FIFA confirms new Club World Cup between June and July 2025

Soccer

Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense are already guaranteed in the competition

The Council of the International Football Federation (Fifa) met this Sunday (17), in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and defined the details of the entity’s new Club World Cup, which will have its initial edition in 2025. The tournament, which will bring together 32 teams, will be played in the United States between June 15th and July 13th.

The period allocated to the competition includes the final stretch of the European season and the middle of the Brazilian and South American competitions. Brazil has three clubs qualified for the inaugural edition of this new World Cup: Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense, champions of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Libertadores, respectively. The 2024 winner will also qualify for the tournament.

Also according to FIFA, starting next year, there will be an annual competition, called the Intercontinental Cup, bringing together the champions of the seven confederations. The format is similar to that of the current World Cup, with one difference: the winner of the European Champions League goes straight to the final, while the other teams – including the winner of the Libertadores – will face each other in knockout matches.

Another definition announced by the FIFA Council was that of the venues for the next U20 World Cups. The men’s tournament, in 2025, will be in Chile. The female one, in 2026, in Poland.

“It’s great to see new measures approved by the FIFA Council as we continue to strive to achieve our goal of making football truly global,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino commented on Instagram.

South America is entitled to six places in the new World Cup. In addition to the four Libertadores champions between 2021 and 2024, two other teams will be defined through a ranking, the criteria of which will still be announced. Europe will have 12 teams, four winners of the Champions League (also 2021 to 2024) and eight teams via ranking.

The confederations of North, Central America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa will have four places each. Oceania will have a representative, as will the host country – which, in the case of 2025, will be the United States.

Teams already classified for the 2025 World Cup

• South America – Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense
• Europe – Chelsea (England), Real Madrid (Spain) and Manchester City (England)
• Central and North America – Monterrey (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (United States) and León (Mexico)
• Asia – Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Urawa Reds (Japan)
• Africa – Al Ahly (Egypt) and Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)

read more

Palmeiras is two-time Brazilian champion; see title sequences from Verdão