Several major European clubs are taking part in the 2025 Club World Cup, which is being held in the United States this summer. However, none of the big names — Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester United — are participating.
The two Premier League representatives are Chelsea and Manchester City, who will be competing for the title alongside other European elite teams such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and Atlético Madrid.
Ahead of the opening match between Al Ahly and Inter Miami on Sunday morning, the big question is: why are three major English clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, absent?
The answer lies in FIFA’s qualification rules. Of the 32 places available at the 2025 Club World Cup, only 12 are reserved for European clubs.
These slots are awarded based on performance in the Champions League between the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons.
The four Champions League winners in that period automatically qualified:
- Chelsea (2021)
- Real Madrid (2022 and 2024),
- Manchester City (2023).
The remaining nine places are determined by UEFA’s ranking system, which considers the teams’ performances in the Champions League during that period.
Neither Arsenal nor Manchester United performed well enough in the Champions League during that period to reach the required ranking.
Meanwhile, Liverpool performed well enough to qualify. However, FIFA rules state that a maximum of two teams from one country can participate, unless more than two teams from that country win the Champions League during the specified period.
As Chelsea and Manchester City have already represented England as winners of the 2021 and 2023 Champions Leagues respectively, Liverpool are not eligible, despite qualifying based on their UEFA ranking points.
For the record, the United States has three representatives in this tournament because it is hosting it.
Since the tournament first took place in 2000, four Premier League clubs have won the title.
- Manchester United became champions in 2008, beating LDU Quito from Ecuador in the final.
- Liverpool won the 2019 edition after beating Flamengo in the final.
- Chelsea lifted the trophy in 2021 after beating Palmeiras.
- Manchester City, the current defending champions, won 4–0 against Fluminense in the 2023 final.
Interestingly, Arsenal have never appeared in the Club World Cup because they have never won the Champions League.
