On Saturday night, Al Ain will attempt to land a second <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2024/05/24/hernan-crespo-urges-al-ain-fans-to-cheer-team-to-acl-final-victory-against-yokohama/" target="_blank">Asian Champions League crown</a>. The 2003 champions, the only UAE side to lift the continent’s premier club trophy, must overturn the 2-1 first-leg deficit against Yokohama F Marinos at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. However, victory carries with it another reward: whoever prevails in the Garden City will seal a spot at next year's inaugural <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/fifa-world-cup-2022/2022/12/16/qatar-2022-deemed-best-world-cup-ever-morocco-to-host-next-club-world-cup/" target="_blank">32-team Fifa Club World Cup</a> – and thus compete against some of the game’s most prominent clubs. Here’s the lowdown on the expanded tournament, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/12/17/when-will-the-next-club-world-cup-take-place-and-how-many-teams-are-there/" target="_blank">set for summer 2025</a>. For the first time, Fifa’s Club World Cup will comprise 32 teams – the past 17 editions dating back to 2007, five of which have taken place in the UAE, have featured only seven. Designed to bring together the world’s leading teams, it aims to pit against one another the most successful clubs from each of the six international confederations: Uefa, South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confederation of African Football (CAF), Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), and Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). <b>The places are distributed as follows</b>: Africa: 4 CAF teams (three via CAF Champions League champions pathway and one via ranking pathway) Asia: 4 AFC teams (three via AFC Champions League champions pathway and one via ranking pathway) Europe: 12 Uefa teams (four via Uefa Champions League champions pathway and eight via ranking pathway) North and Central America, Caribbean: 4 Concacaf teams (all via Concacaf Champions Cup champions pathway) Oceania: 1 OFC team (via ranking pathway) South America: 6 Conmebol teams (four via Conmebol Libertadores champions pathway and two via ranking pathway Host country: One team The 2025 Fifa Club World Cup will be staged in the United States. The tournament takes place from June 15 to July 13, 2025. As of Saturday, 27 of the 32 teams have been confirmed. Al Ahly (EGY) – 2020/21 and 2022/23 CAF Champions League winners Wydad (MAR) – 2021/22 CAF Champions League winners ES Tunis (TUN) – CAF ranking pathway Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) - CAF ranking pathway Al Hilal (KSA) – 2021 Asian Champions League winners Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) – 2022 Asian Champions League winners Ulsan HD FC (KOR) – AFC ranking pathway Chelsea (ENG) – 2020/21 Uefa Champions League winners Real Madrid (ESP) – 2021/22 Uefa Champions League winners Manchester City (ENG) – 2022/23 Uefa Champions League winners Bayern Munich (GER) – Uefa ranking pathway Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) – Uefa ranking pathway Inter Milan (ITA) – Uefa ranking pathway Porto (POR) - Uefa ranking pathway Benfica (POR) – Uefa ranking pathway Borussia Dortmund (GER) - Uefa ranking pathway Juventus (ITA) - Uefa ranking pathway Atletico Madrid (ESP) - Uefa ranking pathway FC Salzburg (AUT) - Uefa ranking pathway Monterrey (MEX) – 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup winners Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup winners Club Leon (MEX) – 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup winners Auckland City (NZL) – OFC ranking pathway Palmeiras (BRA) – 2021 Conmebol Libertadores winners Flamengo (BRA) – 2022 Conmebol Libertadores winners Fluminense (BRA) – 2023 Conmebol Libertadores winners River Plate (ARG) – Conmebol ranking pathway The five places still open at the tournament will be filled as follows: 1. 2023/24 Asian Champions League winners 2. 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup winners 3. 2024 Conmebol Libertadores winners 4. Conmebol ranking pathway (one team) 5. One team from host country Group stage: eight groups of four teams per group playing in a single-game, round-robin format. Top two teams per group progress to the round of 16. A direct single-match knockout stage from last 16 to final. No third-place play-off. Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain) to <i>Inside FIFA</i>: “Only one step separates us from the [Champions League] title, and indeed it's a great incentive. Winning the title would allow us to participate in many tournaments next year, the most important being the Club World Cup. Every team would like to experience this adventure. We hope, God willing, that we'll be fortunate enough to win the title and participate in that tournament.”
