The field for today’s Club World Cup in the US is officially ready with Botafogo booking the overall spot and then winning the Copa Libertadores at the end of November.
The new American South champions secured 31 alternate teams in the newly expanded layout, which will resemble the standard World Cup taste and setup with national teams. The line-up includes EU heavyweights Real Madrid and Manchester Town, the latter two UEFA Champions League winners, as well as MLS teams such as Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami. The Sounders quickly won the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup, a month in which Miami was the FIFA team as the team representing the local community.
Although Thursday’s draw brings the newly imagined tournament one step closer to reality, the new pursuit of the Club World Cup is not without controversy. The contest is the subject of a recent lawsuit filed by FIFPRO and several other EU top leagues against FIFA, alleging that the agenda set by world football’s governing framework is “unsustainable for national leagues and a risk to the health of the players.” FIFA is still moving forward with its initially scheduled plans, even as it tries to secure sponsors and broadcast partners for the Club World Cup.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in to the Global Club Cup draw.
The way to monitor
- Day: Thursday December 5 | Generation: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: Miami, Florida.
- Current residence: FIFA.com, FIFA+
The way it works
The Club World Cup draw will be very similar to the new World Cup draws, with teams classified into four pots based on their club points. One team from each pot will then be divided into one of the eight teams and play matches across all options in a round-robin format. The two teams with supremacy will advance to the knockout stages, which will all be single-elimination matches.
Certified groups and pots
Pot 1
- City of Manchester (ENG)
- Real Madrid (ESP)
- Bayern Munich (GER)
- PSG (FRA)
- Flamengo (BRA)
- Palmeiras (BRA)
- River Plate (ARG)
- Fluminense (BRA)
Pot 2
- Chelsea (ESP)
- Dortmund (Germany)
- Inter (ITA)
- Porto (POR)
- Atlético de 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)
- Youth Mouth (ARG)
- Botafogo (BRA)
Pot 4
- Pachuca (MEX)
- Seattle Sounders (United States)
- Inter Miami (United States)
- Urawa Pink Diamonds (JPN)
- Al Ain (UEA)
- Espérance Sportive of Tunisia (TUN)
- Mamelodi Sunsets (RSA)
- Auckland City (NZL)
Key Membership World Cup dates
- June 15: Opening game at Sun-baked Rock Stadium
- July 13: Ultimate at MetLife Stadium
World Cup Venues Membership
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- US Stadium Locker, Charlotte
- TQL Stadium, Cincinnatitti
- Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena
- Rock stadium in the sun, Miami disciplines
- GEODIS Flooring, Nashville
- Tent at Global Stadium, Orlando
- Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando
- Lincoln Monetary Grasslands, Philadelphia
- Lumen Grasslands, Seattle
- Audi Grasslands, Washington DC
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
