Mamelodi Sundowns face the prospect of landing in a tough group for at the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup whose draw will be conducted on Thursday December 5.
Sundowns are in Pot 4, having qualified via the ranking pathway, and are in the same category as Esperance de Tunis of Tunisia, while the other African sides in the tournament will be Al Ahly from Egypt and Rulani Mokwena’s Wydad Athletic Club from Morocco, the latter two in Pot 3.
The Brazilians must therefore meet teams in Pot 1, 2 and 3 with European giants such as Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in Pot 1 while Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan are among the teams in Pot 2.
Given teams from the same confederation, other than UEFA cannot meet, Sundowns will avoid Wydad and Al Ahly, but can get either Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Mexico’s CF Monterrey and Club Leon, Boca Juniors from Argentina or Botafogo Brazil who are in Pot 3.
What else is there to know about Club World Cup?
The expanded FIFA Club World Cup will have 32 teams from next year with Europe having the biggest representation with 12, six from South America, and four each from Africa, Asia and CONCACAF (North and Central America, Caribbean).
Oceania will provide one team, while the United States as host nation has an additional slot, having been given to Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 pot allocation
Pot 1: Manchester City (ENG), Real Madrid C. F. (ESP), FC Bayern München (GER), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), CR Flamengo (BRA), SE Palmeiras (BRA), CA River Plate (ARG), Fluminense FC (BRA)
Pot 2: Chelsea FC (ENG), Borussia Dortmund (GER), FC Internazionale Milano (ITA), FC Porto (POR), Atlético de Madrid (ESP), SL Benfica (POR), Juventus FC (ITA), FC Salzburg (AUT)
Pot 3: Al Hilal (KSA), Ulsan HD (KOR), Al Ahly FC (EGY), Wydad AC (MAR), CF Monterrey (MEX), Club León (MEX), CA Boca Juniors (ARG), Botafogo (BRA)
Pot 4: Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Al Ain FC (UAE), Espérance Sportive de Tunisie (TUN), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (RSA), CF Pachuca (MEX), Seattle Sounders FC (USA), Auckland City FC (NZL), Inter Miami CF (USA)
When and Where will the Club World Cup be held?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025 and will be staged across 12 stadiums with 63 matches on show. Miami's Hard Rock Stadium will host the opening game of the tournament, while the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey/New York will stage the final.
2025 Club World Cup Format
The Club World Cup will use the format used by the World Cup between 1998 and 2022 with the 32 teams divided into eight groups of four who play round robin in the first phase.
The top two in each group advance to the last 16, with the tournament using a single-match knockout format through to the final. There will be no third-place playoff.
