Big teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, and Arsenal will miss the 2025 Club World Cup. Due to UEFA rankings and FIFA’s two-team-per-country rule, these clubs didn’t qualify, leaving fans disappointed as top stars won’t play in the global tournament.
Why Are Top European Teams Missing?
Many football fans are surprised: how can there be a Club World Cup without famous teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, and Arsenal? The answer lies in how FIFA selected the teams for this special tournament.
What Is the 2025 Club World Cup?
The 2025 Club World Cup is the first to feature 32 teams. It will take place in the United States, with clubs from six continents. FIFA decided that the winners of each continent’s top club competition between 2021 and 2024 would qualify directly. This includes the UEFA Champions League winners from Europe.
How Were European Teams Chosen?
Champions + Rankings = 12 Teams
From Europe, 12 clubs were selected. First, the Champions League winners Chelsea (2021), Real Madrid (2022 and 2024), and Manchester City (2023) automatically qualified. That left nine more spots.
FIFA used UEFA’s club ranking system to fill those nine spots. These rankings are based on each club’s performance in European competitions over the last four years (2021–2024). However, there was another important rule: only two teams per country could take part.
Why Were Barcelona, Arsenal, and Liverpool Left Out?
Country Limits and Weak Results
Spain already had Real Madrid qualified as a Champions League winner. Only one more Spanish team could join. Based on performance, Atletico Madrid got that spot. They did better than Barcelona, who had poor results in Europe during these four years. Barca didn’t go past the group stage in 2022 and 2023 and only reached the quarter-finals in 2024.
In England, Chelsea and Manchester City took the two spots. Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021, and City in 2023. This meant Arsenal and Liverpool were left out, even though they are strong teams. There was simply no room due to the two-team-per-country rule.
Big Stars Missing the Tournament
Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal, along with top players like Pedri, Lewandowski, and Raphinha, won’t be seen in the Club World Cup. Similarly, stars from Arsenal and Liverpool will miss the tournament. This is disappointing for fans and for FIFA, as big-name players draw large audiences.
Conclusion
The 2025 Club World Cup will be exciting with 32 teams, but many fans will miss seeing some of Europe’s top clubs. Due to strict rules about performance and country limits, famous teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, and Arsenal didn’t qualify showing how competitive modern football has become.