05 December 2024
The build-up to the 2025 Club World Cup is ramping up, with the tournament getting ever closer.
The four pots for the tournament, which will begin on 15 June 2025 (and end on 13 July) in the United States, have now been confirmed. Juventus have been placed in the second pot.
WHEN?
On Thursday, 5 December, the draw for the group stage of the tournament will take place in Miami. Juventus will be represented in Florida by Francesco Calvo, Managing Director of Revenue & Institutional Relations, and club legend Stephan Lichtsteiner.
WHERE?
THE TEAMS
POT ONE
Manchester City (ENG), Real Madrid C. F. (ESP), FC Bayern Munich (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), CR Flamengo (BRA), SE Palmeiras (BRA), CA River Plate (ARG), Fluminense FC (BRA).
POT TWO
Chelsea FC (ENG), Borussia Dortmund (GER), FC Inter Milan (ITA), FC Porto (POR), Atletico Madrid (ESP), SL Benfica (POR), Juventus FC (ITA), FC Salzburg (AUT).
POT THREE
Al Hilal (KSA), Ulsan HD (KOR), Al Ahly FC (EGY), Wydad AC (MAR), CF Monterrey (MEX), Club Leon (MEX), CA Boca Juniors (ARG), Botafogo (BRA).
POT FOUR
Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Al Ain FC (UAE), Esperance Sportive de Tunisie (TUN), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (RSA), CF Pachuca (MEX), Seattle Sounders FC (USA), Auckland City FC (NZL), Inter Miami CF (USA).
THE BASIS OF THE POTS
- The 32 qualified teams have been divided into four pots of eight teams each, based on the confederations' rankings for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
- Pot 1: The four highest ranked teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL.
- Pot 2: The remaining UEFA teams.
- Pot 3: The two highest ranked teams from AFC, CAF, Concacaf and the remaining CONMEBOL teams.
- Pot 4: The remaining AFC, CAF, Concacaf, OFC and host country teams.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- FIFA's general principle is to ensure, where possible, that no group has more than one team from the same confederation. This applies to all confederations except UEFA, which is represented by 12 teams. Each group must have at least one but no more than two UEFA teams. Therefore, four of the eight groups will consist of two UEFA teams.
- Teams from the same member association cannot be drawn in the same group.
- To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways of four groups each have been established. Pathway 1 consists of the winners of groups A, C, E and G paired with the runners-up of groups B, D, F and H. Pathway 2 consists of the winners of groups B, D, F and H paired with the runners-up of groups A, C, E and G. The UEFA 1-2 and CONMEBOL 1-2 teams will be allocated to groups in separate paths and will only meet in the semi-finals if they win their groups. The same principle will also apply to the UEFA 3-4 and CONMEBOL 3-4 teams.
- The UEFA 1-4 teams will be drawn in groups that will prevent them from meeting before the semi-finals if they win their respective groups. The same principle will also apply to CONMEBOL 1-4 teams.
- All teams drawn from pot 1 will automatically be allocated to position 1 of the group in which they are drawn.
- Teams from pot 2 will be drawn as follows: UEFA teams 5-8 will be drawn in groups with CONMEBOL teams 1-4, while UEFA teams 9-12 will be drawn in groups with UEFA teams 1-4.
- In terms of host country teams and for scheduling purposes, Inter Miami CF will be automatically allocated to position 4 in Group A, while Seattle Sounders FC will be automatically allocated to position 4 in Group B when they are drawn from pot 4.
- Consequently, teams drawn in Groups A or B will automatically take the position corresponding to the pot from which they are drawn. Therefore, the team from pot 2 will be allocated to position 2 and the team from pot 3 will be allocated to position 3. This will only apply to Groups A and B.
THE DRAW PROCEDURE
- The four pots containing the teams are labelled from 1 to 4. In each pot there are eight balls, each containing the name of a qualified team.
- The draw begins by drawing all teams from pot 1, in line with the constraints of the draw described above. After all teams from pot 1 have been drawn into their respective groups, the draw will continue by drawing all teams from pots 2, 3 and 4, emptying each pot before moving onto the next; a ball will first be drawn from the teams pot followed by a ball from the first available group pot to determine the team's position within the group, in line with the draw constraints described above. The drawing of a position within a group applies only to groups C to H, as per the draw constraints described above.
- The draw will be concluded once all teams in pot 4 have been drawn.
WHO COULD JUVENTUS DRAW?
Juventus, being in the second bracket and with a lower ranking will meet, from pot 1, one of the four European teams, namely: Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain. There are no preclusions for pot 3.
