Udaipur, May 7, 2025: Football fans might already be wondering: how can the Club World Cup be held without the best European teams? It’s not that FIFA isn’t concerned about this.

Let’s break it down. The European Cup hasn’t been decided yet. The Champions League final will take place on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The FIFA Club World Cup will start on June 14 and run until July 13 in the United States. Imagine if Arsenal and Barcelona face each other in this year’s Champions League final. FIFA could find itself in an embarrassing situation because neither of these teams will be in the Club World Cup this time. This means we could risk not seeing the best European team in the tournament. However, the other two semi-final teams, Inter Milan and PSG, have qualified for the Club World Cup.

Barcelona and Arsenal’s Paths to the Champions League Final

Barcelona and Arsenal are on different paths to the Champions League final. Barcelona will face Inter Milan in the second leg of the semi-final at San Siro today. The first leg ended in a 3-3 draw. Arsenal will face PSG in the second leg of the other semi-final at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. Arsenal lost the first leg 1-0 at home. Both Barcelona and Arsenal still have a chance to reach the Champions League final.

Why Aren't Barcelona and Arsenal in the FIFA Club World Cup?

FIFA decided that clubs that won continental competitions in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America between 2021 and 2024 would automatically qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup. According to this rule, Champions League winners Chelsea (2021), Manchester City (2023), and Real Madrid (2022 and 2024) have already secured their places.

Since 12 European teams will play in the Club World Cup, three spots have been taken by these Champions League winners. The remaining nine spots are determined by UEFA’s ranking system, which looks at performances over the last four seasons.

The Two-Team Rule from Each Country

FIFA has a rule that allows only two teams from each country to participate in the Club World Cup. Real Madrid, as Champions League winners, already secured a spot for Spain. Atletico Madrid earned the second spot, leaving Barcelona out. But how did Atletico make it?

Atletico’s Better Performance than Barcelona

Barcelona has struggled in recent seasons. The club was eliminated from the Champions League group stages in 2022 and 2023, and from the last sixteen in 2021 and the quarter-finals in 2024. On the other hand, Atletico Madrid, despite being eliminated in the group stages in 2023, reached the quarter-finals in 2024. This better performance helped Atletico qualify as the sixth-best team in UEFA’s four-year ranking, surpassing Barcelona.

How the Other Clubs Qualified

From England, Chelsea (2021 Champions League winners) and Manchester City (2023 Champions League winners) both qualified. If a team from England won the Champions League once in the last four years, the second team would be decided by UEFA's ranking system. Inter Milan, ranked fourth in UEFA’s four-year ranking, and PSG, ranked second, earned the remaining spots from Europe.

The Loss of Stars Like Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, and Pedri

Barcelona’s absence from the Club World Cup is a significant loss for FIFA and fans. Lamine Yamal, considered one of the best young talents in the world, will not have the chance to play in the tournament. Other stars like Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, and Rafinha will also miss out. Similarly, Arsenal’s star players and Liverpool’s top footballers won’t feature in the Club World Cup.