Five teams already eliminated ahead of matchday three at the Club World Cup

The signs of elimination are becoming clear at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with five teams now officially knocked out of the competition. This historic edition is being held for the first time in the United States and features 32 teams.

Five teams out of the running before the third matchday of the 2025 Club World Cup

Five teams have seen their hopes dashed after a string of defeats, leaving them out of contention for qualification: Los Angeles FC (United States), Seattle Sounders (United States), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Auckland City (New Zealand), and Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea).

Los Angeles FC failed to keep pace with the heavyweights, falling to Chelsea and then Espérance in their opening two matches, exiting the tournament without a response.

Seattle Sounders suffered a similar fate, struggling in Group B against Atlético Madrid and Botafogo, ultimately bowing out without a single point.

In Group C, which featured some of Europe’s elite, Auckland City couldn’t withstand the challenge posed by Bayern Munich and Benfica, suffering two defeats that sealed their elimination. Urawa, the Japanese side, met the same fate after losses to Inter Milan and then River Plate.

Finally, Ulsan Hyundai, the latest team to pack their bags, lost back-to-back games against South Africa’s Sundowns and Brazil’s Fluminense, finding themselves bottom of their group ahead of their final match against Borussia Dortmund.

See also: 2025 Club World Cup: Date, time and broadcast details for Wydad vs Juventus

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.