Why won’t Barcelona play at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup? The massive revenue that Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal’s side misses out on
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup promises to be one of the most prestigious and lucrative tournaments in club soccer history. With an expanded 32-team format and the tournament set to take place in the United States, the competition will bring together the world’s biggest clubs in a month-long battle for global supremacy. However, one notable absence from the lineup is Barcelona.
Despite boasting stars like Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski, the Catalan giants failed to secure a place in the tournament. In addition to missing out on a chance to compete on the world stage, Barcelona also loses out on a massive financial opportunity—one that could have significantly helped their precarious financial situation. But why exactly won’t the Blaugrana be there? And how much money are they missing out on? Let’s break it down.
While some may assume that Barcelona’s status as a European powerhouse would automatically grant them entry, FIFA implemented a strict qualification process for the tournament. Only 12 European clubs secured spots in the competition, including the last three UEFA Champions League winners—Real Madrid (2022, 2024), Manchester City (2023), and Chelsea (2021).
The remaining nine spots were awarded based on club performances in the Champions League over the last four seasons (2021-2024), with a major restriction: only two clubs per country could qualify unless more than two had won the Champions League during this cycle. For Spanish clubs, Real Madrid’s two Champions League triumphs meant they were guaranteed a spot, leaving only one more space for a La Liga team. That place went to Atletico Madrid, who outperformed Barcelona in European competition during the relevant period.
Despite winning La Liga in 2023, the Catalan side’s European struggles proved costly. Their early exits from the Champions League in 2021-22 and 2022-23, combined with only a round of 16 finish before that, left them ranked below Atletico in UEFA’s coefficient system.
How much money does Barcelona potentially lose?
Beyond the prestige, the 2025 Club World Cup offers an enormous financial windfall. FIFA has allocated a $1 billion prize pool, with significant sums guaranteed for participating clubs. Simply by qualifying, Real Madrid will reportedly receive $38 million, while Atletico Madrid will get $22 million. Hansi Flick‘s players, however, will get nothing.
Had they qualified and gone far in the competition, they could have earned significantly more. The prize money increases with progression through the tournament, with the ultimate champion expected to take home tens of millions in additional revenue. This financial blow is particularly damaging given Barcelona’s well-documented financial struggles and ongoing need to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.