This weekend, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will kick off, but stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal will be absent.
FIFA has introduced an expanded Club World Cup format starting this summer, replacing the structure used in previous editions. In past years, the tournament featured one representative from each continental confederation; now, it includes 32 clubs and follows a format similar to the FIFA World Cup. While many of the world’s biggest stars will be there, notable exceptions include Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal.
CR7 is, without question, the most high-profile name among those missing from the Club World Cup. The Portuguese forward will not take part in the tournament as his club, Al Nassr, failed to meet the qualification standards over the past four years to earn one of Asia’s spots.
However, he did have the opportunity to sign with one of the participating clubs, with rumors linking him to Monterrey, River Plate, and Botafogo, but he ultimately chose to pass on that chance in order to stay focused on his future in Saudi Arabia.
Yamal finds himself in a situation similar to Cristiano’s. He is undoubtedly one of the top talents in world soccer right now, but Barcelona did not perform well enough in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League to secure a place in the global tournament, which will be held this summer in the United States.
In addition to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal, other top-level stars will also be missing from the Club World Cup:
5 – Robert Lewandowski
Like Yamal, Lewandowski is another Barcelona superstar impacted by the club’s struggles in Europe in recent years. During the four Champions League editions used to determine Club World Cup qualification, the Spanish giants were eliminated twice in the group stage, once in the round of 16, and once in the quarterfinals.
That left the Polish forward without a chance to play in a second Club World Cup, having previously done so with Bayern Munich in 2020. And given that the new format will be held every four years, it’s hard to imagine Lewandowski having another opportunity—he’ll be 40 by then.
4 – Florian Wirtz
Bayer Leverkusen were last season’s breakout team in Germany, winning their first-ever Bundesliga title under head coach Xabi Alonso. Florian Wirtz was the star of that squad, and his performances have convinced Liverpool to consider a $157 million move for him this summer. But neither his former club nor his potential new one has qualified for the Club World Cup.
3 – Karim Benzema
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, Benzema played a key role in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League title that year—a triumph that secured the Spanish club’s place in the Club World Cup. However, Karim won’t be there. The French striker has been playing for Al Ittihad for the past two years. Like Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, they failed to earn a continental spot in the tournament.
2 – Mohamed Salah
Liverpool captured the Premier League title this year with a comfortable lead over Arsenal in the standings. Mohamed Salah was the driving force behind that success, leading the league in goals (29) and assists (18), and winning the MVP award without question. The Reds’ failure to qualify for the Club World Cup makes Salah one of the most prominent absentees.
1 – Neymar
Neymar’s case is perhaps the most intriguing of all. He was part of Al Hilal until the end of January—one of four Asian clubs that secured a place in the Club World Cup. Had he stayed with the Saudi side for the full season, the Brazilian forward would have been one of the tournament’s biggest attractions. However, Ney chose to terminate his contract and return to Santos in hopes of regaining his top form—a goal he has yet to achieve.
From: bolavip.com
