Many football fans have the same question: The Club World Cup is happening, yet top European teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, and Arsenal are not playing! How is that possible?
This year marks the first edition of the Club World Cup with 32 teams participating. Clubs from all six continents are competing in this tournament held in the United States.
According to FIFA’s decision, the champions of continental club competitions from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America between 2021 and 2024 have secured their places in the 2025 Club World Cup.
Following this rule, the Champions League winners from 2021 to 2024 — Chelsea (2021), Manchester City (2023), and Real Madrid (2022 and 2024) — have earned direct spots in the tournament.
Since Europe gets to send 12 teams to the Club World Cup, after these three champions secured their places, 9 remaining slots were allocated based on UEFA’s club ranking system, which evaluates performances over the last four seasons.
It’s important to note that FIFA allows only two teams per country to participate. Since Real Madrid already took one spot from Spain, only one other Spanish team could qualify. That place went to Atlético Madrid, leaving Barcelona out. Why?
The answer lies in recent Champions League performances. Barcelona was eliminated in the group stages in 2022 and 2023, exited in the round of 16 in 2021, and lost in the quarterfinals in 2024. Atlético Madrid, on the other hand, exited in the round of 16 in 2021, the quarterfinals in 2022, were out in the group stage in 2023, but reached the quarterfinals again in 2024.
In other words, Atlético Madrid’s overall performance over the last four years was better than Barcelona’s, earning them a spot as the sixth-best European club in UEFA’s ranking system.
From England, Chelsea and Manchester City claimed the two available places. Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021 and City in 2023. According to UEFA’s rules, if only one English club won during those four years, the second team would be selected based on UEFA’s ranking — but that wasn’t necessary.
That’s why Arsenal and Liverpool missed out. According to UEFA’s four-year ranking, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan secured the second and fourth-best club spots respectively, earning their places in the Club World Cup.
Barcelona’s absence is a negative for both FIFA and fans. The tournament will miss out on watching some of the world’s best players — including Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who is currently considered one of the top talents worldwide. Stars like Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha won’t be seen in this tournament either. Likewise, star players from Liverpool and Arsenal will also be absent.
