Club World Cup draw is SPLIT, keeping Chelsea away from European opponents – but Man City will face a Champions League club
FIFA has confirmed the rules for the Club World Cup draw, which will see Manchester City face European rivals in the group stage, while Chelsea will be kept separate from other teams on the continent.
Chelsea and Man City are the two English clubs entering the tournament as a result of winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
And FIFA has announced the seedings for the group stage draw, which takes place on Thursday.
Man City were placed in Pot 1 alongside Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Paris Saint-Germain, Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate and Fluminense.
Chelsea are drawn from Pot 2, with the remaining eight teams representing UEFA in the extended competition.
Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus and Salzburg complete Pot 2.
Man City will face opposition from UEFA in the group stages of the FIFA Club World Cup
Pep Guardiola’s team will face Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus or Salzburg
Chelsea will have to play against one of the top teams in South America in the group stage
FIFA had established a general principle that no group could have more than one team from the same confederation, which applied to all confederations except UEFA – which is represented by twelve teams.
As a result, four of the eight groups at the tournament will feature two UEFA teams.
FIFA’s draw rules state that UEFA teams ranked fifth to eighth will be placed in groups with one of the top four CONMEBOL teams.
This would mean Chelsea would avoid another UEFA team in the group stage, with Blues, Dortmund, Inter and Porto drawing against Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate or Fluminense.
The lowest ranked UEFA teams from Pot 2 will then be drawn against the highest ranked sides from the continent in the competition.
As the top-ranked UEFA teams, Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG could be invited to take on Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus or Salzburg – the lowest-ranked UEFA teams in Pot 2.
FIFA draw rules state that UEFA teams ranked 1-4 will be drawn into groups, meaning they cannot meet before the semi-finals, provided they win their respective groups. The same goes for the top four CONMEBOL teams.
FIFA has created two routes, the first featuring the winners of groups A, C, E and G, who are paired with the runners-up from groups B, D, F and H.
Man City have been linked with Real Madrid, setting them up for a semi-final meeting
The second stage consists of the winners of groups B, D, F and H, who are paired with the runners-up of groups A, C, E and G.
Because the two highest-ranked UEFA teams, Man City and Real Madrid, are assigned to separate routes, they can only meet in the semi-finals provided they win their group.
Bayern Munich and PSG are similarly matched, while the same goes for CONMBEBOL teams ranked 1-2 and 3-4 of pot one.
Pot 3 and Pot 4 consist of a number of teams from around the world, including Neymar’s Al-Hilal and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
The 2025 Club World Cup will be contested by 32 clubs from the six continental confederations and will be the first edition in this format to take place in the United States.
FIFA has so far struggled to attract broadcasters to the tournament, while the competition’s creation was criticized over concerns about its overcrowded schedule.