FIFA Club World Cup

[Fotcalc]

There is news on the expanded 32-side Club World Cup. This is what I have understood from it:

- 12 UEFA clubs (max four clubs per NA).
- 4 of the spots will be the UCL winners in the 20/21 - 23/24 seasons.
- 8 of the spots will be the highest ranked clubs in a new 4-year ranking based on the mentioned seasons (max two clubs per NA).

Things I note:
- A new 4-year ranking. I see the need for it, but it means the labyrinth of rankings gets even more messy.
- The 24/25 club competitions will not be taken into account at all in the 2025 Club World Cup. Both when it comes to the 24/25 UCL winner and the coefficient spots. This means that the 24/25 season will matter to the Club World Cup in 2029.

Have I understood everything correctly and how settled are these plans?

[fabiomh]

There is news on the expanded 32-side Club World Cup. This is what I have understood from it:

- 12 UEFA clubs (max four clubs per NA).
- 4 of the spots will be the UCL winners in the 20/21 - 23/24 seasons.
- 8 of the spots will be the highest ranked clubs in a new 4-year ranking based on the mentioned seasons (max two clubs per NA).

Things I note:
- A new 4-year ranking. I see the need for it, but it means the labyrinth of rankings gets even more messy.
- The 24/25 club competitions will not be taken into account at all in the 2025 Club World Cup. Both when it comes to the 24/25 UCL winner and the coefficient spots. This means that the 24/25 season will matter to the Club World Cup in 2029.

Have I understood everything correctly and how settled are these plans?

I understood the same;
in addition I understood that there will be both the World competions for Clubs:
- this new format each 4 years (32 teams);
- the current yearly format; the only difference is that the UEFA CL winner goes directly into the Final

Now my questions are:

- 12 UEFA clubs (max four clubs per NA).
- 4 of the spots will be the UCL winners in the 20/21 - 23/24 seasons.
- 8 of the spots will be the highest ranked clubs in a new 4-year ranking based on the mentioned seasons (max two clubs per NA).

a. what if the UCL winners are less than 4 (for example: only three, since Real Madrid win CL twice in the 4 years)?
probably the spots for the highest ranked clubs increase to 9.

b. what if the four UCL winners are from the same NA? which constraints in the 8 spots for highest ranked clubs to that NA?

[ultra2013]

It's very likely the teams will be the 12 leading teams in the 4-year ranking from 2020/21 - 2023/24 seasons.
In this moment, this ranking would mean the UEFA representatives would be: 4 from ENG, 3 from GER, 2 from SPA, 1 from ITA, FRA, POR.

[Fotcalc]

a. what if the UCL winners are less than 4 (for example: only three, since Real Madrid win CL twice in the 4 years)?
probably the spots for the highest ranked clubs increase to 9.

Yes. I agree.

b. what if the four UCL winners are from the same NA?

All the clubs will enter.

which constraints in the 8 spots for highest ranked clubs to that NA?

They can have no more teams.

[Fotcalc]

It's very likely the teams will be the 12 leading teams in the 4-year ranking from 2020/21 - 2023/24 seasons.
In this moment, this ranking would mean the UEFA representatives would be: 4 from ENG, 3 from GER, 2 from SPA, 1 from ITA, FRA, POR.

Only two clubs per NA can qualify in the coefficient ranking route.

[amenina]

This is from the FIFA article:

Following on from the approval of the slot allocation for the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup™ that will be played every four years as of June 2025, the FIFA Council unanimously approved the key principles of access with the aim of ensuring the highest quality possible based on sporting criteria.

With a period of consideration being the four-year period of the seasons ending in 2021 and 2024, the key principles of access are as follows:
• For confederations with more than four slots: access for the champions of the previous four editions of the confederation’s premier club competition, and additional teams to be determined by a club ranking based on the same four-year period
• For confederations with four slots: access for the champions of the previous four editions of the confederation’s premier club competition
• For confederations with one slot: access for the highest ranked club between the champions of the confederation’s premier club competition in the four-year period
• For the host country: access for the club occupying this slot will be determined at a later stage

Other criteria also apply:
• In the event of a club winning two or more editions of the confederation’s premier club competition during the 2021-2024 period, a club ranking calculated based on sporting criteria will be used to grant access
• A cap of two clubs per country will be applied to the access list with an exception in case more than two clubs from the same country win the confederation’s premier club competition over the four-year period
• Further consultation will follow with confederations and stakeholders to define the calculation mechanisms of the club ranking, which will be based on sporting criteria

[Fotcalc]

I have read it and based on what is said, the four UCL TH + the clubs marked in yellow would qualify right now.

Do you agree?

[Fotcalc]

The club's is choosen by picking the 8 highest ranked clubs that haven't won the UCL. I also made sure the two clubs per NA limit isn't exceeded.

[Fotcalc]

The ranking in the image above is identical to the 4-year ranking. The 4-year ranking will be made soon.

[eye]

I have read it and based on what is said, the four UCL TH + the clubs marked in yellow would qualify right now.

Do you agree?

Chelsea and Real Madrid qualified already since they won CL of 20-21 and 21-22. Manchester City, Bayern, Liverpool, Villarreal, PSG, Roma, Benfica, Leipzig are currently the top 8 ranked clubs that have not won CL. That's what from I understood. Why did you exclude Liverpool from top 8 ranked clubs?

[amenina]

I have read it and based on what is said, the four UCL TH + the clubs marked in yellow would qualify right now.

Do you agree?

Chelsea and Real Madrid qualified already since they won CL of 20-21 and 21-22. Manchester City, Bayern, Liverpool, Villarreal, PSG, Roma, Benfica, Leipzig are currently the top 8 ranked clubs that have not won CL. That's what from I understood. Why did you exclude Liverpool from top 8 ranked clubs?

Because only a maximum of 2 clubs are allowed per association.

Chelsea are in as the 20-21 UCL winners, and Man City are in through coefficients.

The only way an association can get more than 2 clubs in are if more than 2 different clubs win UCL (or corresponding continental club competitions).

So if Man City win 22-23 UCL, and Liverpool win 23-24 UCL, then Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool are all in.

Alternatively let’s say Man City do not win any of the next 2 CL, and another English club other than Chelsea (e.g. Arsenal) win 23-24 CL, then even Man City can’t get in as the two-club maximum has been reached for England.

[eye]

The initial post confused me a bit. I had understood that it is max 4 per NA but max 2 based on rankings but after reading more carefully the FIFA's text I understand it is max 2 per NA unless more than 2 clubs from same NA win CL at the 4 year period.

I still am not sure if the "club ranking calculated based on sporting criteria" is the the same UEFA club ranking we know. It seems a bit weird to me FIFA to award spots just to winners of the premium competitions, the finalists not to be even a kind of alternatives in case another club has won more than once the premium competition and then clubs like Roma which haven't even taken part to CL to get the spot.

[amenina]

The initial post confused me a bit. I had understood that it is max 4 per NA but max 2 based on rankings but after reading more carefully the FIFA's text I understand it is max 2 per NA unless more than 2 clubs from same NA win CL at the 4 year period.

I still am not sure if the "club ranking calculated based on sporting criteria" is the the same UEFA club ranking we know. It seems a bit weird to me FIFA to award spots just to winners of the premium competitions, the finalists not to be even a kind of alternatives in case another club has won more than once the premium competition and then clubs like Roma which haven't even taken part to CL to get the spot.

I don’t think it will be UEFA coefficients either since every confederation has their own coefficients using different methods of calculation and FIFA may want something more uniform.

And as you said UEFA coefficients also include EL/ECL results and I think the FIFA formula will only take into account CL results.

[Fotcalc]

I don’t think it will be UEFA coefficients either since every confederation has their own coefficients using different methods of calculation and FIFA may want something more uniform.

And as you said UEFA coefficients also include EL/ECL results and I think the FIFA formula will only take into account CL results.

You might be on to something. But if FIFA wants a common formula, it has to be simple. The confederations' club competitions vary widely in structure.

[fabiomh]

- 4 of the spots will be the UCL winners in the 20/21 - 23/24 seasons.
- 8 of the spots will be the highest ranked clubs in a new 4-year ranking based on the mentioned seasons (max two clubs per NA).

let's try to simulate based on the last 4 complete seasons (18/19 - 21/22).
(of course for the next 2025 FIFA Club World Cup we should consider 20/21 - 23/24 seasons)
- UCL winners: Real Madrid (ESP), Chelsea(ENG), Bayern(GER), Liverpool(ENG)
- 8 POTS: based on UEFA ranking 18/19 - 21/22 seasons (all three competitions):
(not clear if the 4-years ranking should consider only UCL points)
-- Manchester City (ENG)
-- PSG (FRA)
-- FC Barcelona (ESP)
-- Manchester Utd (ENG)
-- Juventus (ITA)
-- Ajax (NED)
-- Atlètico (ESP)
-- AS Roma (ITA)

ENG 4, ESP 3, ITA 2, GER 1, FRA 1, NED 1