FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Teams and format revealed

The FIFA Club World Cup is set to be held in its revamped format for the first time in the summer of 2025. The new format will see 30 teams from across the globe play for the competition previously contested as an annual mini-tournament.

While FIFPRO has decided to write to FIFA regarding the new format to add to an already congested fixture schedule, the tournament will be played every four years. In 2025, the USA will be hosting the matches with the final details and fixtures to be announced in due course.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 details: Which teams are playing?

FIFA has unveiled emblem and audio signature for new FIFA Club World Cup 🌍🏆

Freed from desire has been announced as the audio signature

FIFA will make several FIFA Club World Cup 2025 announcements in due course including the venues that will host the 63 matches in the… pic.twitter.com/9IWJKFZjvY

— 𝗠𝗩𝗡_𝗘𝗡 | 🇲🇦 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 (@MVN_EN) September 4, 2024

Here is a full list of the teams playing from each continent:

AFC (four slots)

• Al-Hilal – Winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League
• Urawa Red Diamonds – Winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League
• Al Ain – Winners of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League
• Ulsan HD – AFC 4-year ranking

CAF (four slots)

• Al Ahly – Winners of the 2020/21 and 2022/23 CAF Champions League
• Wydad Casablanca – Winners of the 2021/22 CAF Champions League
• Espérance de Tunis – CAF 4-year ranking
• Mamelodi Sundowns – CAF 4-year ranking

CONCACAF (four slots)

• Monterrey – Winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League
• Seattle Sounders – Winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League
• León – Winners of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League
• Pachuca – Winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup

CONMEBOL (six slots)

• Palmeiras – Winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores
• Flamengo – Winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores
• Fluminense – Winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores
• TBD – Winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores
• River Plate – CONMEBOL 4-year ranking
• Boca Juniors – CONMEBOL 4-year ranking

OFC (one slot)

1. Auckland City – Best OFC Champions League winner in OFC 4-year ranking

UEFA – (12 slots)

• Real Madrid – Winners of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League
• Manchester City – Winners of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League
• Bayern Munich – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Paris Saint-Germain – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Inter Milan – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Porto – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Benfica – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Borussia Dortmund – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Juventus – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Atlético Madrid – UEFA 4-year ranking
• Red Bull Salzburg – UEFA 4-year ranking

The format will consist of eight groups of four teams each. From there, the group winners and runners-up will progress to the knockout stages of the tournament. The games will likely be played on the East Coast since the West Coast will have the Gold Cup played at the time.

Teams are expected to have three days of rest between matches, and there is no third place playoff in the FIFA Club World Cup.