Liverpool may be the new champion of England, but that won’t be enough to give it a shot at being crowned the world champion this summer.
The party on Merseyside continues after the Premier League title was won at Anfield on Sunday, thanks to a resounding 5-1 win over Tottenham. Having secured a 20th league title, the Reds are now back on their perch, as Sir Alex Ferguson would say, after going back level with Manchester United’s tally.
And, no matter what Rio Ferdinand says, there can be no debate now about who the most successful team in England is, with Liverpool’s next task being to go beyond its Old Trafford rival once again.
Despite boasting more silverware than any other team in England, Liverpool won’t be traveling to the United States to represent the Premier League in this summer’s revamped Club World Cup.
FIFA’s expanded tournament gets its first run-out in June, with 32 teams from the six continental confederations set to battle it out to be crowned champions of the world.
Qualified teams for 2025 Club World Cup
AFC – Al Hilal, Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, Ulsan HD
CAF – Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns
CONCACAF – Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, Pachuca, Inter Miami, TBD
(Image: Ralf Ibing – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
CONMEBOL – Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, River Plate, Boca Juniors
OFC – Auckland City
UEFA – Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg
Why is Liverpool not involved?
Liverpool misses out on a place at the tournament, with qualification restricted to the winners of the respective confederations’ top club competitions between 2021 and 2024. That’s why Chelsea and Manchester City are both involved, having won the Champions League in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
As you may have noticed though, that criteria doesn’t cover every club. In fact, it only applies to three of the 16 teams from UEFA.
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Additional places are determined by a club ranking over the four-year period, with FIFA imposing a two-team-per-nation rule, hence why Liverpool misses out despite reaching the 2022 Champions League final. In fact, had the Reds beaten Real Madrid in Paris that year, they would have taken Chelsea’s place at the tournament due to their superior ranking in Europe.
In truth though, Liverpool shouldn’t be too disappointed with its snub by FIFA. After a long season which came off the back of a hectic international summer, Arne Slot will no doubt relish the opportunity for his players to take a well-earned break before embarking on their Premier League title defense.
One of his current squad could be involved in the US though, with Real Madrid reportedly hoping to have Trent Alexander-Arnold available for the tournament – assuming he doesn’t choose to extend his stay at Anfield.
