Yahoo Sports Why are Chelsea in the Club World Cup?
A newly revamped FIFA Club World Cup will today be mapped out in Miami with the group stage draw made ahead of the tournament next summer.
The number of teams has been expanded from seven to 33 and what has been for years held over a couple of weeks in December will now be a month-long tournament held every four years in the summer, with the inaugural 2025 edition held across the United States.
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE CLUB WORLD CUP DRAW LIVE!
It has been branded as "the most inclusive and merit-based global club competition history", and that last bit is why Chelsea are one of the 32 teams heading Stateside in the summer.
Why are Chelsea in the Club World Cup?
With the tournament now held every four years, instead of annually, the teams earn their place over the previous four-year cycle. As Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021, they get a ticket.
Bayern Munich, for example, won the Champions League in 2020 but as that is out of the four-year cycle for the 2025 tournament, their ticket comes from being one of the best-performing European sides across all four seasons.
When is the 2025 Club World Cup draw?
The group stage draw for the 2025 Club World Cup is today, Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 6pm GMT.
It will be held in Miami, Florida.
How to watch the 2025 Club World Cup draw?
The full draw will be broadcast for free across FIFA's channels, including the website, YouTube channel, and FIFA+, FIFA's streaming service.
You can also follow the draw with Standard Sport’s dedicated LIVE blog.
