Starting in 2025, FIFA plans to revolutionize the Club World Cup by expanding it to a 32-team tournament held every four years, akin to the FIFA World Cup for national teams. This change aims to increase participation, global interest, and competitiveness.
This format is designed to elevate the prestige of the Club World Cup by making it a marquee event on the football calendar, showcasing elite clubs from around the world. United States are set to host the first edition of the new format.
The new Club World Cup will see 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams. The teams in each group play each other in round-robin and the top two teams progress to the knockout stage of the competition, or the last 16.
The knockout stage features three rounds (round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals) before the final. In knockout stage games, if the scores are level after normal time, extra time will be played. If a winner is not decided after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will determine the winner.
| Edition | Number of teams | Qualification | Structure | Frequency |
|---|
| New format - 2025 onwards | 32 | Performances in their respective continental competitions over a multi-year period. | Group stage followed by knockout rounds. | Every four years. |
| Previous format - 2005 to 2024 | 7 | Champions from six continental federations and the host nation's league winners. | Knockout tournament with preliminary and quarterfinal rounds. | Every year |
| The First Edition - 2000 | 8 | Two teams from South America, two from Europe, and one each from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania | Knockout tournament from quarterfinal rounds. | Singe occurrence |
The modern era of the Club World Cup began in 2005, replacing the Toyota Cup (Intercontinental Cup). This format featured seven teams, including champions from six continental federations and the host nation's league winners.
Before the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup served as the de facto global championship for clubs. Organized jointly by UEFA and CONMEBOL, it was contested between the winners of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League and the Copa Libertadores. This format was criticized for excluding clubs from other continents, leading to its eventual replacement.
FIFA's first attempt at a global club competition was the inaugural Club World Cup in 2000, hosted in Brazil. The tournament featured eight teams, including champions from all six confederations. Corinthians (Brazil) defeated Vasco da Gama in the final.
Despite its potential, the tournament's financial difficulties and organizational challenges delayed subsequent editions until 2005.
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