Liverpool Left Out: How the Club World Cup Rules Knocked Out the Reds
It feels odd to see a giant like Liverpool missing from the list for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, especially after their return to form in recent years. But the reality is, even record-breaking Premier League seasons under a new manager like Arne Slot can't override the tough rules FIFA has set for its revamped 32-team tournament.
Here’s the catch: FIFA caps participation at just two clubs per nation. It doesn’t matter if your club lights up domestic football—the rules are built around European success rather than local glory. So for England, those coveted spots have already been snapped up by Chelsea and Manchester City. Chelsea grabbed their ticket by winning the 2020/21 Champions League, while City followed up with their own Champions League triumph just two years later in 2022/23. The math is pretty simple, and for Liverpool, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
The *strong* keyword here is qualification: Liverpool's shot at the Club World Cup boiled down to one cruel night in Paris. Their 2022 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid closed off their direct route. If they’d turned that game around, not only would they have added another European title to the cabinet, but their UEFA ranking would have likely pushed them ahead of Chelsea for entry. But a single defeat changed the course—they missed the top table, while Chelsea, and later City, moved in.
Qualification Maze: Chelsea and City In, Liverpool and Others Out
FIFA’s new design puts enormous weight on Champions League victories during the qualifying cycle. The system doesn’t care how dazzling your league campaign is or how many points you collect domestically. It’s all about European crowns. Manchester City’s entry made sense—they finally lifted their first Champions League in 2023. Chelsea edged in courtesy of their 2021 success, holding their place because Liverpool never managed to outstrip them where it counted.
The process can get even more complicated: when a club like Real Madrid extends its dominance with multiple Champions League wins, it frees up their country’s second spot for the next best team by UEFA coefficient ranking—in Spain’s case, Atlético Madrid. English clubs, meanwhile, found no such loophole. With both Chelsea and City having distinct Champions League successes, there was simply no way for Liverpool to sneak through the back door.
So, when Liverpool fans look across Europe’s landscape and see clubs like Atlético benefiting from Real Madrid’s double wins, frustration is more than understandable. But rules are rules. Liverpool’s only way in would have been to win that elusive final or clinch another European crown before 2025’s cutoff.
The timing is rough too. The tournament overhaul means Liverpool aren’t even in the waiting line for another shot until 2029. So while the world’s top clubs fly out for the Club World Cup next summer, the Reds are sticking to their pre-season plans in Asia. No glamourous FIFA stage—just a focus on rebuilding and chasing silverware the old-fashioned way, with no shortcuts.
Write a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *