(Reuters) – FIFA has announced that its newly revamped Club World Cup, set to take place for the first time in 2025, will now feature 32 teams and will be played from mid-June to mid-July.
Here are the details of how the tournament will work:
– The United States will host the 2025 edition of the expanded event, which will then be held every four years.
– The tournament will consist of eight groups of four teams, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stages, following the same format as the World Cup.
– The current version of the FIFA Club World Cup, an annual event with seven teams, will be discontinued after the upcoming tournament hosted by Saudi Arabia.
– Europe will have 12 teams in the new competition, South America will have six, and Africa, Asia, and North America will have four each. Oceania will have one slot, and the final slot will go to a club from the host country.
CLUB RANKING AND QUALIFICATION METHODOLOGY
– Clubs will be ranked based on four seasons of sporting criteria in order to secure qualification for the Club World Cup.
– Teams will accumulate points through wins and draws, as well as progress in their confederation’s premier competition.
– In Europe, UEFA’s club coefficients system will be used to allocate points based on wins, draws, and progression in the competition.
– The champions of each confederation from 2021-2024 will be eligible to play in the new Club World Cup. This means that Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City have already qualified from Europe.
– Other European teams in the running for qualification based on the points system are Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain, Inter Milan, FC Porto, and Benfica.
– From South America, Brazilian sides Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Fluminense have qualified as champions. Asian sides Al Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds have also secured their spots.
– Al Ahly and Wydad have similarly qualified from Africa, while Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, and Club Leon are through from North America. Auckland City from Oceania has already sealed their progress with no other team in position to overtake their points tally.
(Compiled by Rohith Nair; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
