This summer's tournament in the United States has generated a lot of debate – not least because of its qualification criteria
In April of this year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took to the podium at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena and hailed the truly global nature of the 2025 Club World Cup.
He pointed out that the expanded tournament, which gets under way in Miami on Saturday, will bring together 32 clubs from 20 nations across all six continental federations, and that "their players come from 86 countries". However, Infantino also claimed that the Club World Cup would, "for the first time in history", determine the best team in the world.
Is that really the case, though? Is the expanded Club World Cup really bringing together the strongest sides in the game today? Because it feels as if there are several notable absentees – and not just from Europe…
AFPThe premise
Figuring out a qualification process was always going to be tricky. Football may be a global game, but financial inequality has resulted in it becoming more and more Euro-centric in recent years. Consequently, FIFA needed to ensure adequate representation from every federation, while at the same time securing the participation of the world's most famous clubs and players (i.e. those based in Europe).
The basic premise was to issue invites to all of the teams that had won confederation titles between 2021 and 2024. However, FIFA also dished out additional, performance-related spots based on the respective strength of each confederation, meaning we've ended up with one representative from OFC, four apiece from CAF, CONCACAF and AFC, six from CONMEBOL and 12 from UEFA.
Unfortunately, the 'qualification' process has led to both some strange inclusions and glaring omissions.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportNo sign of 2025 winners
While recognising continental triumphs during the preceding four-year cycle makes sense, there is an undeniable feeling that the qualification process goes too far back. For example, Monterrey haven't lifted a trophy of any variety since winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2021, and didn't even make it past the quarter-finals of this year's Liga MX play-offs.
It's a similar story with Wydad AC, who won the 2022 CAF Champions League and very nearly retained their title 12 months later. However, the Moroccans didn't even qualify for this year's tournament, which was won by Pyramids – and that leads us onto another major issue.
Not one of the reigning champions of CAF, CONCACAF (Cruz Azul) or AFC (Al-Ahli) will compete at the 2025 Club World Cup, which rather undermines Infantino's claim that the 32 best teams in the world have just arrived in the United States.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty Images SportConspicuous absentees
As for European teams, there's just no getting around it: UEFA isn't being represented by its 12 best teams. Or anything close to it.
Thankfully, Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Inter will both be present at the Club World Cup thanks to their UEFA coefficient rankings. However, the champions of Italy, Portugal, Spain and England will all be incredibly conspicuous by their absences.
After all, Napoli have just claimed their second Serie A title in three seasons, Sporting CP are celebrating retaining their Liga Portugal crown, while Hansi Flick's brilliant Barcelona side beat Real Madrid four times on their way to winning this season's Supercopa de Espana, Copa del Rey and La Liga.
AFPLiverpool out, Salzburg in?!
Liverpool, meanwhile, ran away with the Premier League and were the eighth-ranked team in UEFA when qualification berths were being dished out (the Reds are now up to fourth – behind only Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich).
However, the decision to limit each association to two clubs (with the exception of 'champion clubs' if more than two clubs from the same association won their confederation's top club competition) meant the Merseysiders missed out, while Chelsea qualified thanks to their 2021 Champions League triumph – even though they've not played in the tournament for two years and only one player from that triumph (Reece James) remains in the Blues' squad.
The two-team limit per European nation didn't just rule Liverpool, Barca and Napoli out of the running either. It also led to the inclusion of Red Bull Salzburg, who aren't even the best team in Austria – let alone one of the top 12 sides in Europe. In fact, they sit 44th in the latest UEFA rankings!