Barcelona’s defeat to PSG means Atletico qualify for 2025 Club World Cup

A lucrative opportunity missed

Barcelona’s defeat to PSG in the Champions League is hugely disappointing for any number of reasons but also means the club will miss out on next year’s expanded Club World Cup.

Next year will see 32 teams take part in the inaugural month-long tournament in the United States that will take place between June 15 and July 13. This new format of the competition will take place every four years rather than on an annual basis.

Barcelona had been able to qualify but this week’s round of results in the Champions League means it’s Atletico Madrid who progress instead to the lucrative tournament.

Yet the Catalans aren’t the only big club missing out. The likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan also haven’t made it – largely because countries are limited to two entrants (unless they have more than two continental champions).

There will be 12 European teams in the tournament: Chelsea, Real Madrid, Man City, Bayern, PSG, Inter, Porto, Dortmund, Benfica, Juventus and Atletico have already booked their spots.

Other teams set to play in the tournament are Brazilian sides Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense and they are expected to be joined by River Plate and Boca Juniors.

Seattle Sounders, Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal and Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds are also in along with Egypt’s Al Ahly. However, there’s no place for Inter Miami and Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.