African teams discover pots ahead of FIFA Club World Cup draw

The stage is set for the much-anticipated FIFA Club World Cup 2025 draw, and Africa's representatives have learned their pot allocations ahead of the historic 32-team tournament.

Espérance Sportive de Tunisie, Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly, and Wydad AC will be flying the continent's flag as they compete with the world’s elite clubs.

The draw, scheduled to take place in Miami, USA, on Thursday, 5 December 2024, will determine the group stage matchups for the tournament, which begins in 2025.

FIFA has confirmed that the 32 clubs will be divided into four pots, with principles in place to ensure competitive balance and geographical diversity.

Pot Allocations for African Teams
Al Ahly and Wydad AC have been placed in Pot 3, a grouping that features the two highest-ranked African sides alongside clubs such as Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and CF Monterrey (Mexico).

Meanwhile, Espérance Sportive de Tunisie and Mamelodi Sundowns will be in Pot 4, joining teams like Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and Inter Miami CF (USA), the host nation’s representatives.

These allocations reflect the confederation rankings used during the qualification process and the performances of these clubs in recent continental competitions.

Al Ahly and Wydad AC, who have dominated the CAF Champions League in recent years, secured their higher pot positions due to their rankings.

Draw Constraints
The draw comes with several constraints aimed at maintaining diversity and fairness.

Notably, no group can feature more than one team from the same confederation, except for UEFA, which has 12 representatives.

African teams, therefore, will not face each other in the group stage, ensuring varied challenges.

As excitement builds across the continent, fans are eager to see how Africa’s representatives will fare against global heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Flamengo.

With African teams historically punching above their weight in past tournaments, expectations are high for a strong showing in 2025.

The tournament promises thrilling football as the group stage matchups are revealed, setting the stage for a landmark FIFA Club World Cup.

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)