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2025 FIFA Club World Cup qualification
Qualification process for participants From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup qualification was the qualifying process which decided the 32 participants in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The final tournament was played in the United States from June 14 to July 13, 2025.
The majority of teams qualified based on performance in their respective confederation's club championships. Only a single play-in match was played as part of qualification which determined the final team in the Club World Cup.
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Slot allocation
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On February 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation for the 2025 tournament based on a "set of objective metrics and criteria". UEFA were awarded the most slots with twelve, while CONMEBOL were given the second most with six. The AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF were all given four slots, while the OFC and the host association were given one slot each.[1] On March 14, the FIFA Council approved the key principles of the access list for the tournament.[2] The principles were as follows, considering competitions completed during a four-year period from 2021 to 2024:
- CONMEBOL and UEFA (more than four slots): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024, with additional teams determined by a club ranking of the four-year period
- AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF (four slots each): access for the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024[note 1]
- OFC (one slot): access for the highest-ranked club among the winners of the confederation's top club competition between 2021 and 2024[note 2]
- Host country (one slot): this was determined at a later stage.
If a club won two or more seasons of their confederation's top club competition, additional teams were determined by a club ranking of the four-year period. A restriction of two clubs per association was applied, with an exception for champion clubs if more than two clubs from the same association won their confederation's top club competition. The calculation method for the four-year club rankings within each confederation was based on sporting criteria during seasons completed between 2021 and 2024, and was finalized after consultation with confederations and stakeholders.[2]
Host club selection
As with previous editions of the Club World Cup, the new format allocated a slot reserved for the host nation.[3] Traditionally, this slot was filled by the defending champion of the host nation. The champion of Major League Soccer was determined by a postseason playoff rather than the regular season record (in the case of the 2024 season, it was the LA Galaxy).[4] The exact qualification method had been left undetermined for an extended period of time into the 2024 regular season. At the mid-season MLS All-Star Game, league commissioner Don Garber suggested that the spot could be filled with the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield winner, the MLS Cup 2024 winner, or a possible playoff between them.[5][6]
On October 19, 2024, FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared on the pitch shortly after Inter Miami CF's 6–2 home win over the New England Revolution on Decision Day, and officially announced that the final slot would be given to Inter Miami as winners of the 2024 Supporters' Shield, prior to the beginning of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs and after Inter Miami had already won the Shield.[7] The rationale for this was considered to be because the Club World Cup has traditionally taken the host champions through who won silverware in the "league setting."[8] FIFA explained that it chose the Supporters' Shield winner because that award reflects a league setting, as opposed to MLS Cup. It also stated that it made the decision prior to Inter Miami CF's win, but could not announce it until regulations were approved in pre-scheduled conventions.[8]
This decision came under criticism from fans and media pundits for its lack of transparency, lack of qualification by traditional sporting merit, and as an attempt to court sponsors by ensuring that Lionel Messi would feature in the tournament.[4][9] On November 10, 2024, Inter Miami was eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs by Atlanta United FC in the first round.[10] Despite this, then-Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino defended the selection of the team, arguing that the Supporters' Shield was enough justification for selection.[11]
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Qualified teams
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The following teams qualified for the tournament:[12][13][14][15] Years in bold indicate winner of that year's Club World Cup.
By nation
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td:nth-last-child(2),.mw-parser-output .col-3right td:nth-last-child(3),.mw-parser-output .col-4right td:nth-last-child(4),.mw-parser-output .col-5right td:nth-last-child(5),.mw-parser-output .col-6right td:nth-last-child(6),.mw-parser-output .col-7right td:nth-last-child(7),.mw-parser-output .col-8right td:nth-last-child(8),.mw-parser-output .col-9right td:nth-last-child(9){text-align:right}Confederation qualification
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For confederations other than UEFA, the method was as follows:[22]
- 3 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 3 points for successful progression to each new stage of the competition
The method used by UEFA to calculate the club coefficient was "exceptionally applied" to rank the European teams,[22][note 6] and was as follows:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 4 points for qualification for the Group stage
- 5 points for qualification for the round of 16
- 1 point for progress to each stage of the competition thereafter
AFC
Table showing the top ten in the AFC rankings, as well as other relevant teams. One team qualified through the confederation ranking method.[note 1]
CAF
Table showing the top ten in the CAF rankings.
CONCACAF
Table showing the top ten in the CONCACAF rankings, as well as other relevant teams.
CONMEBOL
Table showing the top ten in the CONMEBOL rankings, as well as other relevant teams.
OFC
For the OFC, only the best-ranked club that were continental champions qualified for the tournament. The confederation ranking was therefore not applicable, as Auckland City won all three OFC Champions League competitions in this qualification timeframe.
UEFA
Table showing the top twenty in the UEFA rankings.
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Play-in match
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León was originally set to participate in the tournament as the winner of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. However, the team was removed from the tournament by the FIFA Appeal Committee on March 21, 2025, due to violating the rules on multi-club ownership, as León and Pachuca have the same owner.[23] On May 6, 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected appeals by León, Pachuca, and Alajuelense, who originally brought the case to FIFA. León's expulsion was confirmed by FIFA; their spot in the Club World Cup remaining vacant until further notice. In the same press release, FIFA announced that the vacant spot would not be given on merit, and instead ordered Los Angeles FC, the runners-up to León in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, and Club América, the top-ranked team in the CONCACAF confederation ranking at the conclusion of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup to compete against each other in a one-off match. FIFA also confirmed that the final spot would be awarded to the winner of the play-in, with further details coming at a later date.[24][25] On May 16, 2025, FIFA officially announced the match would be held on May 31, hosted by Los Angeles FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.[26]
          Los Angeles FC
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     América
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Notes
- As the AFC Champions League was shifted from an intra-year schedule to an inter-year schedule starting from 2023–24, only three seasons of the AFC Champions League were completed within the consideration period of 2021 to 2024. As a result, the remaining slot was allocated using the four-year club ranking.
- As the 2021 OFC Champions League was cancelled, the slot was awarded to the best club in the OFC's four-year ranking that won the competition between 2022 and 2024.
- The teams' participation was confirmed on March 14, 2023, with the approval of the access list. However, the teams won the competitions (that eventually qualified them for the Club World Cup) on the following dates: Al Hilal (November 23, 2021), Al Ahly (July 17, 2021), Wydad AC (May 30, 2022), Monterrey (October 28, 2021), Seattle Sounders FC (May 4, 2022), Palmeiras (November 27, 2021), Flamengo (October 29, 2022), Chelsea (May 29, 2021), and Real Madrid (May 28, 2022).
- Originally León was set to participate in the tournament as winner of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. On March 21, 2025, the team was removed from the competition due to violating the FIFA Appeal Committee's rules on multi-club ownership, as León and Pachuca have the same owner. On May 6, 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected appeals by León, Pachuca, and Alajuelense. FIFA confirmed León's exclusion and ordered a one-off match between Los Angeles FC and América to take place, the winner of which would qualify for the Club World Cup.[16][17][18][19] On May 31, Los Angeles FC beat América 2–1 in extra time to claim the final tournament spot.[20]
- Five eligible teams qualified on December 17, 2023, via four-year confederation rankings, when the qualifying procedure was confirmed. These teams were both guaranteed a place in the top eight and could not be made ineligible by two teams from their own national association accumulating more points.[15]
- The system was only applied over a four year timeframe, instead of the usual five years, applied only to the Champions League competition.
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References
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