The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to arrive on the global football stage with its new 32-team format. The draw for the tournament will take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024, in Miami, Florida, USA.
The live studio event begins at 1:00 PM local time (19:00 CET) and will be broadcast worldwide on FIFA.com. With all 32 teams confirmed, this new edition of the tournament will be featuring a mix of champions from across six continents.
Tournament Format
The competition adopts a group and knockout stage format:
1. Group Stage:
Eight groups, each consisting of four teams.
Teams play in a single-game round-robin format, where each club faces the other three teams in their group once.
The top two teams from each group progress to the knockout stage.
2. Knockout Stage:
The round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will all follow a single-match elimination format. Notably, there will be no third-place play-off in this edition. This streamlined format ensures high stakes and drama in every match, culminating in a world-class final to crown the ultimate club champions.
Participating Teams
The 32-team lineup includes champions from each confederation, as well as qualifiers based on ranking pathways and the host nation slot.
FIFA announced on their official website the clubs pots of the draw and how they are classified as follows:
Pot 1 consists of the four highest-ranked teams from Europe (UEFA) together with the four highest-ranked teams from South America (CONMEBOL) while Pot 2 consists of the remaining eight teams from Europe.
Pot 3 consists of the two highest-ranked teams respectively from Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), and the North, Central America and Caribbean region (CONCACAF), alongside South America’s two remaining clubs. Pot 4 consists of the two remaining teams respectively from the CONCACAF region alongside Oceania’s representative and the team representing the host country – Inter Miami CF.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ pot allocation
Pot 1: Manchester City (ENG), Real Madrid C. F. (ESP), FC Bayern München (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), CR Flamengo (BRA), SE Palmeiras (BRA), CA River Plate (ARG), Fluminense FC (BRA)
Pot 2: Chelsea FC (ENG), Borussia Dortmund (GER), FC Internazionale Milano (ITA), FC Porto (POR), Atlético de Madrid (ESP), SL Benfica (POR), Juventus FC (ITA), FC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
Pot 3: Al Hilal (KSA), Ulsan HD (KOR), Al Ahly FC (EGY), Wydad AC (MAR), CF Monterrey (MEX), Club León (MEX), CA Boca Juniors (ARG), Botafogo (BRA)
Pot 4: Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Al Ain FC (UAE), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (TUN), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (RSA), CF Pachuca (MEX), Seattle Sounders FC (USA), Auckland City FC (NZL), Inter Miami CF (USA)
Significance
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 marks a transformative moment in football history.
By expanding the tournament to 32 teams, FIFA is looking to elevate the competition’s profile while bringing together some of the best clubs and players from across the globe.
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