Home
Next June, the United States will host the much anticipated 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where 32 top football clubs from around the world will face off for global supremacy. As defending champions, Manchester City will be aiming to retain their title, but the real excitement lies in the format change and the potential for some unforgettable moments. Among the many questions surrounding the tournament, one stands out: Why could Lionel Messi be one of the stars of the show?
How Teams Secure Their Spot in the 2025 Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup gathers the most successful teams from the six major international football confederations: AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North America), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania), and UEFA (Europe). There are two main ways teams qualify: by winning a continental title or through FIFA’s ranking system.
1. Qualification via Continental Titles
Each confederation is allocated a set number of spots. Europe takes the lion's share with 12 spots, while South America is given 6. Asia, North America, and Africa all have 4 spots, and there’s one reserved for Oceania and the host nation.
For example, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Chelsea all secured automatic places due to their victories in recent UEFA Champions League tournaments. Similarly, teams like Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Al Ahly (Egypt), and Flamengo (Brazil) earned their spots by winning their respective continental titles, such as the AFC Champions League, CAF Champions League, and CONMEBOL Libertadores.
2. Qualification via FIFA Ranking System
After the continental champions have been placed, the remaining spots are filled using a ranking system based on performance in premier club competitions. FIFA awards points for wins, draws, and progress through stages of tournaments. For European clubs, FIFA uses a separate coefficient system, which determines the ranking and entry into the tournament.
FIFA awards:
3 points for a win
1 point for a draw
3 points for progressing to each new stage
This ranking system meant that big clubs like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid had to earn their spots through the European rankings rather than by winning a continental title.
There’s also a unique rule that no more than two teams from the same country can qualify unless they win a continental championship. This is why teams like Liverpool and Barcelona won’t appear in the 2025 tournament, despite their strong showings in UEFA competitions.
Teams That Have Qualified via Continental Titles
Here’s a rundown of the teams that secured automatic spots by winning their respective continental competitions:
Al Ahly (Egypt) – 2020/21, 2022/23, and 2023/24 CAF Champions League
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) – 2021/22 CAF Champions League
Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) – 2021 AFC Champions League
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) – 2022 AFC Champions League
Al Ain (UAE) – 2023/24 AFC Champions League
Chelsea (England) – 2020/21 UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid (Spain) – 2021/22 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League
Manchester City (England) – 2022/23 UEFA Champions League
Monterrey (Mexico) – 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup
Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup
Club León (Mexico) – 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup
Pachuca (Mexico) – 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup
Palmeiras (Brazil) – 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Flamengo (Brazil) – 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Fluminense (Brazil) – 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Botafogo (Brazil) – 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Teams That Qualified via FIFA Ranking
Several other clubs earned their spot through FIFA’s ranking system, including:
Bayern Munich (Germany) – UEFA ranking pathway
Paris SaintGermain (France) – UEFA ranking pathway
Inter Milan (Italy) – UEFA ranking pathway
Porto (Portugal) – UEFA ranking pathway
Benfica (Portugal) – UEFA ranking pathway
Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – UEFA ranking pathway
Juventus (Italy) – UEFA ranking pathway
Atletico Madrid (Spain) – UEFA ranking pathway
FC Salzburg (Austria) – UEFA ranking pathway
Auckland City (New Zealand) – OFC ranking pathway
Ulsan Hyundai FC (South Korea) – AFC ranking pathway
ES Tunis (Tunisia) – CAF ranking pathway
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) – CAF ranking pathway
River Plate (Argentina) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
Boca Juniors (Argentina) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
Inter Miami’s Special Role as Host
As the host nation, Inter Miami automatically earned a spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. This gives Lionel Messi a unique opportunity to showcase his legendary talents on the world stage one last time. Fans are excited to see if Messi and Inter Miami can defy the odds and make a deep run in the tournament, which promises to be a thrilling spectacle.
With teams from all corners of the globe coming together, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be an unforgettable event, and with Messi potentially taking center stage, it could be a truly historic tournament for the ages.
