FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Arab football is on the rise
As FIFA prepares to host its largest-ever Club World Cup, the 2025 edition will feature a record number of Arab teams—reflecting the MENA region's rising influence and ambition on the global football stage.
The MENA region has seen a rapid rise in football development over the past decade—from Qatar's successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022 to Saudi Arabia's aggressive investment in domestic football and global talent acquisition.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to strengthen the region's growing influence in global football, with clubs, fans, and broadcasters across the Arab world coming together to back their teams on the world stage.
This year, five Arab clubs from across the region have qualified for the tournament:
Al Ahly (Egypt): The reigning kings of African football and one of the most decorated clubs in world history. With their legacy, depth, and massive fan base, they remain one of the most anticipated sides of the region. Their qualifications not only showcase the club's continental dominance but also highlight the growing influence of MENA football on the global stage.
Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia): One of Asia's most storied clubs and a regional powerhouse, Al Hilal enters the tournament with a star-studded lineup and significant international fanfare. Al Hilal will be a team to watch as they carry the Gulf's competitive hopes.
Al Ain (UAE): The pride of Emirati football and champions of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League, Al Ain return to the global stage with momentum and ambition. Known for their strong domestic record and growing continental pedigree, the club carries the hopes of UAE fans into one of the toughest groups of the tournament.
Also representing the Arab world are:
Wydad AC (Morocco) – North African giants with a fierce reputation in CAF competition.
Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) – A stalwart of Tunisian and African football, set to face Flamengo and Chelsea in Group D.
These teams bring not only competitive strength but also reflect the diversity and depth of football talent across the region.
With exclusive Arabic-language broadcasts planned across the region via beIN SPORTS and other platforms, and with massive regional audiences expected to tune in from Rabat to Riyadh, the tournament promises to be a major unifying moment for Arab football enthusiasts.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has hailed the tournament as 'a new era of club football,' spotlighting greater diversity, competitiveness, and global engagement. For the MENA region, this moment is a chance not only to compete—but to lead, inspire, and influence the next chapter of the world's most beloved sport.
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