Now that all the quarter-finals of the Champions League have been played, the participants for next year’s Club World Cup have been finalised. From 2025, the FIFA Club World Cup will be held in a completely revamped format, with both the field of participants and the format being adapted. The following teams have already been confirmed as participants in the new tournament.
After the quarter-finals of the top flight, all European participants in next year’s Club World Cup have been finalised. Two German teams will compete for the title of Club World Champion. Both FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have qualified for the tournament ahead of time thanks to their position in the UEFA four-year rankings.
Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, FC Porto, Benfica Lisbon and Juventus Turin have also qualified early.
The quarter-final matches also determined the two other top eight participants. By missing out on the semi-finals, neither FC Barcelona nor FC Arsenal were able to book a ticket for the Club World Cup. Instead, Atletico Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg qualified for the World Cup by eliminating their rivals. In addition, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Chelsea FC, the Champions League winners of the last three years, will also be taking part in next year’s tournament.
The European participants at a glance
The 12 clubs from Europe to compete at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. is set 🔒 pic.twitter.com/L7vFJ0k1L2
– CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 17, 2024
The FIFA Club World Cup has been held since 2000 to identify the best club in the world. Next year, it will be held in a completely new format. To increase its significance, the field of participants has been increased to 32 teams, compared to just seven previously. In addition, the tournament will only take place every four years in future, whereas previously the world championship title was played every season. After a group phase consisting of eight groups, the winner will be determined in a knockout format.
The Club World Cup will take place between 15 June and 13 July 2025, with Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Monterrey (Mexico), Club Leon (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (USA), Palmeiras (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Fluminese (Brazil), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and Auckland City (New Zealand) all qualifying from outside Europe.
