River Plate can guarantee qualification for the World Cup, which will feature Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense

River Plate is close to qualifying for the new Club World Cup, which will be held between June and July 2025, in the USA. The Argentine team takes the field this Tuesday, at 9pm (Brasília time), against Nacional, in Uruguay, in the fourth round of the Libertadores group stage. In case of victory, the team would win its place in the tournament via ranking.

🔎🇦🇷 Argentina@RiverPlate are the sole club that could secure their spot at next year’s competition via the rankings pathway. A win over Uruguay’s @National would seal a spot for River in the United States. pic.twitter.com/pMrCiYjQQW

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) May 7, 2024

South America has six places for the competition, four for the Libertadores champions and two via ranking. Three Brazilian teams are already guaranteed the World Cup for having won the continental title: Palmeiras (2021), Flamengo (2022) and Fluminense (2023). The team that lifts the trophy this year will also qualify. With 76 points in the ranking, River Plate is very close to guaranteeing its place in the tournament in the USA.

If the champion repeats, a new place via ranking will be opened. The ranking was created by FIFA and Conmebol (South American Football Confederation), based on the results of the last four editions of the Libertadores. However, only two teams from the same country are allowed at the World Cup, except if the clubs were champions of the continental competition. Thus, a new Brazilian team would only qualify if they won the title.

Boca Juniors, with 71 points in the ranking, also has a great chance of winning a place in the World Cup, but will depend on a combination of results as they are not competing in the current Libertadores. Another team that could take the place is Olimpia, which currently has 57 points, but is also not participating in the 2024 continental competition.

The new World Cup will have the participation of 32 teams, 26 of which have already been defined, check it out:

1. Palmeiras (Brazil)
2. Flamengo (Brazil)
3. Fluminense (Brazil)
4. Chelsea (England)
5. Real Madrid (Spain)
6. Manchester City (Inglaterra)
7. Bayern Munich (Germany)
8. Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
9. Paris Saint-Germain (France)
10. Inter Milan (Italy)
11. Juventus (Italy)
12. Porto, Portugal)
13. Benfica (Portugal)
14. Atlético de Madrid (Spain)
15. RB Salzburg (Austria)
16. Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
17. Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
18. Al Ahly (Egypt)
19. Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
20. Monterrey Mexico)
21. Seattle Sounders (United States)
22. Leon (Mexico)
23. Auckland City (New Zealand)
24. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
25. Esperance (Tunisia)
26. Ulsan (South Korea)