Why Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are not part of the FIFA Club World Cup?

The first edition of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup is set to kick off on June 14, with Inter Miami hosting Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium. The tournament features 32 clubs from across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. However, some major clubs are notably absent. While certain teams missed out due to underwhelming performances in their respective continental competitions, fans have been surprised to see the tournament proceed without English giants like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool, as well as Spanish heavyweights such as Barcelona and Villarreal. So, why are these clubs not part of the competition?

Previous editions of the FIFA Club World Cup were held annually, but the revamped tournament will now be played once every four years. One of the main reasons why some major clubs are not part of the competition is a rule that allows a maximum of two clubs per country to qualify. Based on performances in European competitions, 12 teams were granted spots in the quadrennial event, with their results assessed over the past four seasons. 

Manchester City and Chelsea secured England’s two available spots by winning the UEFA Champions League during the evaluation period. Chelsea won in 2020/21 and Manchester City registered their triumph in 2022/23. Although Liverpool reached the final in 2021/22, it wasn’t enough to displace either City or Chelsea, who had stronger overall performances and titles during the qualification window.

For Arsenal and Manchester United, they had to win the tournament in the last two years to displace the other two and mark their spot. However, Manchester United have struggled to have consistent Champions League action whereas Arsenal have failed to get past the knockouts. This has resulted in Premier League giants not being part of the competition. 

How did Inter Miami make it to the FIFA Club World Cup?

A controversial inclusion in the tournament is Inter Miami, who were selected by FIFA after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield, rather than the top-flight championship.