Palmeiras top FIFA ranking, South America's 2029 Club World Cup hope | OneFootball

Palmeiras takes the early lead and has established itself as South America’s main contender to secure a spot in the 2029 Club World Cup. With 53 points in the ranking released by FIFA, the São Paulo club leads among Conmebol teams and reinforces its recent dominance on the continent.

The points tally takes into account teams’ performances in the Copa Libertadores between 2025 and 2028, rewarding both progress through the stages and consistency throughout their campaigns. In this context, Verdão stands ahead of giants and direct rivals, showing consistency and high-level competitiveness.

Right behind comes Flamengo with 51 points — already qualified for the tournament after winning the continental title. Completing the top three is LDU with 44 points.

Brazilian dominance and Palmeiras’ leading role

The ranking highlights the strength of Brazilian football, but with one special feature: Palmeiras is setting the pace. In addition to leading the table, the club has opened a gap over traditional competitors and appears as the most consistent team in the region in the current cycle.

Other Brazilian clubs also feature among the top ten, such as São Paulo in sixth place and Botafogo rounding out the top 10. Even so, none comes close to the solid performances delivered by the green-and-white side.

Road to the World Cup

If the same criteria from the 2025 edition are maintained, South America will have six spots in the 2029 tournament.

In addition to qualification through the ranking, the host country is also guaranteed a place. Brazil is emerging as one of the candidates to host the competition, which could further increase the national presence in the tournament.

Global scenario

While Palmeiras dominates in South America, the top of the European ranking is led by Arsenal with 103 points. Paris Saint-Germain, already qualified after winning the Champions League, is right behind.

Even so, Verdão’s performance puts the club in a prominent position on the international stage, fueling expectations that it could arrive at the World Cup as one of the genuine contenders for the title.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.