Club World Cup: the qualified teams and how it works

Juve-Napoli, one out. And the other goes to the Club World Cup in the United States, in June 2025, with the not to be overlooked prospect of earning at least 50 million for simply participating, and, it seems, double that for whoever wins. The figures are not yet official, FIFA has not communicated them, but we are there. On high values, with a total prize pool between 2 and 2.5 billion dollars. Champions League values ​​for a month of football (which will in any case influence the following season, better not to ignore it). There is room for two Italians. One, Inter, is already inside. The other will be Juve or Napoli. For now the Bianconeri lead 47-42, but cannot add points. Napoli yes. Starting tonight. Crucial crossroads, because it also involves Barcelona who in turn challenge Atletico for the Spanish slot.

tournament in the usa

—

So: next year the new Club World Cup will debut, strongly supported by president Infantino and Boban when he was at FIFA. A kind of Champions of Champions, with the best from all continents. It wasn’t easy to organise, UEFA saw it as a bit of an intrusion into its club universe, but it responded with the Final, a match between the national champions of Europe and South America. It is played every four years, as befits a World Cup. But 32 teams are a lot in an already crowded calendar, it would have been better with 16 or 24. We start off like this anyway, meeting in the USA from 15 June to 13 July 2025. Thirty-two finalists, 8 groups of 4 teams, the first 2 of each group to the round of 16 and from there until the final.

six continents

—

The risk? As in any “ecumenical” tournament, with six continents at play, participation will be unbalanced: one Oceanic, four Asian, four African, etc. In today’s Club World Cup, the annual ones, only European and South American teams reach the final. Europe has 12 places divided as follows: 4 assigned to the 4 last winners of the Champions League, the other 8 based on the “purified” UEFA ranking, i.e. only with the results in the Champions League. And a limit: no more than 2 clubs per championship, unless there are 3 or 4 different champions from the same country. Europe: 9 out of 12 Chelsea, Real Madrid and City are already in as champions. They are joined by Bayern, PSG, Inter, Porto, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund by ranking. And we are at 9. 3 are missing: one Spanish, one Italian, the 2024 champion not yet qualified (if it isn’t Arsenal or PSV, Salzburg, which has the best ranking of those excluded, passes).

Italy and Spain

—

In Spain there is a fight between Atletico (62 points) and Barcelona (56). In Italy between Juve (47) and Napoli (42). The two stories intersect. If Barça is eliminated by Napoli, Atletico also passes by exiting with Inter. So Xavi has the same motivations as Calzona: he must qualify. The only one left to watch is Juve, out of the cups and stuck at 47. Napoli gets closer tonight by winning (45 points: 2 plus 1 bonus) or on penalties after a draw (44 points: 1 plus 1 bonus) . Then in the quarterfinals it will be enough for them to reach 47 like Juve: with equal points, they advance because they have the best last result. If Napoli is eliminated, Juve will get their ticket to the USA tonight.

variable adl

—

To make everything more “compelling” came De Laurentiis who, fearing not to qualify, proposed the idea of ​​an appeal against Juve who, being disqualified, would not have the right to be in the running. There is no shortage of illustrious interpreters of the law ready to interpret any nuance of the regulation “where you can do what you want”, as Dante said, but FIFA has also made it clear that such a claim would not have too many legal bases. And then she will decide the field. Juve-Napoli, let those who deserve it win. Referee Mr. Barcellona from the Catalan section.