All UEFA clubs that qualified for the Club World Cup 2025
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) features 32 elite clubs from every continent, and teams qualify via continental championships or confederation coefficient. That means only the best get to compete in the new CWC season.
Making up more than a third of the competition’s roster is testament to UEFA’s strength. Here are some of the UEFA clubs joining the biggest international club tournament in football:
Qualified as continental champions (Champions League)
UEFA Champions League winners from 2021 to 2024 automatically qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. These include Chelsea (2020/21), Real Madrid (2021/22 and 2023/24), and Manchester City (2022/23). UEFA has 12 total spots in the tournament, and after accounting for Champions League winners, the remaining places are awarded to the highest-ranked clubs in UEFA’s 2020–2024 coefficient standing.
Chelsea (English Premier League)
Coach Enzo Maresca brings stability to Chelsea’s exciting young team, featuring talents like Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández. Adding Moisés Caicedo, the Blues have a solid midfield in the starting lineup. Team captain Reece James, in the right back, is the cherry on top of giving Chelsea a stable all-around formation and a strong dark horse potential.
Real Madrid (LaLiga)
New head coach Xabi Alonso aims to bring Real Madrid back to form after a difficult season. Coming with him is Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in preparation for his 4-3-3 formation in Real Madrid. That would mean the front is likely composed of Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior, three of the top forwards in the 2025 CWC!
Manchester City (English Premier League)
Coach Pep Guardiola sets his sights on the CWC trophy, to recover Manchester City’s form after a difficult EPL season. Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden remain the club’s core members, but there will be aggressive changes before the 2025 CWC kickoff. Guardiola estimates investing more than the €220 million they spent in 2024.
Qualified via confederation rankings
The UEFA ranking used to determine who qualifies for the FIFA CWC is based on the 2020 to 2024 club coefficient. That is excluding clubs with automatic seeding as Champions League winners from 2020 to 2024. Here are the clubs that qualified for CWC via UEFA ranking:
Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Bayern Munich is the giant in Group C, having been the 2019/20 Champions League winner. They’ve had a consistently strong performance since then, even today under Vincent Kompany’s new leadership. Bayern has a strong lineup featuring goal scorers Harry Kane leading the front. Alongside him is Jamal Musiala, who is injured as of writing, but with hopes to recover before opening day.
Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)
PSG has dominated Ligue 1 for most seasons since 2012/13, with only Monaco (2016/17) and Lille (2020/21) interrupting their winning streak. This continued under Luis Enrique’s management as they defeated Inter Milan with a 5-0 lead at the 2024/25 Champions League finals. They retained their lineup from then, including core players Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, and Marquinhos.
Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Niko Kovač did a great job leading Borussia Dortmund in the final stretch of the Bundesliga, but is worried that CWC will be an uphill battle. The team club will be relying mostly on a solid defence, with Gregor Kobel, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Felix Nmecha as core players. Their strike team will centre around top goalscorers, Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens.
Inter Milan (Serie A)
As of writing, Inter Milan doesn’t have a manager, and Cesc Fabregas is the first choice for a formal contract. That said, the club has a strong form with Lautaro Martinez leading the team’s forward line. Parallel to him are Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni in the midfield and backline, respectively, giving Inter a well-balanced starting lineup.
FC Porto (Liga Portugal)
FC Porto finished in third place in Liga Portugal and has a strong performance in the UEFA rankings, primarily thanks to their consistent Champions League appearances. They have a strong form with Pepe, Rodrigo Mora, and Diogo Costa acting as the club’s anchors. FC Porto will be playing under a new manager, Martín Anselmi, so fans can expect a fresh style.
Atlético Madrid (LaLiga)
Atlético Madrid has achieved remarkable success under Diego Simeone’s leadership since he took up the position in 2011. Now, the world is going to see his magic again at the 2025 CWC. In their lineup are powerhouses like Julián Álvarez, Robin le Normand, and Conor Gallagher, who each joined Atlético in 2024, bolstering the club’s already impressive roster.
SL Benfica (Liga Portugal)
SL Benfica is one of the top performers in Liga Portugal, but they are considered the underdog in Group C, the same group as Bayern Munich. They have a challenging phase 1 to overcome, but they have a strong fighting chance. Manager Bruno Lage stated that he is counting on Ángel Di Maria in his core lineup alongside António Silva and Vangelis Pavlidis.
Juventus (Serie A)
Juventus is expected to share the top two spot with Manchester City in Group G as one of the European heavyweights. The club will be joining the 2025 CWC under Igor Tudor, who was just appointed manager in 2025. Tudor opts for a 3-4-2-1 formation, allowing frequent 1-on-1s, capitalising on Federico Gatti, Renato Veiga, and Pierre Kalulu in the defence.
FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria Bundesliga)
Salzburg is in a pickle, being in Group H with heavyweights like Real Madrid and Al-Hilal. Manager Thomas Letsch will be capitalising on Oscar Gloukh and Petar Ratkov’s youthful energy against their generally older rivals. Though Salzburg only secured their spot after Arsenal fell short in UEFA rankings, they have the firepower to play against a giant-killing on the world stage.
Look forward to their performance at the 2025 CWC
The stage is set for UEFA’s twelve elite representatives to show their best against world-class squads. These teams will headline what was promised to be the most competitive Club World Cup yet. Look forward to their epic clashes with high expectations for a spectacular summer in 2025.
