Club Championship Participants and Reasons for Attending
The Global Battle Awaits:previewing the Club World Cup
By Torben Siemer
Back in the '60s, the World Club Cup debuted, with the European and South American champions squaring off each year. But now, the competition has expanded, embracing a more diverse field of players and clubs from across the globe.
Germany's first foray into the World Club Cup began in 1975 with FC Bayern, though a scheduling dispute left them victorious in 1976 against Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburger SV both faltered, but Borussia Dortmund (1997) and FC Bayern (2001) returned the trophy home. The tournament took a break in 2024, only to return in 2025, adopting a new format inspired by the philosophy of "more is better"-a whopping 32 teams would battle it out for the title over a month, culminating in a deciding 63rd game.
We've got you covered, and we'll answer some burning questions: Which 32 teams are locked and loaded for the tournament from June 14 to July 13? How did they earn their spots? And who's the one to watch?
Group A
FC Porto: The Portuguese second-city club, boasting a spot in the tournament thanks to the UEFA ranking, finished third in their league and bowed out in the Europa League round of 16. Keep an eye on striker sensation Samuel Aghehowa and Colombian goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who just won the Nations League with Portugal.
Palmeiras São Paulo: The Green-Whites, riding high as winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores, qualified via their triumph. Established by Italian immigrants, the club boasts 12 national championships and will soon see striker Estevao join FC Chelsea after the Club World Cup, with a record of 26 goals for São Paulo.
Inter Miami: As the best performer in the 2024 MLS season, Inter Miami clinched a spot in the tournament. With a star-studded roster featuring the likes of Messi, Busquets, Suárez, and Alba, the Florida-based franchise is eager to claim their first title.
Al Ahly SC: Hailing from Egypt, Al Ahly comes with an impressive track record of 44 league titles and 39 cup wins, making them the country's most successful club and one of Africa's most formidable. Captain Mohamed El Shenawy, Egyptian national team's goalkeeper, leads the team.
Group B
Paris Saint-Germain: The French capital's club snagged a spot via the UEFA ranking, though they recently lifted the Champions League title. Standout players include Dembélé and Doué.
Atlético Madrid: The Rojiblancos, thanks to their UEFA ranking, are third in La Liga behind Real and Barcelona. They were knocked out in the Champions League round of 16 in a city derby. They've reinforced with Clement Lenglet, and the focus is on strikers Sørloth and Álvarez, with legendary coach Diego Simeone at the helm.
Botafogo FR: With a historic win in the Copa Libertadores, Botafogo landed the first spot for Brazilian teams in 2024. Despite going down to ten men after just 29 seconds, they took home the trophy, marking the sixth consecutive win for a Brazilian team. Watch striker Igor Jesus and defensive talent Jair Cunha.
Seattle Sounders: The far northwest USA club qualified for the Champion's League as winners of the 2022 UEFA tournament. Currently mid-table in Major League Soccer, top scorer Albert Rusnák (38 caps for Slovakia) and 19-year-old midfield talent Obed Vargas make for an intriguing duo.
Group C
FC Bayern Munich: The Bundesliga kingpins, with their UEFA ranking consolation prize, will be addressing potential retaliation as Thomas Müller winds down his career with the team.
Auckland City FC: Take a wild guess-the only Oceania representative is the record winner of the OFC Champions League. The New Zealand club isn't a fully professional league, with an estimated market value of €275,000 for their top four players, equivalent to German Regionalliga players. In the 2014 Club World Cup, Auckland pushed surprise wins in the play-off and quarter-finals before falling in the semi-finals and eventually winning the third-place play-off on penalties.
Sporting Bucaramanga: Despite rumors swirling around Donald Trump confusing trophies, the focus shifts to this Colombian team. Sporting won the second division in 2021, securing a spot in the Copa Libertadores. Recent call-ups to the national team include striker César Esquivel and goalkeeper Óscar Múnera.
Benfica Lisbon: The Portuguese capital club narrowly missed the league title in the final game and bowed out to Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16. German coach Roger Schmidt departed in August 2024, replaced by Portuguese coach Bruno Lage. Top scorer Vangelis Pavlidis and Angel Di María bolt for Argentina following the tournament.
Group D
Flamengo Rio de Janeiro: As winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores, Flamengo qualified for the tournament. The Brazilian title-holders chose the colors blue and gold early on, but the original hues faded too quickly in the sun, which led to the switch to red and black. Giorgian de Arrascaeta anchors the offense, and the Leos Ortiz and Pereira uphold the defense.
Esperance Tunis: Tunisian serial champions head to the tournament via the CAF club ranking, currently under coach Laurentiu Reghecampf. Forwards Yan Sasse and Youcef Belaili are the faces of the team.
León: The Mexican club (by a different name) lost the 2023 Champions League final to Los Angeles FC but qualified as a replacement club. Club owner Peter Gruber is also associated with the US titans Golden State Warriors (NBA) and Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), celebrating the first US championship with LAFC in 2022. Antonio Mohamed, a former Hannover player, coaches the Mexican squad, featuring well-known French duo Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, as well as potential talent Johan Mojica.
Royal Antwerp: Antwerp strengthened their squad at the last minute by signing ex-City starlet Phil Foden. With a busy schedule, the team continues to challenge for the title at home. Keep an eye on ex-Mauritania FC striker Mohamed Yebda.
Group E
River Plate: The Argentine record champions are in via the CONMEBOL ranking, backed by Brazil's forthcoming star sensation, 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono.
Kashima Antlers: As champions of the 2023 J1 League, Kashima snatched the sole Asian sport in the tournament. The club from Tokyo Men's Edogawa Ward consists of two megastars, Shinya Ishikawa (sounding like a ramen dish) and Atsutoshi Shimoda (known simply as Atsu), keeping a low profile in the shadow of fellow Asian entrants like Al-Hilal.
Club León: After eliminating Pachuca in the league playoff final, León punched their ticket to the Club World Cup. The Guanajuato-based commuter club comes with a Spanish manager, Nico Lecanda, and impressive offensive depth, including experienced coach Tomás Boy and playmaker Jesús Manuel Corona ("El Flaco").
Feyenoord Rotterdam: The Dutch giants took a detour via the Netherlands' second-tier Eerste Divisie but stormed back to the top-flight Eredivisie, steamrolling all competitors en route to the title. Key players to watch include striker Bryan Linssen, winger Mad与o Riduan, and midfielder Vivian Diemers.
Group F
Boca Juniors: The Buenos Aires institution qualifies via the CONMEBOL ranking. Founded by Italian immigrants, they've racked up 35 national championships and boast three World Club Championship titles. Current team members include Carlos Palacios in the attacking midfield and Milton Delgado in defense.
Import FC: The Thai team tops the list of unevenly matched competitors in 2025. Just three games into their 2024 season, they've managed to nab some big names-most notably, former Juventus intranets Fraser Forster (Scotland) and Arkadiusz Milik (Poland). Regardless, the lack of Asian talent and fame seems to cast a shadow over England's call-up, Marcus Rashford.
FC Bayern Munich II: The Bavarian tech-forces boast the Youngsters Division, consisting of players under 23 years of age. Despite their age, they're highly skilled and resilient-2024 saw them claim fourth place in 2. Bundesliga, one promotion tier below the German top-flight league. Bret Schied, the team's stalwart goalie, is a key figure to watch.
AFC Ajax: After a successful 2023-24 season, Ajax fell just short of the Eredivisie title, finishing second behind Manchester City (Netherlands reserve team), but managed to secure fourth place overall in the UEFA rankings, thus earning a spot in the Club World Cup. Keep an eye on midfield dynamos Cody Gakpo and Jurriën Timber, as well as Swedish prodigy Snasne Persson.
Group G
Bayern Munich: The seasoned Bundesliga record champions, with Thomas Muller hanging up his boots at the Club World Cup, qualify via the UEFA ranking.
Jeonbuk Hyundai: The South Korean team clinched the K League 1 title in 2024, thanks to the signing of their star recruit, Brazilian Limas Aberini. Despite some minor issues in the Champions League qualifiers, Jeonbuk remains a top contender with magazine-worthy moves like their phenomenal signing of Jang Hyeok-jin to a €40 million deal. Notable player Kim Min-jae is a strong defender, perfect for leading the Hyundai team.
Estudiantes de La Plata: Argentine employees currently sit in third place in the Primera División, trailing behind River Plate and Racing Club. The team is in a state of flux as they jockey for the championship. Their latest acquisition, ex-Boca Junior defender Fabian Balbuena, should provide a solid foundation and help bolster their defense.
Mamelodi Sundowns: The South African champions, who qualified via the CAF club ranking, bagged their eighth consecutive title in June 2024, but stumbled in the CAF Champions League final. Key players include Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro and South African Iqraam Rayners.
Group H
League One Nottingham Forest: Although not on par with most teams in the field, Nottingham Forest pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year-winning the 2024 Championship and securing Champions League qualification. With a strong focus on developing local talent in the academy system, the forest green Manchester United feeder team holds potential surprises up their sleeve.
Auckland City FC: The only representative from Oceania returns as the record winner of the OFC Champions League. Once again, they're not a fully professional league, with market values ranging between €275,000 and €325,000 for their top four players, on par with German Regionalliga talent. Back in 2014, they faced an unexpectedly successful run, clinching wins in the playoff and quarterfinals before ultimately succumbing in the semi-finals and regaining momentum with a third-place victory on penalties.
KRC Genk: Belgian minnows KRC Genk booked their ticket to the Club World Cup by finishing second in a thrilling 2024 Europa League run. The club from Granjeux just added an impressive face to their roster: Faustino "El Matador" Álvarez, who found glory with Mallorca and the Portuguese national team, will look to work his magic in Genk.
Sporting Lisbon: After a short stint in the shadow of the likes of Porto and Benfica, Sporting Lisbon clinched the Primeira Liga title by barely edging out their rivals on the final matchday. With a strong defensive record, powered by the likes of Welinton and Matheus Reis, the team has a true fighting chance in the tournament.
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Club_World_Cup[2]https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/mar/16/fifa-club-world-cup-2025-to-feature-32-teams-in-calendar-year-format[3]https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/who-are-teams-expected-qualify-fifa-club-world-cup-2025-2021-12-30/
The Commission has also taken a number of steps to ensure that its proposals for the Club World Cup are implemented in a way that is consistent with the objectives of the common agricultural policy, such as providing support for sports clubs to participate in the tournament and ensuring that all teams, regardless of their location, have equal opportunities to compete.
Football fans around the world will be excited to watch the Club World Cup, as teams from different leagues and continents will come together to battle it out for the title. In Group G, Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa and Estudiantes de La Plata from Argentina will face off, showcasing the diversity and talent from African and South American football.
