2025 FIFA Club World Cup: 10 Snubbed Clubs That Deserved a Spot
The revamped 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is underway and so far, it has been meeting the hype. The group stage has ended, replete with a plethora of results, and now, the knockout rounds commence. Already featuring teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Flamengo in hopefully dominating fashion, what’s important to note, however, is that with so many of the best clubs currently in play for the Cup, others that should have played didn’t make the cut before the tournament even started.
FIFA’s selection criteria for tournament eligibility were highly publicized before the tournament, featuring confederation spots distributed to the most positions filled and qualifications based on international tournaments and historical rankings.
Here are 10 clubs that should be in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup — but got snubbed.
Barcelona: Shock Absence from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
It feels wrong not to have Barcelona. They’re still competing in La Liga with Champions League possibilities for the cup. They have talent like Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Lewandowski, offering young roster experience and depth. With an affluent history and international fan following, even not competing in European tournaments for qualification the past season—barely—should have had them slated for the Club World Cup.
They did win domestic cups and made it to elimination rounds in European tournaments this past season, just not during the selection process. It’s possible that FIFA chose teams based on UEFA’s coefficients which might have given other teams with marginally better skills over the past five years a checkmark over Barca.
Liverpool: Premier League Winners Left Out
Recently, Liverpool has won the Premier League and been Champions League runners up in the last five seasons. That’s a lot in such a short span. Mo Salah leading the attack; and with younger players like Gravenberch learning and adapting quick, they have sustained efforts on some of the highest highs.
Yet they missed out while teams with fewer recent achievements got a ticket. This decision left many wondering whether the selection criteria gave enough weight to domestic league performance.
LA Galaxy: MLS Cup Champions Ignored
Three MLS teams made the tournament, but not the reigning MLS Cup champions? LA Galaxy’s exclusion feels especially harsh. Inter Miami got a nod after winning the Supporters’ Shield, but many suspect Lionel Messi’s involvement tipped the scales.
The Galaxy’s history and championship dynasty in MLS soccer is unparalleled. The team has sustained a competitive nature over the years and boasts a historically lengthy fan base. Snubbing the current champions sent a strange message.
Napoli: Domestic Success Overlooked
Napoli have won two Serie A titles in the last three seasons and brought vibrant attacking football back to Italy. Their exclusion while Juventus, who have managed just a single Coppa Italia in five years, got in has raised eyebrows.
UEFA’s weighting system seemed to lean heavily on historical coefficients, but many believe current success should carry more weight.
Nacional: Uruguay’s Best Sidelined
Uruguay didn’t receive a dedicated spot, and Nacional — its most successful club — missed out. CONMEBOL sent four Brazilian clubs, along with a couple from Argentina. That imbalance frustrated fans who wanted broader South American representation.
Nacional not only brings quality but tradition. Their matches would’ve added variety and intensity to the competition.
Pyramids FC: CAF Champions League Winners Miss Out
This one is difficult. Pyramids FC defeated Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League, yet for some reason, it was Sundowns who had the ticket punched to the Club World Cup. The logic behind this baffled African football followers.
If a club wins the continent’s top competition, shouldn’t that automatically earn them a spot? It felt like Pyramids were punished for winning too late in the cycle.
Cruz Azul: Dominant, but Denied
Cruz Azul demolished Vancouver 5–0 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Not only was that an embarrassing defeat, but they, too, were not invited to 2025 FIFA Club World Cup while the two teams who lost first, LAFC and Club América got the chance to represent Mexico.
This called the CONCACAF selection process into question. Shouldn’t on-field performance count more than legacy status or brand name?
León: Dropped Due to Ownership Rules
León actually earned their spot but lost it due to club ownership regulations. FIFA’s rule allows only one club from the same ownership group. Since they share owners with Pachuca, the latter got the nod.
It was a decision rooted in corporate governance rather than football merit. For León’s fans and players, it was a tough pill to swallow.
Sporting CP: Portugal’s In-Form Champions
Sporting have been Portugal’s most consistent side recently. Multiple league titles, a domestic double, and a win over Benfica for both the title and the cup showed their dominance.
Still, Benfica got the spot. It was another example of how historic weight may have trumped recent performance in UEFA’s evaluation.
Arsenal: Form Over Trophies
No, Arsenal hasn’t won the Champions League or the Premier League in recent years, but a championship-level performance this season would add to the possibility that they have. Arsenal beat international giants Real Madrid and PSG this season as well as Chelsea and Manchester City; four teams who are in the tournament.
An up-and-coming, successful team who had season-long cumulative accomplishments, Arsenal at least deserved the call. Their snub was one of the most discussed among Premier League fans.
FIFA’s Qualification Process: A Wrong System?
2025 FIFA Club World Cup is a 32 team tournament. Teams entered into the tournament were decided based on a combination of historical results of the Champion League in general, historical coefficients and some confederation quotas. While this rewarded long-term success, it arguably penalized late bloomers or recently improved clubs.
UEFA, for instance, allocated several places based on a five-year coefficient rather than last season’s league or competition results. Other associations, such as CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, made changes based on one tournament only, rather than all tournaments, and to varying extents—this caused debate.
This inconsistency led to controversy. Should historical prestige outweigh current form? Should winning your league matter more than advancing in continental play? These are the questions many are still asking, even as the knockout stage begins.
What Could Change in Future Editions?
Calls for reform continue to grow. Fans and analysts are suggesting:
- Giving automatic spots to recent domestic league champions
- Allowing continental champions closer to the tournament date to qualify
- Review the one-club-per-ownership rule in hindsight
This competition should be a world champion effort. Better clarity and equity.
