Despite its global stature, Why Is Barcelona Not Playing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?. Here’s everything you need to know about the qualification criteria and the key reasons behind Barcelona’s absence.”
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has been completely revamped into a 32-team, quadrennial tournament, set to run from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States. Instead of the old “champion-of-champions” knockout format, this edition features eight groups of four teams, followed by a traditional Round of 16 and beyond.
Unlike previous editions (where only one team per confederation qualified), the 2025 tournament allocates 12 slots to UEFA alone, making competition for those places fiercer than ever.
Barcelona Not Playing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Explained Top 5 Facts
Table of Contents
Barcelona won’t feature in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Discover the qualification rules and top reasons behind the club’s surprising absence. Here are a few factors why Barcelona is not part of the 2025 Club World Cup Teams.
Expanded Format & Slot Allocation
- 32 total teams, with:
- 12 slots for UEFA
- 6 for CONMEBOL
- 4 each for AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF
- 1 for OFC
- 1 as the host-association berth
Qualification is based on results from four years (2021–2024).
UEFA’s 12 spots
| S No | Teams | Winners of |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea (England) | 2020–21 UEFA Champions |
| 2 | Real Madrid (Spain) | 2021–22 UEFA Champions League |
| 3 | Manchester City (England) | 2022–23 UEFA Champions League |
| 4 | Bayern Munich (Germany) Paris Saint-Germain (France) Borussia Dortmund (Germany) Inter Milan (Italy) Porto (Portugal) Atlético de Madrid (Spain) Benfica (Portugal) Juventus (Italy) Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) | The 9 highest-ranked eligible teams (UEFA Club Ranks 2021–2024) |
Because there are more UEFA slots than simply “Champions League winners,” clubs that never actually lifted the trophy could still qualify, so long as they rank high enough in that four-year window.
Barcelona’s 2021–2024 Performance
No Champions League Triumph (2021–22, 2022–23, or 2023–24) and Barcelona did not win the Champions League in any season between 2021 and 2024.
| Champions League Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Chelsea |
| 2021–22 | Real Madrid |
| 2022–23 | Manchester City |
| 2023–24 | Real Madrid |
Since only the three Champions League winners earn automatic berths, Barcelona missed each of those slots outright.
UEFA Four-Year Ranking (2021–2024)
| S No | Teams | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich (Germany) | 3rd |
| 2 | Paris Saint-Germain (France) | 2nd |
| 3 | Borussia Dortmund (Germany) | 3rd |
| 4 | Inter Milan (Italy) | 4th |
| 5 | Porto (Portugal) | 5th |
| 6 | Atlético de Madrid (Spain) | 6th |
| 7 | Benfica (Portugal) | 7th |
| 8 | Juventus (Italy) | 8th |
| 9 | Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) | 9th |
Barcelona does not appear in this top-nine list, indicating their results between 2021 and 2024 (Champions League and Europa League) were not strong enough to rank among the nine highest-scoring clubs.
Key Highlighted Fact:
Barcelona never qualified via “Champions League winner,” and their four-year club-ranking points lagged behind those of the nine clubs that did. Therefore, they fell just out of contention for a UEFA slot.
What Went Wrong for Barcelona?
2021–22 Season:
- Barcelona were eliminated in the Round of 16 (by Paris Saint-Germain), failing to accumulate enough ranking points in Europe.
- They also finished third in La Liga, missing out on a direct Champions League semifinal berth.
2022–23 Season:
- Knocked out in the Quarterfinals of the Champions League (by Manchester City).
- Their domestic league performance (second place in La Liga) still wasn’t enough to vault them ahead of the top-nine ranking threshold.
2023–24 Season:
- Barcelona bowed out in the Champions League Round of 16 again (this time to Real Madrid).
- Their inconsistent European run—and dropping from semifinal to earlier exits—meant fewer ranking points than clubs like Dortmund or PSG.
Because the UEFA four-year ranking heavily rewards deep Champions League runs, Barcelona’s repeated Round-of-16 exits (2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24) put them behind clubs reaching at least the quarterfinals or beyond. In short, they simply didn’t accumulate enough continental points between 2021 and 2024.
Contrasting Examples: Who Did Qualify?
- Chelsea (2020–21 CL Winner)
- Real Madrid (2021–22 & 2023–24 CL Winner)
- Manchester City (2022–23 CL Winner)
- Bayern Munich (best four-year ranking outside winners)
- Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Juventus, and Red Bull Salzburg (all top-nine ranking).
Each of these clubs either lifted the Champions League or consistently reached late stages (semifinals/finals) in that four-year window, guaranteeing them a place in the 2025 Club World Cup roster.
The Inevitable Outcome and Highlighted Facts at a Glance
Because the new qualification rules reward both a single Champions League title (2021–24) and consistent European performance, there was simply no path for Barcelona to sneak in—unless they had either:
- Won the Champions League in 2021–22, 2022–23, or 2023–24, or
- Maintained a higher four-year ranking than at least nine other UEFA clubs (which they did not).
32-team tournament (first expanded edition): 12 UEFA, 6 CONMEBOL, 4 AFC, 4 CAF, 4 CONCACAF, 1 OFC, 1 host.
What Lies Ahead for Barcelona?
Missing out on the 2025 Club World Cup is a major wake-up call for a club that once dominated Europe. To secure a spot in 2029 (the next quadrennial edition), they must:
- Win the Champions League at least once between the 2024–25 Champions League and the 2027–28 Champions League.
- Climb higher in UEFA’s four-year club ranking (finishing consistently in semifinals/finals of continental competitions
