FIFA Club World Cup Player 2025: Squad & Qualification
Few football conversations spark as much confusion as the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup—especially when you start asking about who plays, why some giants are missing, and how much players can earn. With an expanded 32-team format and a prize pool of £97 million, slotting out which clubs qualified and who suits up for them is more tangled than ever.
Number of qualified teams: 32 ·
Maximum players per squad: 35 ·
Prize money available: £97 million ·
First tournament with 32 teams: 2025
Quick snapshot
- Chelsea and Manchester City qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- Liverpool has not qualified for the 2025 edition (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- Exact squad lists for all 32 teams are still being finalized (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource)
- Specific prize distribution per match or stage not yet published (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- Cristiano Ronaldo will not participate (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource)
- Prize money distribution among players remains unconfirmed (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- Final squad lists due by 10 June 2025 (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource)
- Extraordinary transfer window: 1–10 June 2025 (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource)
- In-tournament squad changes allowed 27 June–3 July 2025 (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource)
- Official squad announcements expected after 10 June deadline (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource)
- Tournament runs 14 June–13 July 2025 in the United States (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
Key details for the 2025 tournament are captured in the overview below.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Tournament edition | 2025 |
| Number of teams | 32 |
| Maximum squad size | 35 players per club (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Prize money pool | £97 million |
| Top earners among clubs | Manchester City and Chelsea share pool |
| Tournament dates | 14 June – 13 July 2025 (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia) |
| Host country | United States (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia) |
| UEFA slots | More than 4, via title winners and club ranking (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia) |
| CONMEBOL slots | More than 4 (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia) |
| AFC, CAF, CONCACAF slots | 4 each, via continental champions 2021–2024 (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia) |
| OFC slot | 1, via highest-ranked champion (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia) |
The 2025 Club World Cup is not your grandfather’s seven-team knockout. With 32 clubs and squad sizes up to 35, managers face a depth puzzle bigger than any Champions League group stage.
Why is Liverpool not in the Club World Cup?
Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and lifted the Club World Cup trophy later that year. But that achievement does not translate into a ticket for the 2025 edition. Qualification for the expanded tournament is linked to the four most recent UCL winners—2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024—not a five-year lookback. Liverpool’s 2019 triumph falls outside that window (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
What are the qualification rules for the Club World Cup?
The FIFA Council approved the access list on 14 March 2023 (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia). For UEFA, automatic berths go to clubs that won the Champions League in the four seasons before the tournament. For other confederations, slots are awarded to winners of their top continental competition from 2021 to 2024. That is why Real Madrid (2022, 2024 winners) and Manchester City (2023) are in, while Liverpool is out.
Which leagues send representatives?
- UEFA: Champions League winners 2021–2024 plus clubs from the four-year ranking (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- CONMEBOL: Libertadores winners 2021–2024 plus ranking picks (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- AFC, CAF, CONCACAF: Four slots each via continental champions 2021–2024 (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- OFC: One slot, highest-ranked champion (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
“The automatic qualification criteria for the expanded 2025 Club World Cup include berths for recent UEFA Champions League winners.”
— FIFA official statement
What this means: Liverpool’s exclusion is not a snub—it is a calendar math problem. The club would need to win the UCL again in 2024 or later to re-qualify for the next edition.
Why did Chelsea qualify for the Club World Cup?
Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League in 2021, beating Manchester City in the final in Porto (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia). That victory lands inside the four-season qualifying window for the 2025 Club World Cup, so the Blues automatically earned a spot.
How Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League 2021
Thomas Tuchel’s side knocked out Real Madrid in the semi-finals—a two-legged tie that still fascinates analysts—and then held City scoreless to lift the trophy. That specific title, won in May 2021, is the sole reason Chelsea is in the 32-team draw (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
Chelsea’s status as 2021 UCL winner
The qualification mechanic is straightforward: any club that won the UCL in the 2021–2024 period gets an automatic entry. Chelsea (2021), Real Madrid (2022), Manchester City (2023), and Real Madrid again (2024) are therefore all locked in. The 2019 winner—Liverpool—simply misses the cutoff.
Chelsea, despite qualifying, faces a tighter squad build than some rivals. The club registered 31 players for the 2024–25 Premier League season. To hit 35 for the Club World Cup, they may need to promote academy talent or use the extraordinary transfer window.
The takeaway: Chelsea’s qualification rewards a specific title win, not overall squad strength.
Why are Chelsea and Man City in the Club World Cup?
Both English clubs qualified the same way: by winning the UEFA Champions League within the qualifying window. Manchester City won it in 2023, beating Inter Milan in the Istanbul final (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia). Chelsea won it in 2021. Two titles, two tickets.
Manchester City’s UCL win in 2023
Pep Guardiola’s team completed the treble that season, adding the Champions League to the Premier League and FA Cup. For the Club World Cup, that 2023 victory is the golden key. City is not in because of their Premier League status or their global brand—they are in because of a single final in Istanbul (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
Both clubs as recent UCL winners
- Chelsea: 2021 UCL winner, qualified for 2025 Club World Cup (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- Manchester City: 2023 UCL winner, qualified (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
The implication: English football sends two of the strongest squads in the tournament. For fans asking “why are my team’s rivals there?”, the answer is a matter of dates, not favoritism.
Will Ronaldo play in the FIFA Club World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in the 2025 Club World Cup. His current club, Al Nassr, did not qualify. The Saudi side has no slot in the expanded 32-team field (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia). Ronaldo himself confirmed he turned down an opportunity to participate because his club is not in the tournament.
Ronaldo’s current club Al Nassr not qualified
Al Nassr won the Saudi Pro League in 2018–19 and the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, but neither competition grants access to the Club World Cup. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) slots went to winners of the AFC Champions League from 2021 to 2024. Al Nassr did not win any edition in that window (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
Reasons cited by Ronaldo
Ronaldo explained his decision not to play in the Club World Cup, citing his club’s absence from the tournament.
— Cristiano Ronaldo (interview)
The trade-off: A player of Ronaldo’s caliber could theoretically be bought in during the extraordinary transfer window by a qualified club. But he has made clear he will not wear another club’s shirt in this tournament. That is a rare instance of a megastar passing up a global stage for club loyalty.
If Al Nassr wins the AFC Champions League in 2025, Ronaldo could return for the 2029 Club World Cup—but he will be 44. The clock is ticking for his last shot at global club silverware.
The pattern: Ronaldo’s loyalty to Al Nassr keeps him out of the tournament for now.
How much did Liverpool get for winning the Club World Cup?
Liverpool won the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, beating Flamengo 1–0 in extra time in Doha. The winner’s prize for that edition was approximately $5 million (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
2019 prize money for Liverpool
The $5 million reward was modest compared to the Champions League or Premier League revenues. But for a seven-team tournament played in a week, it was a solid bonus. The runner-up, Flamengo, received a smaller share (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
Breakdown of earnings
- Winner (Liverpool): ~$5 million (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia)
- Runner-up (Flamengo): ~$4 million (estimated, based on tournament structure)
- Third place: ~$2.5 million
- Fourth place: ~$2 million
The pattern: The 2019 prize pool was tiny compared to the 2025 edition’s £97 million. Liverpool’s $5 million win is now historic pocket change—clubs in the 2025 tournament could earn multiples of that per group-stage match.
FIFA Club World Cup players: squad rules and eligibility
The 2025 edition introduces the biggest squad list FIFA has ever managed for a club tournament. Each of the 32 clubs can register between 26 and 35 players in their final squad, including at least three goalkeepers (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource). A provisional squad of 26 to 50 players (with four goalkeepers) had to be submitted first (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource).
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Provisional squad size | 26–50 players, including 4 goalkeepers (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Final squad size | 26–35 players, at least 3 goalkeepers (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Matchday squad | Maximum 26 players (11 starters + 15 substitutes) (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Eligibility requirement | Players must be registered with the club under FIFA regulations and member association rules (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Extraordinary transfer window | 1–10 June 2025, only for participating clubs’ member associations (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Final squad submission deadline | 10 June 2025 (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Official squad publication date | 11 June 2025 (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| In-tournament changes window | 27 June – 3 July 2025 (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Maximum additions during tournament | 6 players total; up to 2 can be added without counting toward the 35-player limit (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Contract expiry replacements | Allowed for players whose contracts expire during the tournament (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Notification deadline for new players | 48 hours before the next match (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
| Multiple club representation | No player can represent more than one club in the same tournament (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource) |
A club like Chelsea, with 31 registered senior players, could use the extraordinary window to add depth. But any new signing must be registered in the member association’s standard window—a logistical chain that may favor clubs with strong scouting networks in place.
Top scorers in FIFA Club World Cup history
Seven players share the all-time top scorer record with five goals each: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 2016–2018), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, 2014–2018), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, 2014–2022), Luis Suárez (Barcelona, 2015), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, 2015), César Delgado (Monterrey, 2012–2013), and Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly, 2006–2008). No active player has more than three goals heading into 2025 (Wikipedia, the statistical records source).
The trade-off: With 32 teams and up to 7 matches for the finalists, the top scorer record is almost certain to fall in 2025. A striker like Erling Haaland (Manchester City) or Julián Álvarez (Manchester City/Atlético Madrid) could surpass five goals in a single edition.
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FAQ
How many players can a club register for the FIFA Club World Cup?
Clubs can register between 26 and 35 players in the final squad, with at least three goalkeepers (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource).
What are the eligibility rules for players in the FIFA Club World Cup?
Players must be registered with their club under FIFA regulations and the rules of the relevant member association. Only players on the official squad list are eligible (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource).
Can a player be transferred during the tournament?
No player can represent multiple clubs during the same tournament. Clubs can add players during the extraordinary transfer window (1–10 June) or the in-tournament window (27 June–3 July), but only if the player is registered with the club in the member association’s standard window (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource).
Who are the top scorers in FIFA Club World Cup history?
Seven players are tied with five goals each: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi, César Delgado, and Mohamed Aboutrika (Wikipedia, the statistical records source).
Which players have won the Golden Ball award?
The Golden Ball is awarded to the best player of each tournament. Recent winners include Rodri (Manchester City, 2023), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, 2022), and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 2019) (Wikipedia, the awards documentation).
Do players receive individual prize money?
Individual prize money distribution has not been published for the 2025 edition. In prior tournaments, clubs distributed earnings among players per their internal agreements (Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced sports encyclopedia).
How many players can be on the bench for a Club World Cup match?
Matchday squads include up to 26 players—11 starters and 15 substitutes (Wikipedia, the squad documentation resource).
For Premier League fans eyeing Chelsea and Manchester City’s rosters, the 2025 Club World Cup represents a chance to see whether deep squads can handle the fixture congestion of a month-long summer tournament. The choice is clear: clubs that used the extraordinary window well will be fresher come the final week; those that gambled on a tight 26-player squad risk burning out their stars. For Ronaldo and Liverpool supporters, the wait continues—one for a club to qualify, the other for a five-goal record that may be shattered before the year is out.
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