FIFA typically has specific access rules, but for the first edition, they’ve chosen to use the ranking of the UEFA to determine the teams that will be placed in the finals.
The FIFA Council has officially made a decision on the ranking that determines which clubs will participate in the 32-team Club World Cup, set to kick off in the summer of 2025 in the USA. The criteria include 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 3 points for progressing through each stage of the Champions League (qualification to the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final).
However, for the inaugural edition, FIFA has opted for a different criterion for European teams due to the late communication of official rules. The score is essentially based on criteria used by UEFA , albeit with slight modifications: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 4 points for qualification to the group stage, 5 points for qualification to the Round of 16, and 1 point for advancing in each subsequent stage of the competition. (So the qualified teams always rely on their results in the Champions League)
As of now, following the ranking, there will be 12 teams qualified from Europe including Inter, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG, Benfica, and Porto. The second Italian team will be either Juventus or Napoli, with Juventus currently having the upper hand.
The other three slots will be determined among Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and the winner of the 2023/24 Champions League. The rule stipulates that there can be only two teams per country and three only through winning what was once called the European Cup. For instance, if Arsenal wins the Champions League, England would have three teams.
Updated rankings, based on UEFA points in the Champions League over the last four years (excluding the four teams already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup – Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and the 2023/24 potential Champions League winner):
| POSITION | TEAM | POINTS 2023/24 | TOTAL POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 20,000 | 100,000 |
| 2 | PSG | 15,000 | 77,000 |
| 3 | Inter | 18,000 | 74,000 |
| 4 | Dortmund | 17,000 | 67,000 |
| 5 | Porto | 17,000 | 66,000 |
| 6 | Atletico Madrid | 19,000 | 62,000 |
| 6 | RB Leipzig | 17,000 | 61,000 |
| 6 | Barcelona | 17,000 | 55,000 |
| 9 | Benfica | 7,000 | 52,000 |
| 10 | Juventus | – | 47,000 |
| 11 | Napoli | 16,000 | 41,000 |
| 11 | AC Milan | 10,000 | 41,000 |
| 13 | Salzburg | 7,000 | 40,000 |
| 14 | Ajax | – | 39,000 |
| 15 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 10,000 | 35,000 |
| 16 | Lazio | 16,000 | 33,000 |
DATES FOR THE TOURNAMENT
The first edition of the tournament will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025, with a minimum of three days of rest between each match.
THE FORMAT
The tournament format will be the same as the World Cup for Nations. There will be 8 groups with 4 teams with 2 advancing in the round of 16 to a direct elimination game.
