2025 FIFA Club World Cup

[John Arne]

I'm actually looking forward to this, it's always fun on FM... albeit it's another summer that players won't be resting.

FIFA finally sorted their shit out and have done away with 3 team groups... the 2025 edition will be 32 teams (8 groups of 4 then into knock-out), taking place in the US, split as:

- 12 Europe
- 6 South America
- 4 North/Central America
- 4 Africa
- 4 Asia
- 1 Oceania
- 1 Host Country

Qualified so far:

Europe:
Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man City + 2024 Champions League Winner + 8 UEFA Club Ranking Teams (currently would be Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSG, Man Utd, Inter, Roma, Juventus and Leipzig)

Asia:
Al-Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds + 2024 Champions League + 1 AFC Club Ranking (today would be Persepolis)

South America:
Palmeiras and Flamengo + 2023 Copa Libertadores + 2024 Copa Libertadores + 2 CONMEBOL Rankings (currently River Plate and Boca Juniors)

North & Central America:
Monterrey, Leon and Seattle Sounders + 2024 CONCACAF Champions League

Africa:
Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca + 2024 CAF Champions League + 1 CAF Ranking (currently Espérance de Tunis)

Oceania:
Top OFC Ranking (who has also previously won the OFC Champions League from 2021-2024) - will be Auckland City or the winner of the 2024 OFC Champions League (if they manage to overhaul Auckland in the club ranking)

Host:
TBC, probably I would guess the winner of the 2024 MLS Season

Expected to take place June-July 2025, as a precursor to the 2026 World Cup taking place in Mexico-USA-Canada.

[John Arne]

One slight quirk of the tournament is that it is possible (albeit unlikely) that the CURRENT continental champions would not be involved. For example, if Brighton come from nowhere and win the 2024-25 Champions League, they won't be invited to the Club World Cup taking place a couple of weeks later. Same for Asia, too.

[Mike]

I always wonder, with things like this, can a team turn entering down?

[Lofty]

I think as it stands any team turning it down would be foolish as FIFA want this to make the UCL look like the Intertoto in terms of prestige and prize money.

[John Arne]

Yeah, FIFA are gonna sell the fuck out of this, I imagine.

[Raoul Duke]

It's a way to legitimise the Saudi league and give it prestige

[Lewis]

Roberto Mancini snaffling thirty million a year to manage their national team is good going. The players on silly money at least have to run around in the heat. He probably won't even live there.

[niko_cee]

He'll probably be parachuted into the Toon by Christmas.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This thing originates from FIFA being frustrated at the UEFA/The Clubs making easier money than they do. Of course that rivalry goes out the window once the Saudis have just bought out everything.

[John Arne]

FIFA started posting about this at the weekend, and somehow managed to make it more confusing than my summary above. They also confirmed that the tournament will take place 15th June - 13th July 2025 in the US.

The also got called out by the usually excellent Footy Rankings, so it will be interesting to see who is wrong. My predictions above are a little bit wrong as apparently the top ranked qualification route is not 'best at the time' but 4yr ranking.

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All the other continents...

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[Jimmy Floyd]

It feels like something that by the time it actually happens will somehow have been blown out of the water by the Saudis.

[John Arne]

Leon have lost their appeal and our OUT.

To be replaced by either LAFC or Club America. Reached out to my mate at LAFC and he confirmed that they are possibly entering it.

I am kinda looking forward to this.

[John Arne]

[Ben]

Some football > no football

Set the bar low.

[-james-]

I'm finding it very hard to predict whether or not I'll care about watching this. Hard to shake the feeling that it'll stir about as much emotion as the Audi Cup.

I've always wanted to code a global club ranking model for betting purposes and this should really be the kick up the arse to get it done. 10/1 it happens.

[SvN]

Genuinely gobsmacked that FIFA haven't massaged the entry requirements to get Al Nassr involved, especially with Leon being expelled.

[Yevrah]

Why were Leon expelled and who is taking their place in that group?

[phonics]

Why were Leon expelled and who is taking their place in that group?

Multiclub ownership. Apparently it's a playoff between LAFC and someone else.

[John Arne]

I still do lol at Salzburg qualifying for this ahead of the likes of Barca, Arsenal and Liverpool.

[Ben]

Why were Leon expelled and who is taking their place in that group?

Leon and the other Mexican club have the same owner so one of them had to go.

[Pepe]

Leon have lost their appeal and our OUT.

To be replaced by either LAFC or Club America.

Should really be America. Three league titles in a row.