The race to earn the remaining qualifying places available to South American teams at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ remains as keenly contested and intriguing as ever leading into the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout stages. Four of the six spots for CONMEBOL teams have already been filled by the three most recent continental champions, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense, while Argentine heavyweights River Plate are certain to join the Brazilian trio in the United States next year via South America’s ranking pathway. River could also head to the United States next year as South American champions. Ironically, a River triumph would have a positive consequence for their domestic arch rivals, Boca Juniors, who are currently the next best-placed team in the ranking pathway. Inactive in this year’s competition, Boca are reliant on the results of others to ensure they secure a ticket to the most inclusive global club competition in history.

However, if another of the Argentine teams left in this year’s CONMEBOL Libertadores, Talleres or San Lorenzo, are crowned the 2024 South American champions, Boca would miss out due to the rule that limits each country to two participants, unless a club qualifies as champions. It means Boca fans will be in the unusual position of relying on River when they face Talleres in the duo’s round of 16 tie in mid-August. The two-clubs-per-country rule will not apply to Brazil, who are already certain to have three representatives, and could even have a fourth if any one of Grêmio, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro or Botafogo lift the Libertadores trophy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 30 November. The fact three Brazilian clubs have already qualified means no other club from that country can qualify via the ranking pathway.

The draw has also increased the prospect of two further places, rather than one, becoming available via the ranking pathway, as the four teams already qualified have all been separated into different quarters of the knockout bracket. This means they could all reach the semi-finals, and with their places in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 already assured that would guarantee a further two teams progressing via the ranking pathway regardless of which club is crowned champion.

This would boost the chances of Uruguayan side Nacional, currently the best-placed team in the rankings still in the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores but yet to qualify for the 32-club tournament. Furthermore, a victory in their round of 16 first leg against São Paulo, or if they progress to the quarter-finals, would see them move into command of a potential qualifying place via the rankings ahead of Paraguayan outfit Olimpia, who are not active in the CONMEBOL Libertadores this season and would in that case be eliminated. Bolivar (BOL), Colo-Colo (CHI), Junior de Barranquilla (COL), Peñarol (URU) and The Strongest (BOL) will also be in CONMEBOL Libertadores round of 16 action this month, with each understanding that lifting La Copa would secure their place among the global elite in the United States next June.