Monterrey

Seattle Sounders FC

León

Pachuca

Palmeiras

Buenos Aires

Rio de Janeiro

Auckland City

Buenos Aires teams
Boca Juniors
River Plate

Rio de Janeiro teams
Flamengo
Fluminense

class=notpageimage|

Location of the non-UEFA teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Salzburg

Chelsea

Manchester City

Paris Saint-Germain

Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund

Inter Milan

Juventus

Porto

Benfica

Madrid

Madrid teams
Atlético Madrid
Real Madrid

class=notpageimage|

Location of the UEFA teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

On February 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation for the 2025 tournament based on a "set of objective metrics and criteria". UEFA was awarded the most slots with twelve, while CONMEBOL was given the second most with six. The AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF were all given four slots, while the OFC and the host association were given one slot each.[16] On March 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the key principles of the access list for the tournament.[17] The principles are as follows, considering competitions completed during a four-year period from 2021 to 2024:[18]

* CONMEBOL and UEFA (more than four slots): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024, with additional teams to be determined by a club ranking of the four-year period.[18]
* AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF (four slots each): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024.[18][note 1]
* OFC (one slot): access for the highest-ranked club among the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024.[18][note 2]
* Host country (one slot): This will be determined at a later stage.

If a club wins two or more seasons of its confederation's top club competition, additional teams will be determined by a club ranking over the four-year period. Furthermore, a restriction of two clubs per association will be applied, with the exception of champion clubs if more than two clubs from the same association win their confederation's top club competition. The calculation method for the four-year club rankings within each confederation will be based on sporting criteria during seasons completed between 2021 and 2024, and will be finalized after consultation with confederations and stakeholders.[17][18]

### Qualified teams

[edit]

The following teams have qualified for the tournament:[21][22][23][18]

Confederation  | Team(s)  | Qualification  | Qualified date(s)  | Participation

|
|
|
|

AFC (4 slots) |  Al-Hilal | Winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 4th (Previous: 2019, 2021, 2022)
Urawa Red Diamonds | Winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League | May 6, 2023  | 4th (Previous: 2007, 2017, 2023)
Al Ain | Winners of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League | May 25, 2024  | 2nd (Previous: 2018)
Ulsan HD | AFC 4-year ranking  | April 17, 2024  | 3rd (Previous: 2012, 2020)
CAF (4 slots) |  Al Ahly | Winners of the 2020–21, 2022–23, and 2023–24 CAF Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 10th (Previous: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Wydad AC | Winners of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 3rd (Previous: 2017, 2022)
Espérance de Tunis | CAF 4-year ranking  | April 26, 2024  | 4th (Previous: 2011, 2018, 2019)
Mamelodi Sundowns | CAF 4-year ranking  | April 26, 2024  | 2nd (Previous: 2016)
CONCACAF (4 slots) |  Monterrey | Winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 6th (Previous: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021)
Seattle Sounders FC | Winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 2nd (Previous: 2022)
León | Winners of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League | June 4, 2023  | 2nd (Previous: 2023)
Pachuca | Winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup | June 1, 2024  | 5th (Previous: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017)
CONMEBOL (6 slots) |  Palmeiras | Winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 3rd (Previous: 2020, 2021)
Flamengo | Winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores[note 4] | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 3rd (Previous: 2019, 2022)
Fluminense | Winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores[note 4] | November 4, 2023  | 2nd (Previous: 2023)
TBD | Winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores[note 5] | November 30, 2024  |
River Plate | CONMEBOL 4-year ranking[note 4] | May 14, 2024[24] | 3rd (Previous: 2015, 2018)
Boca Juniors | CONMEBOL 4-year ranking  | August 22, 2024  | 2nd (Previous: 2007)
OFC (1 slot) |  Auckland City | Best OFC Champions League winners in the OFC 4-year ranking[note 2] | December 17, 2023  | 12th (Previous: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023)
UEFA (12 slots) |  Chelsea | Winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 3rd (Previous: 2012, 2021)
Real Madrid | Winners of the 2021–22 and 2023–24 UEFA Champions League | March 14, 2023[note 3] | 7th (Previous: 2000, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022)
Manchester City | Winners of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League | June 10, 2023  | 2nd (Previous: 2023)
Bayern Munich | UEFA 4-year ranking  | December 17, 2023[note 6] | 3rd (Previous: 2013, 2020)
Paris Saint-Germain | UEFA 4-year ranking  | December 17, 2023[note 6] | 1st
Inter Milan | UEFA 4-year ranking  | December 17, 2023[note 6] | 2nd (Previous: 2010)
Porto | UEFA 4-year ranking  | December 17, 2023[note 6] | 1st
Benfica | UEFA 4-year ranking  | December 17, 2023[note 6] | 1st
Borussia Dortmund | UEFA 4-year ranking  | March 6, 2024  | 1st
Juventus | UEFA 4-year ranking  | March 12, 2024  | 1st
Atlético Madrid | UEFA 4-year ranking  | April 16, 2024  | 1st
Red Bull Salzburg | UEFA 4-year ranking  | April 17, 2024  | 1st
CONCACAF (host) (1 slot) |  TBD | TBD |  | 1st

### Teams still in contention for qualification through four-year confederations rankings

[edit]

#### Format

[edit]

* A restriction of two clubs per association is applied on teams eligible for qualifications via ranking. Clubs from Brazil are not eligible for classification via the four-year ranking due to this restriction, as three clubs have already qualified by winning their continent premier club competition.
* For confederations (other than Europe) the teams are ranked according to match result, excluding extra time (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss); and stage qualifications (3 points for each round reached, starting at the group stage). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[18]

1. Best competition result
2. Most recent best result
3. Goal difference
4. Goals scored

CONMEBOL clubs  Teams  | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total[note 7]

|
|
|
|
|

W | D | L | Phase | Points | W | D | L | Phase | Points | W | D | L | Phase | Points | W | D | L | Phase | Points
River Plate† (Q) | 3 | 4 | 3 | QF | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | R16 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 3 | R16 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 0 | QF | 32 | 96
Boca Juniors (Q) | 3 | 3 | 2 | R16 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 2 | R16 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 1 | Final | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | DNQ | 0 | 71
Olimpia | 3 | 2 | 5 | QF | 20 | 2 | 2 | 2 | GS | 11 | 5 | 2 | 3 | QF | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | DNQ | 0 | 57
Colo-Colo†  | 0 | 0 | 0 | DNQ | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | GS | 10 | 1 | 3 | 2 | GS | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | QF | 22 | 41

Source: [18][25]

Legend

Qualified (Q)

Possible qualification[note 5]

Teams in contention

* † Active teams
* QF Quarter final
* R16 Round of 16
* GS Group stage
* DNQ Did not qualify

## Broadcasting

[edit]

On July 15, 2024, media rights tender for FIFA’s new top club competition open for the Americas, Asia, and Middle East & North Africa for 2025 editions.[26] FIFA published an "invitation to tender in the Americas, Asia, and Middle East & North Africa" weeks after talks with tech giant Apple over an exclusive $1 billion global rights deal for the tournament, which was said to be a quarter of FIFA's broadcasting target value for the tournament reportedly stalled.[27][28][29]

## Symbols

[edit]

On September 4, 2024, FIFA released the official emblem and audio signature of the tournament. The emblem takes inspiration from the ball, football history and culture, with the initials of the tournament abstracted into a circular icon.[30] The official audio will feature Italian singer Gala's song Freed from Desire.[31]

## Criticism

[edit]

### Impact of added fixtures

[edit]

The proposed expansion was criticized by FIFPRO, a global union of professional players, as well as the World Leagues Forum, which represents professional leagues; both organizations raised concerns about player welfare due to the added fixtures in an already congested playing calendar.[32][33] The Spanish top division league, La Liga, also criticized the plan and said in a statement that it would consider legal action to block the expansion.[34] Many clubs and national federations have opposed its scheduling, accusing FIFA of prioritizing money over the health of the players.[35]

The addition of the annual FIFA Intercontinental Cup tournament was also criticized for creating an overload of competitions that would further put the health of the players at risk.[36] In May 2024, FIFPRO and the World Leagues Forum published a letter they sent to FIFA that calls on a rescheduling of the tournament as well as a reform to the FIFA International Match Calendar to give players more time to rest between major competitions, which have also seen expansions. The organizations also stated in the letter that they would advise member clubs to seek legal action or other options in the event that schedule congestion is not addressed.[36][37] On June 13, 2024, FIFPRO announced that England’s Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and France's Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNPF) submitted a legal claim with the Business Court in Brussels to protest the tournament.[38]

In a written response to criticism of the added fixtures stated in the letter sent by the FIFPRO and World League Forms FIFA stated that the accusations stated in the letter were "not supported by facts" and that the schedule for the Club World Cup was aligned with the FIFA International Match Calendar to assure enough time between the tournament final and the start of domestic leagues to ensure player welfare.[39]

### Impact of transfers and free agency

[edit]

Some have questioned the potential impact of transfers on the tournament as the summer transfer window will be open in many leagues during the tournament, and thus players in the tournament may potentially be moved to a different club during including to other teams playing in the tournament. In addition many European player contracts will expire in the middle of the tournament on June 30 which may not make them able to play the full tournament as they would become a free agent. FIFA has stated that players will likely be banned from representing multiple clubs, should they be transferred between tournament clubs during the tournament. Though it is unclear if a special arrangement allowing clubs to briefly extend expiring player contracts from June 30 to the end of the tournament will be in place for the tournament.[40]

### Impact of multi-club ownership

[edit]

In an issue not unique to the Club World Cup, some teams in the tournament are owned by multi-club ownership groups including tournament qualifiers Pachuca and León which are both owned by Grupo Pachuca which may raise conflict of interest concerns. In a statement in response to this concern FIFA stated that “Regarding elements of regulation of the competition, including participation, all appropriate measures will be taken within the regulatory framework which will be put in place to ensure the integrity of the competition, as has always been the case for all of FIFA’s competitions.”[40]

## See also

[edit]

* 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ As the AFC Champions League was shifted from an intra-year schedule to an inter-year schedule starting from 2023–24, only three seasons of the AFC Champions League were completed within the 2021 to 2024 timeframe, resulting in the remaining slot allocated using the 4-year club ranking.[18]
2. ^ a b As the 2021 OFC Champions League was canceled, the slot was awarded to the best club in the OFC's 4-year ranking that won the competition between 2022 and 2024.[18][19][20]
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i The teams' participation was confirmed on March 14, 2023, with the approval of the access list. However, the teams won the competitions (that eventually qualified them for the Club World Cup) on the following dates: Al-Hilal (November 23, 2021), Al Ahly (July 17, 2021), Wydad AC (May 30, 2022), Monterrey (October 28, 2021), Seattle Sounders FC (May 4, 2022), Palmeiras (November 27, 2021), Flamengo (October 29, 2022), Chelsea (May 29, 2021), and Real Madrid (May 28, 2022).
4. ^ a b c Team may additionally be the 2024 Copa Libertadores winner.
5. ^ a b If previous competitions winners Flamengo or Fluminense or ranking qualifier River Plate becomes the winner of the 2024 Copa Libertadores, the spot will be redistributed to the third eligible team in the 4-year ranking.[18]
6. ^ a b c d e Five eligible teams qualified on December 17, 2023, via 4-year confederations ranking, when the qualifying procedure was confirmed. These teams were both guaranteed a place in the top eight and could not be made ineligible by two teams from their own federation accumulating more points.[18]
7. ^ A maximum of 16 points can still be achieved at the 2024 tournament without winning. After quarter-finals – second leg, this reduces to 10 points.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Everything you need to know". FIFA. February 28, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
2. ^ "FIFA World Cup 2022 praised for its "unique cohesive power"". FIFA.com. FIFA. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
3. ^ Lowy, Zach (January 30, 2023). "Soccer 101: FIFA Club World Cup". St. Louis City SC. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
4. ^ "FIFA boss suggests 32-team Club World Cup in 2019". CBC Sports. Associated Press. November 18, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
5. ^ "FIFA considering 24-team Club World Cup to be played in summer". ESPN. Associated Press. October 31, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
6. ^ "FIFA Council votes for the introduction of a revamped FIFA Club World Cup". FIFA. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
7. ^ "Fifa Club World Cup: Revised tournament approved despite top European clubs saying they will boycott". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
8. ^ "FIFA Council unanimously appoints China PR as hosts of new Club World Cup in 2021". FIFA. October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
9. ^ Ames, Doha (December 16, 2022). "Gianni Infantino announces 32-team men's Club World Cup in 2025". The Guardian. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
10. ^ Olley, James (December 16, 2022). "FIFA to launch new Club World Cup format with 32 teams in 2025". ESPN. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
11. ^ "FIFA Council appoints United States as host of new and expanded FIFA Club World Cup". FIFA. June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
12. ^ "United States to host expanded 32-team Club World Cup in 2025". ESPN. Associated Press. June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
13. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Dates, format and qualifiers". FIFA. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
14. ^ "FIFA Council confirms key details for FIFA Club World Cup 2025™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
15. ^ Sheldon, Felipe Cardenas and Dan. "Club World Cup set for U.S. east coast, Gold Cup on west". The Athletic. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
16. ^ "FIFA Council highlights record breaking revenue in football". FIFA. February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
17. ^ a b "FIFA Council approves international match calendars". FIFA. March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ Confederations ranking". FIFA. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
19. ^ "City confirmed for expanded 2025 Club World Cup". Auckland City FC. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
20. ^ friendsoffootballnz_irqgpj (December 18, 2023). "Auckland City qualify for revamped FIFA Club World Cup to be held in 2025". Friends of Football. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
21. ^ "All six continents assured places at expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup". FIFA. March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
22. ^ "FIFA Council confirms key details for FIFA Club World Cup 2025". FIFA. December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
23. ^ "Club World Cup 2025: How qualification works & list of qualified teams | Goal.com India". www.goal.com. December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
24. ^ "Mundial de Clubes FIFA 25™ place in sight for River Plate". FIFA. May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
25. ^ Claudio Rodriguez (May 31, 2024). "Clasificación al Mundial de Clubes 2025: Sistema, tablas de posiciones y clasificados". sportingnews.com (in Spanish). The Sporting News. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
26. ^ McCaskill, Steve (July 16, 2024). "Fifa invites bids for regional rights to expanded Club World Cup". SportsPro. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
27. ^ "FIFA asks for Club World Cup broadcast bids just 11 months before 32-team event launches in US". AP News. July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
28. ^ Crafton, Adam. "FIFA opens up bidding for Club World Cup media rights". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
29. ^ "Low financial incentives and lack of broadcast partner plaguing FIFA Club World Cup". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. June 21, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
30. ^ "FIFA unveils emblem and audio signature for new FIFA Club World Cup". FIFA. September 4, 2024.
31. ^ "FIFA unveil Club World Cup logo and official audio with help from DJ Khaled". as.com. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
32. ^ Grohmann, Karolos (December 16, 2022). "Club World Cup to feature 32 teams in 2025, says FIFA president Infantino". Reuters. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
33. ^ Olley, James (December 16, 2022). "FIFA to launch new Club World Cup format with 32 teams in 2025". ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
34. ^ "Spanish league attacks FIFA's plan for bigger Club World Cup". The Washington Post. Associated Press. December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
35. ^ "FIFA accused of prioritising own interests after revealing Club World Cup plans". One Football.com. December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
36. ^ a b MacInnes, Paul (May 9, 2024). "Fifa must postpone Club World Cup or face legal action, warns players' union". The Guardian. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
37. ^ "Club World Cup: Why FIFA is facing pushback over US-staged tournament". AP News. May 9, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
38. ^ sport, Guardian; Media, P. A. (June 13, 2024). "Footballers' union starts legal action against Fifa over Club World Cup". The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
39. ^ Crafton, Adam. "One year until the Club World Cup in the United States - what's going on?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
40. ^ a b Crafton, Adam. "One year until the Club World Cup in the United States - what's going on?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Club ranking by confederation – FIFA

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