In addition to qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals, Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona are fighting at a distance for a place in the lucrative Club World Cup, whose new formula expanded to 32 teams will debut in the United States in the summer of 2025.
FIFA confirmed a few weeks ago that the first edition of the new tournament, which “will bring together teams from the most successful clubs from each of the six international confederations”, will be held “from June 15 to July 13” in the United States.
In addition to the prestige that participation in the tournament will give the clubs, neither ‘Atleti’ nor ‘Barça’ forget that qualifying for the new Club World Cup will mean revenue that the Spanish press estimates at least 50 million dollars (around R $250 million at current exchange rates).
Two ways to guarantee your place
The tournament will feature 32 teams, 12 of which will represent Europe. Four of these teams will be Champions League winners from the last four seasons and the other eight will qualify through the UEFA rankings, with a maximum of two teams per country.
As Real Madrid has already secured its place as European champion in 2022 (as well as Chelsea and Manchester City, winners in 2021 and 2023), Spanish football can only have another place, which will be contested by Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona.
The Rojiblanco team has an advantage, as it has 65 points in this UEFA ranking based on the results of European competitions in recent years. Barça only have 59, but the race is not over yet.
Unless one of the two wins the competition this season and qualifies as European Champion, both will compete for the spot based on their results in the rest of the tournament.
A win means two points, a draw one and each team gets an additional point if they advance.
If Barcelona wins both quarter-final matches against PSG and qualifies for the semi-finals, they will add 5 points and reach 64, insufficient to reach Atlético, regardless of the results the Madrid team obtains in the clash against Borussia Dortmund.
Possible duel in the semifinals
But the Catalan club would still have the possibility of continuing to score points in the semi-finals… where they would have Atlético as their opponents if they both qualify.
Azulgranas’ and ‘Rojiblancos’ would then play not only to qualify for the Champions League final, but also for a place in the prestigious and lucrative Club World Cup, for which 21 teams have already secured their place.
Thirteen of them won the title as champions of their respective confederations: Palmeiras (BRA), Flamengo (BRA), Fluminense (BRA), Leon (MEX), Monterrey (MEX), Seattle Sounders (USA), Urawa Reds (JPN), Al Ahly (EGY), Al Hilal (KSA), Wydad (MAR), Chelsea (ING), Real Madrid (ESP) and Manchester City (ING).
The other eight did so through the ranking: Bayern Munich (ALE), Borussia Dortmund (ALE), PSG (FRA), Inter Milan (ITA), Juventus (ITA), Porto (POR), Benfica (POR), Auckland City (NZL).
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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