Reports indicate that if either Manchester United or Liverpool secures victory in the Champions League next season, they will be ineligible to participate in the revamped Club World Cup scheduled for 2025.
FIFA, seeking to revitalize its premier club competition after the ongoing 2023 edition in Saudi Arabia, has ambitious plans. The current format, featuring annual clashes between continental champions, has faced challenges in garnering widespread support, primarily due to the dominance of Champions League winners since its inception in 2000.
The upcoming Club World Cup semi-finals will see Manchester City facing Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, with the winner set to meet either Brazil’s Fluminense or Egypt’s Al Ahly. FIFA’s vision for the 2025 event in the United States involves expanding the number of participating teams from seven to 32, held every four years. The proposal limits each country to two club entries, with priority given to Champions League winners from the preceding four years.
Presently, English clubs Chelsea and Manchester City lead the rankings, securing their positions through triumphs in the 2021 Champions League and other European competitions.
FIFA might reconsider if a country produces more than two continental winners during the qualifying period. This means that if Arsenal were to win the Champions League this year, they could qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup.
Notably, clubs like Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Liverpool, or Tottenham are unlikely to feature in this year’s tournament as they haven’t progressed to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
FIFA recently outlined the qualification criteria for the 2025 Club World Cup during a meeting in Jeddah. Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea earned spots based on their Champions League victories in 2022.
Twelve European teams received invitations, while nine more were selected based on their performance in the Champions League since 2020. Confirmed participants include Benfica, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and Porto.
Remaining teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Barcelona, Juventus, Napoli, Red Bull Salzburg, Lazio, Arsenal, Copenhagen, Real Sociedad, and PSV have an opportunity to qualify by winning the Champions League in the current season.
