As things stand, no Nigerian club is qualified for the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, which will begin in 2025.
FIFA announced on Sunday that its revamped Club World Cup, to be held for the first time in 2025, will feature 32 teams and will be played from mid-June to mid-July.
The maiden edition of the expanded competition will hold in the United States and thereafter be held every four years in designated countries.
According to the distribution of participants among the continents, Europe will have 12 teams in the new competition and South America will have six, while Africa, Asia and North America will have four each. Oceania has one slot, while the final slot will be allocated to a club from the host country.
The tournament will have eight groups of four with the top two teams from each group going through to the knockout stages — the same format as the World Cup.
FIFA said clubs would be ranked based on sporting criteria over four seasons to secure qualification for the Club World Cup.
Teams will get three points for a win, one point for a draw and three points for progress to each stage of their confederation’s premier competition.
Confederation champions from 2021-2024 will be eligible to play in the new Club World Cup, meaning Chelsea, Real Madrid and last season’s Champions League winners Manchester City have qualified from Europe.
The other European teams who have qualified based on the points system are Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain, Inter Milan, FC Porto and Benfica.
Only two teams from one country can qualify for the tournament unless they win the continental competition. For example, since Chelsea and City have qualified from England, Arsenal can qualify only if they win the Champions League this season.
Al Ahli, Wydad Casablanca have already qualified and could be joined by Mamelodi Sundowns and any of Etoile du Sahel, Esperance and Entente Setif.
Enyimba, who are Nigeria’s highest ranked team in Africa, have not won any major trophy since their last CAF Champions League triumph in 2004.
Brazilian sides Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense have qualified as Copa Libertadores champions, while Asian sides Al Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds are also through, just as Monterrey, Seattle Sounders and Club Leon are through from North America.
Oceania’s Auckland City have sealed progress with no other team in position to overtake their points tally.
