How did teams qualify for Club World Cup 2025? FIFA rules, selection criteria explained

FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.

Manchester City are the defending champions, having won the most recent edition under the old format in 2023. At that tournament in Saudi Arabia, host participants Al Ittihad joined the six confederation champions.

The expanded 32-team event obviously needs a few more participants. So, how did the teams that entered into the December 2024 draw qualify and how were the slots distributed between the continents?

Here, The Sporting News breaks down who gets to play at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and why.

WATCH: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup exclusively on DAZN

How did teams qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?

In February 2023, the FIFA Council approved the allocation of places to each confederation for its expanded Club World Cup, Unsurprisingly, Europe and South America will be most heavily represented.

Africa, Asia and North American will take four teams apiece, with one entrant from Oceania and the now much-discussed host club.

Here’s how the allocation breaks down:

• UEFA — 12 slots
• CONMEBOL — 6 slots
• AFC — 4 slots
• CAF — 4 slots
• CONCACAF — 4 slots
• OFC — 1 slot
• Host team

Performances during the qualification period of 2021-2024 were considered, with continental champions in each of these seasons guaranteed a spot at the tournament.

For CONCACAF, this is a very straightforward equation, with Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, Club Leon and Pachuca meaning there were four separate CONCACAF Champions League winners during the qualifying window. However, Club Leon were removed from the competition in March 2025 after failing to comply with multi-club ownership rules. They are appealing against the decision.

CAF had multiple Champions League winners between 2021-2024, while the AFC’s switch to an inter-year schedule in 2023/24 meant it only had three winners within the time period. The remaining slots were allocated based on club rankings related to performances in continental competitions. This is how Argentine giants River Plate and Boca Juniors qualified despite failing to win the Copa Libertadores between 2021 and 2024.

Club ranking were calculated by awarding teams three points for a win, one for draw and three for successfully progressing to the next stage of the competition.

The exception to this was UEFA, which already has its well-established club coefficient system. Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid (two) have Champions League titles to their name during the qualifying period, meaning coefficient places end up accounting for nine slots.

The highest-ranked teams were not guaranteed a place because, outside of champion teams, there was a restriction on more than two clubs from the same association appearing. For example, Chelsea and City’s UEFA Champions League successes meant the coefficient route was closed to Premier League teams, which is why Liverpool, for example, are not in the tournament.

The lone Oceania spot goes to Auckland City as the best-ranking OFC Champions League winner of the past few years, while Inter Miami’s Supporters’ Shield success in MLS this season cleared the way for Lionel Messi’s side to take up the host slot. This caused a few raised eyebrows given the MLS champions for 2024, LA Galaxy, were not given a qualifying place.

Who is at the FIFA Club World Cup and how did they qualify?

The below table details how each of the 32 teams qualified for the tournament.

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