CLUB WORLD CUP
Which MLS team will qualify for the Club World Cup if Monterrey wins the Concachampions?
By FIFA regulations, a club that has won the qualifying tournament twice or more will cede their extra ticket to another team from the same confederation.
Monterrey and León are, at least for now, the only Mexican teams that will be in the first, expanded edition of the Club World Cup with 32 participants. The two Liga MX clubs booked their ticket for their status as winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2021 and 2023 respectively. With Rayados still involved in this year’s tournament, what would happen if they lifted the trophy? How would it affect the number of Mexican and MLS teams at the 2025 Club World Cup?
Good news for Philly
Under FIFA regulations, if Monterrey win this year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup, the vacant slot will go to the Philadelphia Union from MLS.
Competition guidelines stipulate a restriction of two teams per country classified through the continental tournament, with an exception for CONCACAF (América, Tigres and Pachuca have possibilities), but if a club wins the tournament on two or more occasions, the qualifying place will be for the best positioned in the region based on a FIFA ranking. At the time of writing, that team is the Philadelphia Union, with a ranking of 41 total points.
Breakdown of teams at the 2025 Club World Cup by confederation
- UEFA
12 clubs (UEFA Champions League winners between 2020-21 and 2023-24 and eight other teams to be determined by a club ranking based on the same four-year period). - CONMEBOL
Six clubs (Copa Libertadores winners between 2021 and 2024 and two other teams to be determined by a club ranking based on the same four-year period). - CONCACAF
Four clubs (Concacaf Champions League winners between 2021 and 2024). - AFC
Four clubs (AFC Champions League winners between 2021 and 2024). - CAF
Four clubs (CAF Champions League winners between 2021 and 2024). - OFC
One club (the highest-ranked club from among the OFC Champions League winners between 2021 and 2024).
Who has already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup?
In a FIFA note on the classification system, it states that “sporting criteria” will be applied to define the points, and that “further consultations will be carried out with confederations and interested parties to define the calculation mechanisms” .
Four clubs from CONCACAF will be at the 2025 Club World Cup - the four CONCACAF Champions League winners between 2021 and 2024: Monterrey, Seattle Sounders and León are the three teams that have already booked their place.
The other qualified teams are: Al-Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds (AFC); Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca (CAF); Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense (CONMEBOL); Auckland City (OFC); Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus (UEFA). So far, there are 11 places left to be filled.