In a surprising turn for English football fans, three of the Premier League’s biggest clubs — Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United — will not be participating in the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States next summer. Despite their storied histories and strong recent performances, these giants of English football did not qualify for the tournament. Here’s why.
Qualification Criteria for the 2025 Club World Cup
The 2025 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup marks the beginning of a new era, with the tournament expanding to 32 teams for the first time. The qualification process is based primarily on performances in continental competitions — specifically, the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for European teams.
For UEFA, a total of 12 slots were allocated, with the following criteria:
Automatic qualification for the winners of the UEFA Champions League from 2021 to 2024.
The remaining slots awarded to the highest-performing clubs in the Champions League during the 2021–2024 cycle, based on a points system determined by UEFA.
Why Arsenal Missed Out
Arsenal’s absence is primarily due to their lack of Champions League involvement in most of the qualifying cycle. The Gunners did not participate in the UCL between 2021 and 2023, only making their return to the competition in the 2023–24 season after several years of Europa League football. Although they had a strong showing upon their return, it was not enough to catch up in UEFA’s points-based ranking system for Club World Cup qualification.
Liverpool’s Fall Just Short
Liverpool, who won the Champions League in 2019 and have consistently been one of Europe’s top teams, were in contention for qualification through UEFA’s ranking points. However, their performances in the UCL from 2021 to 2024 were not strong enough to secure one of the limited ranking-based slots. A disappointing group stage exit in 2022–23 and a lack of deep runs in the subsequent seasons saw them narrowly edged out by other clubs such as Bayern Munich and PSG, who had more consistent results.
Manchester United’s Inconsistencies Proved Costly
Manchester United’s struggle for consistency in Europe over the last few years has cost them dearly. Despite a strong brand and deep pockets, United have failed to make significant progress in the Champions League during the qualifying period. A mix of group stage exits and failure to qualify for the tournament in certain seasons meant they accrued too few points to be among UEFA’s top representatives.
Who Did Qualify from England?
Only Chelsea and Manchester City will represent England in the 2025 Club World Cup:
Chelsea secured automatic qualification by winning the 2020–21 Champions League.
Manchester City earned their place by winning the 2022–23 edition and also accumulating high ranking points over the qualifying period.
Looking Ahead
While the Club World Cup will feature elite clubs from across the globe, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Flamengo, the absence of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United will be felt by fans around the world. Their exclusion highlights the increasing importance of consistent European performance in the modern football landscape.
For now, these clubs will turn their focus back to domestic and continental competitions, aiming to ensure they are not left out of future international showpieces.