Barcelona’s Absence from the 2025 Club World Cup: A Detailed Analysis

The upcoming 2025 Club World Cup is set to feature an expanded format that echoes its international tournaments from 1998 to 2022. This edition will bring together an unprecedented 32 teams in a single country during the summer, departing from previous versions that occurred in December with fewer teams. Notably, many top footballing nations like Spain, Germany, England, Italy, Brazil, and Argentina will each have a minimum of two teams represented.

In contrast, Barcelona stands out as a significant team that has not qualified for the tournament.

So, what led to this situation? Here’s the explanation.

Reasons for Atletico Madrid’s Participation Over Barcelona

Real Madrid, as the reigning champions of Europe, automatically qualifies. In the 2023/24 Champions League, the competition for the last available spot was between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, with the deciding factor being their performance over the last four years.

Barcelona’s early exit against Paris Saint-Germain placed them lower in the rankings compared to Atletico. Since only two teams from each nation can qualify, this led to their exclusion.

This reasoning also applies to other notable clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and AC Milan. If the new format is successful, it is likely that future editions will accommodate all these teams.

Complete List of Participants for the 2025 Club World Cup