The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 explained

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is an expanded version of the FIFA Club World Cup that has previously pitted the champions of the six global football confederations (e.g. UEFA, CONMEBOL etc.) against each other on an annual basis with a guest team from the host nation completing the line-up.

The 2025 tournament will be different as it will feature 32 teams representing each of the six global confederations. It will be held every four years with the first being played in the United States in 2025.

There is a four-year qualifying period leading up to the tournament and teams can claim a place in the competition in one of two ways:

1. the champions pathway: winning their confederation's premier club competition during the qualifying period (e.g. UEFA Champions League, CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, CAF Champions League etc.) 
2. the ranking pathway: based on a club's performance in their confederation's premier club competition across the whole qualifying period. For the 2025 competition, FIFA's ranking system is used for all continents except Europe where UEFA's long-standing club coefficient system is in place.

Africa (4): Three via champions pathway (CAF Champions League) and one via ranking pathway

Asia (4): Three via champions pathway (AFC Champions League) and one via ranking pathway

Europe (12): Four via champions pathway (UEFA Champions League) and eight via ranking pathway

North & Central America (4): All via champions pathway (Concacaf Champions Cup)

Oceania (1): Via ranking pathway

South America (6): Four via champions pathway (CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores) and two via ranking pathway

Host country (1): via invitation

Exceptions

• If one club wins more than one continental title in the qualifying period, an additional ranking pathway place for that confederation opens up
• There is a maximum of two clubs per country UNLESS more than two clubs from the same country win the continental title, e.g. if Bayern, Dortmund and RB Leipzig had all won the UEFA Champions League during the qualifying period, they would all have clinched places at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Bayern and Dortmund both qualified via the ranking pathway. Their UEFA Champions League performances in the qualifying period (2021-2024) left them in third and sixth place respectively in the UEFA coefficient system. It means they are the first (Bayern) and third-highest (BVB) ranked qualifiers via the ranking pathway.

bold type indicates continental champions & title-winning season

Africa: Al Ahly (EGY, 2020/21, 2022/23 & 2023/24), Espérance de Tunis (TUN), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA), Wydad Casablanca (MOR, 2021/22)

Asia: Al Ain (UAE, 2023/24), Al Hilal (KSA, 2021), Ulsan HD (KOR), Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN, 2022)

Europe: Atlético Madrid (ESP), Bayern Munich (GER), Benfica (POR), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Chelsea (ENG, 2020/21), Juventus (ITA), Inter Milan (ITA), Manchester City (ENG, 2022/23), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), FC Porto (POR), Real Madrid (ESP, 2021/22 & 2023/24), RB Salzburg (AUT)

North and Central America: Club León (MEX, 2023), Monterrey (MEX, 2021), Pachuca (MEX, 2024), Seattle Sounders (USA, 2022)

Oceania: Auckland City FC

South America: Boca Juniors (ARG), Botafogo (BRA, 2024), Flamengo (BRA, 2022), Fluminense (BRA, 2023), Palmeiras (BRA, 2021), River Plate (ARG)

Host country: Inter Miami (USA)

Twelve venues across the US will host the tournament's 63 matches. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey on 13 July 2025 and the opening match at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on 15 June. Five of the stadiums are among the 11 US-based venues for the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will be co-hosted with Canada and Mexico.

• Group stage: Eight groups of four teams in a single-game round-robin format.
• The top two teams in each group progress to the Round of 16.
• Straight knockout matches from Round of 16 to the final.
• No 3rd-place play-off

FIFA has announced it will take place in Miami, USA, on 5 December, 2024, at 13:00 local time (19:00 CET).