Official reports have now confirmed that Spanish giants, Barcelona will not participate in the new format of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and here is why.
Following a newly introduced FIFA Club World Cup format introduced ahead of the 2025 edition which would see 32 teams compete for the highly coveted award, Barcelona failed to secure qualification following their defeat at the hands of PSG which thwarted their chances of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid were however handed a post many have argued Barcelona could have easily secured if the qualification to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League had been secured.
Barcelona played on Tuesday while they were behind Atletico in the rankings for the second Club World Cup entry from Spain. Unfortunately, they lost 4-1 to Paris Saint-Germain in the home leg of their quarterfinals and were eliminated by a 6-4 aggregate score.
Meanwhile, Atletico was also eliminated from the Champions League after losing 4-2 at Borussia Dortmund and 5-4 on aggregate, but they still secured their Club World Cup place. Atletico is among the 22 teams that have qualified for the inaugural 32-team edition of the Club World Cup, which will be played in cities across the U.S. from June 15, 2025, to July 13, 2025. Additionally, the expanded format of the Club World Cup will be held every four years instead of annually.
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How many clubs from Europe will be at the Club World Cup?
A total of 12 clubs will represent Europe at the Club World Cup 2025 with just one slot left to compete for.
READ ALSO: Full list of clubs that have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Why did Barcelona not qualify for the Club World Cup 2025?
Barcelona failed to secure qualification for the Club World Cup 2025 due to the fact that the club had a lower four-year co-efficient point as compared to Atletico Madrid.
The FIFA Club World Cup qualification for the top eight clubs on the UEFA ranking is determined by the European qualification pathway. Additionally, the four UCL winners over four years also qualify for the tournament. However, if more than two of the UCL winners represent the same national association, the cap of two clubs per country does not apply.
With one slot left to fill, the competition lies between whether Arsenal can win the Champions League and if not automatically goes to Salzburg.
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