A newly structured FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the United States of America starting from June 15 to July 13, 2025. Clubs have grumbled about the number of games, but this new format is a welcome development in club football. Below are details of the competition, winner odds, and analyses of the contenders.
Bet on 2025 FIFA Club World with Bet365The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Format
Starting in 2025, the annual Club World Cup will take a new look, and this time around, it will see 32 clubs from AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA. The qualification criteria for clubs include winning continental competitions or getting selected via the continental ranking pathway. However, a maximum of two clubs from a country can qualify for this competition via the ranking pathway. Still, there is no restriction for clubs in a country that have won their continental competition over the past four years.
The 32 teams slots were shared into:
- One club from the host country.
- One Club from OFC (Oceania) — Via OFC ranking pathway.
- Four Clubs from CAF (Africa) — three CAF Champions League winners and one via CAF ranking pathway.
- Four Clubs from AFC (Asia) — three AFC Champions League winners and one via AFC ranking pathway.
- Four Concacaf (North and Central America, Caribbean) — All via the Concacaf Champions Cup pathway.
- Six CONMEBOL (South America) — Four via CONMEBOL Libertadores and two via the CONMEBOL ranking pathway.
- Twelve Clubs from UEFA (Europe) — Four UEFA Champions League winners and eight via UEFA ranking pathway.
All qualified clubs are placed in 8 groups of four each and play a single-game round-robin format. The top two in each group advance to the round of 16. The winners then move to the quarter-final till the final game. There will not be a third-place play-off.
| Clubs | Qualification Route | Winner Odds |
| Manchester City | 2022/23 UEFA Champions League | 3.6 |
| Real Madrid | 2021/22 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League | 5.0 |
| Bayern Munich | UEFA ranking pathway | 8.0 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | UEFA ranking pathway | 10.0 |
| Inter Milano | UEFA ranking pathway | 15.0 |
| Atletico Madrid | UEFA ranking pathway | 20.0 |
| Borussia Dortmund | UEFA ranking pathway | 25.0 |
| Juventus | UEFA ranking pathway | 25.0 |
| Benfica | UEFA ranking pathway | 30.0 |
| Chelsea | 2020/21 UEFA Champions League | 30.0 |
| Porto | UEFA ranking pathway | 35.0 |
| Flamengo | 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores | 40.0 |
| River Plate | CONMEBOL ranking pathway | 40.0 |
| Palmeiras | 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores | 50.0 |
| Al Hilal | 2021 AFC Champions League | 80.0 |
| Fluminense | 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores | 80.0 |
| Monterrey | 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup | 100.0 |
| Pachuca | 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup | 100.0 |
| Mamelodi Sundown | CAF ranking pathway | 100.0 |
| Al Ain | 2023/24 AFC Champions League | 100.0 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 2022 AFC Champions League | 100.0 |
| Seattle Sounders | 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup | 100.0 |
| Esperance de Tunis | CAF ranking pathway | 100.0 |
| Wydad Casablanca | 2021/22 CAF Champions League | 100.0 |
| Ulsan Hyundai | AFC ranking pathway | 100.0 |
| Red Bull Salzburg | UEFA ranking pathway | 100.0 |
| Al Ahly Cairo | 2020/21, 2022/23 and 2023/24 CAF Champions League | 100.0 |
| Auckland City | OFC ranking pathway | 100.0 |
| Leon | 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup | 100.0 |
| Boca Juniors | CONMEBOL ranking pathway | 100.0 |
- The remaining two slots will go to the winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores and one slot for CONCACAF (host).
Manchester City
Manchester City have dominated the footballing world over the years, winning the English Premier League 4 times in a row, a record that appeared impossible. Under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, the Sky Blues have won every title in club football, and at the moment, they have won 10 league titles, 7 FA Cups, 8 League Cups, 7 FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one European Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. No surprise that the Citizens are favourites. They have been favorite in all the competitions they played for over eight years to date.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the Club World Cup, with five titles in their cabinet. They won the UEFA Champions League last season and have not rested on the success. They won the UEFA Super Cup earlier in the season, and their activities in the transfer window make them one of the contenders for this title.
Bayern Munich
Bayern had a terrible 2023/2024 season, but that doesn’t change them from being one of the powerhouses in European football. They have two Club World Cup titles and have made a series of changes to their squad and the coaching crew in the summer. Players like Olise will add much to the team's quest to bounce back to title ways.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain lost Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid over the summer, but they are still dangerous. With the likes of Barcola from the wing, the Parisians still remain one of the best teams in Europe. PSG has yet to lay their hands on the UEFA Champions League title. They have won two international titles: the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 and the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001. Nonetheless, they have lots to show in the USA next year.