FIFA has confirmed the seedings for the 2025 Club World Cup draw, which will take place on Thursday afternoon.
The tournament, set to be held in the United States for the first time in this expanded format, will feature 32 clubs from six continental confederations. Chelsea and Manchester City will represent England in the competition, having secured their places by winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Other top clubs confirmed for the tournament include Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG. The event will run from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
Clubs from other continents that have qualified include Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Al-Hilal. Ahead of Thursday’s draw, the pots for the teams have been confirmed, setting the stage for potential exciting match-ups. Pot 1 will feature the strongest teams, including Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate, and Fluminense.
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Manchester City, the reigning champions, triumphed over Fluminense 4-0 in last year’s final. Chelsea finds itself in Pot 2 alongside Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, and Salzburg. The Blues earned their place due to being one of the last three teams to win the Champions League, alongside City and Madrid. Despite struggling in recent years, Chelsea appears to have found new stability under manager Enzo Maresca.
Pots 3 and 4 feature clubs from across the world, including Al-Hilal, led by Neymar, and Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi currently plays.
In addition, FIFA is set to implement a significant rule change for the tournament. Reports from Sky Sports disclose that clubs will be required to field their strongest squads, with no player allowed to miss the competition, even though it takes place during the off-season.
FIFA will also allow participating teams’ member associations to open a transfer window from June 1-10, 2025, enabling clubs to register new signings before the tournament begins on June 15. Furthermore, clubs will be permitted to make player replacements between June 27 and July 3, subject to a set limit.
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