FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Liverpool Snubbed Despite Recent Success
Liverpool fans have been left scratching their heads and venting their frustrations after discovering their club won’t compete in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Even with Champions League nights that have electrified Anfield in recent years, the Reds don’t make the cut under FIFA’s new qualification rules, which are heavily shaped by UEFA’s controversial coefficient rankings and the two-club-per-country limit.
The revamped 32-team tournament, set for a summer slot from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States, was supposed to be a global celebration of club football. But for Liverpool, the celebration is happening without them. England’s two representatives were locked in—Chelsea booked their spot as 2021 Champions League winners, and Manchester City followed after lifting the trophy in 2023. Arsenal could possibly sneak in as a third Premier League side, but only if they pull off a Champions League win this season. That left Liverpool, one of Europe’s most exciting and successful recent sides, stranded thanks to a lower UEFA coefficient over the past four-year cycle.
Qualification Rules Stir Debate and Frustration
The qualification rules for European clubs are hardly straightforward. UEFA’s coefficient rankings look at club performances in the Champions League over the last four seasons, but they’re not about rewarding one-off heroics. A series of consistent, top-level results is what matters. For Liverpool, even a Champions League final in 2022 and a quarterfinal run in 2023 weren’t enough. Their coefficient couldn’t compete with City or Chelsea, knocking them out of the running for what would have been a lucrative and high-profile appearance. Some estimates pin the lost earnings at around £50 million—a stinging blow for a club of Liverpool’s stature.
This system isn’t just disappointing for Liverpool. Manchester United, another Premier League powerhouse, also failed to make it. Instead, the European contingent includes big names like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Porto, and Benfica, all benefiting from consistently high performances in the Champions League’s deep stages. Four more European places are still up for grabs, plus several openings for clubs from other continents, but countries can only send a maximum of two clubs (unless a third wins the UEFA Champions League during this cycle).
The Club World Cup will feature eight groups of four, with group winners and runners-up advancing to the knockout rounds. This format mirrors the excitement of the World Cup but happens just a year before the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in North America. Fans, players, and clubs are already bracing for a summer packed with high-stakes football, but for those left behind—especially a storied club like Liverpool—the new system feels harsh and, to many, deeply unfair.
As debate rages about whether UEFA’s coefficient scoring really selects Europe’s best or simply rewards those with deep squads and budget for regular Champions League campaigns, supporters are left wondering if recent history and cup runs should count for more. For now, Brexit dreams of Liverpool lining up against the world’s elite have to be shelved, at least until FIFA changes the rules—or fortune changes Liverpool’s coefficient standing.