Africa and Asia share just 8 of 32 Club World Cup spots as Europe dominates entry list

Key takeaways

  • Europe leads with 12 clubs, including giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, solidifying its global dominance.
  • South America contributes 6 teams, such as Palmeiras, Flamengo, and River Plate, reflecting its strong continental performance.
  • Africa's 4 clubs, Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad AC (Morocco), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), represent CAF’s top tier.
  • Asia also fields 4 clubs, including Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Al Ain (UAE), and Ulsan HD (South Korea).
  • Oceania and North America are modestly represented with one club from New Zealand and four from the CONCACAF region, including Inter Miami as host.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup features a clear continental disparity: Europe dominates with 12 entries: Real Madrid, Chelsea, FC Porto, FC Salzburg, Juventus, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, while South America follows with six prominent clubs: Palmeiras, Flamengo, River Plate, Fluminense, Boca Juniors and Botafogo. This format reflects long-term football dominance and success across UEFA and CONMEBOL regions.

Africa and Asia are tied with four clubs each, showcasing CAF and AFC’s competitive presence. Africa’s representation includes Al Ahly, Wydad AC, Espérance de Tunis, and Mamelodi  Sundowns, all continental champions or top-ranked teams. Meanwhile, Al Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, and Ulsan HD lead the Asian charge.

Source:

FIFA

Period:

2025
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Morocco leads Africa in FIFA rankings at 12th position globally with 1694.24 points. Nigeria trails at 43rd position
  • Morocco leads Africa in FIFA rankings with 1694.24 points, placing 12th globally, signalling its sustained excellence on the international stage.
  • Senegal (1630.32 pts) and Egypt (1518.79 pts) are the next top African teams, ranked 19th and 32nd globally, respectively.
  • The point gap between top teams is significant: Morocco leads Nigeria (1481.35 pts) by over 210 points, reflecting performance consistency.
  • Five of Africa’s top 10 teams are from North Africa, showcasing the region’s dominance in tactical strength and international success.
Mohamed Salah tops African Premier League goal scorers with 186 goals, while Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire boast 3 players each in the top 10
  • Mohamed Salah leads with 186 goals, ranking 5th all-time in Premier League history.
  • Sadio Mané (111 goals) and Didier Drogba (104 goals) are the only other Africans to cross the 100-goal mark.
  • Yakubu Aiyegbeni is Nigeria’s top scorer in the Premier League with 95 goals.
  • Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo) ranks 4th among Africans with 97 goals.
  • Yaya Touré, though a midfielder, scored 62 goals, making him one of the most prolific African midfielders in league history.
  • The presence of three Nigerians—Yakubu, Kanu, and Efan Ekoku—shows Nigeria’s enduring legacy in the league.
  • Côte d'Ivoire also boasts of three players among the top 10 list.
The top three Nigerian goal scorers, Yakubu (95), Kanu (54), and Ekoku (52), collectively account for over 200 Premier League goals
  • Yakubu Aiyegbeni leads all Nigerian scorers in Premier League history with 95 goals.
  • Kanu (54) and Efan Ekoku (52) round out the top three, with a combined total of 201 goals among them.
  • Kelechi Iheanacho (42 goals) is the highest active Nigerian scorer.
  • Shola Ameobi had a consistent career with 43 goals, mostly with Newcastle United.
  • Alex Iwobi (31 goals) continues to be a key attacking presence in midfield roles.
Only three managers have achieved 3 or more Champions League titles since 1992, with Carlo Ancelotti topping the list with 5 wins
  • Carlo Ancelotti leads with 5 Champions League wins, making him the most successful manager (in terms of wins) in the competition since 1992.
  • Only three managers have 3 or more wins: Ancelotti (5), Guardiola (3), and Zidane (3).
  • Zidane is the only manager to win 3 consecutive titles (2016–2018) with a single club.
  • José Mourinho has 2 wins with two different clubs—Porto and Inter Milan.
  • Jupp Heynckes also has 2 wins, including Bayern Munich’s 2013 treble season.
  • Ottmar Hitzfeld is one of the few to win with two different clubs (Dortmund and Bayern Munich).
  • Vicente del Bosque, with 2 wins, was instrumental in Real Madrid's early-2000s dominance.
Alan Shearer holds the record for the highest Premier League goals, while Mohamed Salah is the top-scoring African in Premier League history with 186 goals
  • Alan Shearer holds the all-time Premier League scoring record with 260 goals.
  • Harry Kane is the second-highest scorer with 213 goals, closing in on Shearer.
  • Wayne Rooney is third with 208 goals, having spent most of his career at Manchester United.
  • Mohamed Salah is the highest-scoring African in Premier League history with 186 goals and still counting.
  • Only 1 goal separates Andrew Cole (187) and Salah (186), showing how tightly contested the rankings are.
  • The gap between the top scorer (Shearer) and the 10th (Defoe) is nearly 100 goals.
  • Of the top 10 scorers, 8 are retired, while Kane and Salah are the only active players still adding to their totals.
With 87 assists, Egyptian star Mohamed Salah is 75 assists away from Ryan Giggs, the top on the list
  • Ryan Giggs remains the all-time Premier League assist leader with 162 assists.
  • Kevin De Bruyne is second with 119 assists and is still actively playing.
  • Egyptian star, Mohamed Salah, needs 75 more assists to match Ryan Giggs’ record of 162.
  • Despite being known primarily as a goal scorer, Salah has quietly built a strong assist record.
  • Cesc Fàbregas holds third place with 111 assists, most of which came during his time at Arsenal and Chelsea.
  • Wayne Rooney ranks fourth with 103 assists, in addition to being third on the goal-scoring chart.
  • Seven of the top ten assist leaders have also been known for regularly scoring goals themselves.
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