FIFA hand Liverpool £50 million blow following major decision announced

Liverpool was left out of the redesigned Club World Cup when its entry standards were confirmed over the weekend in Jeddah.

Liverpool has suffered a financial setback following the announcement that they will not be competing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams.

The Reds had hoped that if the UEFA coefficient was taken into account, they would be able to compete in the lucrative competition in the USA in two years. The Reds won the competition in its current form when it was held in Qatar back in 2019, the year they won the Champions League.

However, the decision made back in March to limit each nation to no more than two representatives in the competition—which will take place in July 2025 over 29 days—was ratified and a motion was passed that would have given priority to clubs that have won the Champions League between 2021 and 2024 over coefficients during a FIFA Council meeting that took place over the weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the site of this year’s competition.

This implies that Chelsea, the 2021 Champions League winners, and the side they defeated that evening, Manchester City, the Champions League winners from the previous season, will represent the Premier League. If Arsenal wins the competition this year, they still have a window of opportunity to qualify, since victors can compete from 2021 to 2024.

Manchester City’s coefficient, which places them second among English teams behind Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal, would have guaranteed the Reds a spot in the Club World Cup in 2025 had they defeated Chelsea in Porto back in 2021.

However, Liverpool will not be participating in the redesigned competition in the United States. The competition was initially announced a year ago and was met with criticism from some quarters because of the expanded format, which could put even more pressure on teams and players already dealing with a demanding schedule, especially in the English game. Managers Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and manager Jurgen Klopp of the Reds have addressed this issue in recent years.

Redesigned every four years, the tournament promises substantial cash incentives; according to the Guardian, participation and eventual success could be worth up to £50 million.

FIFA decided to change the Club World Cup format in response to the unsuccessful attempt by 12 clubs—including Liverpool—to secede and create a new European Super League in 2021. The European Court of Justice will rule on December 21 whether or not UEFA and FIFA’s threat of sanctions to clubs wishing to form another competition was lawful, potentially opening the door to another move to launch a competition in the future, even though all clubs have distanced themselves from the plan, with the exception of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Daniel Haddad, head of commercial at global sports advisory firm Octagon, who has extensive experience in football commercials, particularly in the Middle East, said the following to the ECHO last month: “It’s interesting to see other competition structures being developed that involve other confederations.” I believe there is a very genuine chance that, should the FIFA Club World Cup from 2025 prove to be a success, it will continue to be held every four years.

Because just 12 European clubs can win it, it doesn’t turn into a miniature version of the UEFA Champions League preseason competition. This is how it becomes a success.In the event that there are legitimately strong Saudi Pro League teams, for instance, with competitive squads capable of qualifying, the competition system gains greater value and the clubs receive greater revenue. Therefore, the Premier League teams’ day-to-day operations are unaffected by the presence of great clubs in other confederations. Although you aren’t playing against them in league play or in European competition, you could still make money from such teams.

The previous four UEFA Champions Leagues, CONCACFAF Champions Cups, AFC Champions Leagues, and CAF Champions Leagues will be represented in the new structure. A team from the host country and qualified teams from each territory, determined by a four-year ranking system, will compete in the remaining rounds.

The other European teams that are guaranteed to compete in 18 months are Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Internazionale, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, and Benfica, with the final four spots still up for grabs. These clubs are in addition to Manchester City and Chelsea.