Report: Barcelona called FIFA to 'beg for spot' at 2025 Club World Cup

Barcelona's attempts to secure a late invitation to the inaugural expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 have reportedly been rebuffed by football's governing body, FIFA.

The Catalan giants, despite a stellar 2024-25 domestic season that saw them lift the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup trophies, missed out on a lucrative spot in the global tournament.

The opportunity for a late entry arose when FIFA was forced to remove Mexican club Club León from the competition.

Club León's exclusion was due to FIFA's multi-ownership rules, as they are controlled by the same group as fellow domestic side Pachuca, who had also qualified.

FIFA's regulations stipulate that no single entity can control or exert influence over more than one club participating in the tournament, aiming to ensure fairness and prevent conflicts of interest.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Barcelona "called FIFA" to express their interest in filling the vacant spot.

However, FIFA's priority was to ensure that the replacement team also hailed from the CONCACAF region.

Consequently, the last CONCACAF slot was ultimately decided by a play-in clash between MLS outfit LAFC and Mexican club Club America, with LAFC emerging victorious and securing their place.

FIFA's initial qualification criteria for the expanded Club World Cup also limited participation to a maximum of two teams from any one nation, with an exception only if more than two clubs from the same country win their confederation's premier club competition over the four-year qualification period.

For Spain, the two allocated spots were taken by Real Madrid and their city rivals Atlético Madrid, who qualified through their UEFA Champions League performances or UEFA ranking pathway.