The 2025 Club World Cup is set to be a thrilling competition, featuring 32 clubs from around the world. This year, the tournament will see a change in format, with teams going through group stages before progressing to knockout rounds. In the past, the competition featured one team from each of the six continental confederations and the league champions from the host nation.
One of the major talking points leading up to the tournament has been concerns over the football calendar being extended and controversy over the qualification criteria. For instance, Inter Miami secured a spot in the competition after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield, despite not winning the MLS championship. This has raised questions about the fairness of the qualification process.
Several high-profile teams such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Bayer Leverkusen will not be participating in the tournament. However, teams like Manchester City, Inter, and Real Madrid will be taking part. The qualification criteria and details on how to watch the draw can be found on the official website.
The draw for the tournament will take place in Miami today at 1 pm ET (6 pm GMT). The Athletic has provided a detailed profile of each of the 32 teams participating in the competition, ranked according to their position in the Opta Global Power Rankings. The list includes key information about each team, such as their country, confederation, global power ranking, and how they qualified for the tournament.
Some of the top-ranked teams in the competition include Inter, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Chelsea, and Juventus. Each team has its own unique history and key players who will play a crucial role in their performance during the tournament.
Overall, the 2025 Club World Cup promises to be an exciting event with top clubs from around the world competing for the prestigious title. Football fans can look forward to thrilling matches and unforgettable moments as the best teams in the world battle it out on the pitch.