The field for next year’s Club World Cup in the U.S. is officially set with Botafogo booking the final spot after winning the Copa Libertadores at the end of November.
South America’s new champions join 31 other teams in the newly expanded format, which will resemble the traditional style and set-up of the World Cup that features national teams. The lineup includes European heavyweights like Real Madrid and Manchester City, the last two winners of the UEFA Champions League, as well as MLS sides Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami. The Sounders made the cut after winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup, while Miami were FIFA’s selection as the team representing the home nation.
Though Thursday’s draw means the newly envisioned tournament is a step closer to reality, the new look for the Club World Cup is not without controversy. The competition is a focal point of a recent lawsuit filed by FIFPRO and several top European Leagues against FIFA, claiming that the schedule set by world soccer’s governing body is “unsustainable for national leagues and a risk for the health of players.” FIFA is still powering through its originally scheduled plans, even as they struggle to land sponsors and broadcast partners for the Club World Cup.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning into the Club World Cup draw.
How to watch
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 5 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Miami, Fla.
- Live stream: FIFA.com, FIFA+
How it works
The Club World Cup draw will be very similar to recent World Cup draws, with teams seeded into four pots based on their club ranking. One team from each pot will then be drawn into one of eight groups and will play each other in a round-robin format. The top two teams will advance to the knockout stages, which will all be single-elimination games.
Qualified teams and pots
Pot 1
- Manchester City (ENG)
- Real Madrid (ESP)
- Bayern Munich (GER)
- PSG (FRA)
- Flamengo (BRA)
- Palmeiras (BRA)
- River Plate (ARG)
- Fluminense (BRA)
Pot 2
- Chelsea (ENG)
- Dortmund (GER)
- Inter (ITA)
- Porto (POR)
- Atletico Madrid (ESP)
- Benfica (POR)
- Juventus (ITA)
- RB Salzburg (AUT)
Pot 3
- Al-Hilal (KSA)
- Ulsan (KOR)
- Al Ahly (EGY)
- Wydad (MAR)
- Monterrey (MEX)
- Leon (MEX)
- Boca Juniors (ARG)
- Botafogo (BRA)
Pot 4
- Pachuca (MEX)
- Seattle Sounders (USA)
- Inter Miami (USA)
- Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)
- Al Ain (UEA)
- Esperance Sportive de Tunisie (TUN)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)
- Auckland City (NZL)
Key Club World Cup dates
- June 15: Opening game at Hard Rock Stadium
- July 13: Final at MetLife Stadium
Club World Cup venues
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
- TQL Stadium, Cincinatti
- Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
- GEODIS Park, Nashville
- Camping World Stadium, Orlando
- Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando
- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- Lumen Field, Seattle
- Audi Field, Washington D.C.
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
