After months of anticipation, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has finally begun, unveiling its new 32-team format. Among the European teams competing in the tournament are powerhouses such as Real Madrid, PSG, and Bayern Munich. However, notable clubs such as Manchester United or Barcelona are absent from the lineup.
This revamped edition of the Club World Cup expands from its original 6-team format to include clubs from all FIFA confederations, including 12 European top teams, six from CONMEBOL and even one spot for the host nation.
Historically, Manchester United have been one of the most successful clubs, both in England and Europe, boasting three Champions League titles and one UEFA Europa League victory. Nonetheless, recent challenges have prevented their participation in the 2025 Club World Cup.
The reason Manchester United didn’t qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup
For this edition of the Club World Cup, European teams were selected based on their UEFA Champions League victories between 2021 and 2024, as well as their UEFA coefficients. Manchester United did not win any Champions League titles during that period and did not rank among the top teams by coefficient, excluding them from the tournament.
runo Fernandes of Manchester United applauds the fans following defeat in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Despite coming close to clinching the Europa League title this season, Manchester United fell short in a 1-0 final against Tottenham. This result, combined with the fact they finished 15th in the Premier League, left United out of European competition for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
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Why are Arsenal not playing at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?
For the 2025-26 season, they are currently ranked 13th in UEFA’s coefficient. While the road ahead seems difficult, United still have a chance to qualify for the upcoming Club World Cup, which is set for 2029.
Other big clubs that also missed the chance to play in this first edition of the revamped tournament are Barcelona, who this season returned to the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2019, and Arsenal.
