Why Barcelona Won’t Be at the Club World Cup

It seems pretty surprising that Barcelona won’t be participating in the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup, especially considering the incredible season they just had. The Catalans swept up both La Liga and the Copa del Rey with some truly beautiful football and they came tantalizingly close to reaching the Champions League final.

So why isn’t one of the world’s biggest clubs going to be there? Unfortunately for Hansi Flick and his team, their recent success came just a bit too late to matter. FIFA based their selection on how teams performed over the past three years, not just this season.

Here’s how it worked: FIFA used a points system for European teams that looked at Champions League results from 2021 to 2024. Out of 12 spots reserved for European clubs, four automatically went to Champions League winners from that period. The other eight spots were handed out based on who had the most points – though no country could send more than two teams.

Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Manchester City all won the Champions League during those years. Since Madrid actually won it twice, that freed up an extra spot for other teams.

When the final numbers were tallied, Atletico Madrid squeaked ahead with 67 points compared to Barcelona’s 61. Because of that two-teams-per-country limit, some clubs with fewer points – like Benfica (57), Juventus (52), and Salzburg (40) – actually made it in while Barcelona was left out.

The real killer for Barcelona? Those back-to-back group stage crashes in 2021/22 and 2022/23. Those early exits really hurt their coefficient points and essentially handed Atletico the edge they needed.

It’s a real shame for football fans, who won’t get to see rising stars like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Raphinha – all key players who could be in the running for the Ballon d’Or next year – showcase their talents on this global stage.