FIFA considering inviting Barcelona to FIFA Club World Cup after Club Leon suspension | OneFootball

FC Barcelona’s exclusion from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was a significant blow, especially from a financial perspective.

The expanded 32-team competition, after all, had offered substantial financial rewards, simply for participating in the tournament.

The Catalan club missed qualification due to inconsistent UEFA Champions League performances between 2021 and 2024.

Heavy defeats, including 2-5 and 4-6 losses to Paris Saint-Germain, eroded Barcelona’s UEFA coefficient, allowing Atletico Madrid to claim Spain’s second berth alongside Real Madrid.

The absence from the tournament represented a missed opportunity for Barcelona, who have been struggling financially for quite some time now.

FIFA considering inviting Barcelona to FIFA Club World Cup

However, a recent report from journalist David Faitelson suggests that there are conversations going around in FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich regarding the possibility of inviting Barcelona to the Club World Cup.

Indeed, the Catalans have emerged as a candidate to replace Mexico’s Club Leon, which has been suspended from the competition.

Barcelona still have a chance at competing at FIFA Club World Cup this summer (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The suspension stems from a violation of FIFA’s multi-club ownership rules, as Leon’s parent company, Grupo Pachuca, also owns fellow participant CF Pachuca.

While no final decision has been announced, Barcelona’s inclusion would provide a critical financial boost.

Nothing should be taken for granted as of now, as Barça’s potential inclusion in the tournament would also require several procedures and legal steps.

But as mentioned earlier, the inclusion will alleviate most of Barcelona’s financial woes, especially with the club also expecting additional revenue from this season’s Champions League and the pre-season tour in Asia.

All of this should ultimately help the club move closer to returning to the 1:1 rule in the summer.