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Why Liverpool won’t be playing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup this summer

By on May 28, 2025

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There is a lot of excitement building for the 2025 Club World Cup coming up across 12 venues in America this June, but 20-time Premier League champions and six-time Champions League winners – Liverpool will not take part alongside English sides – Manchester City and Chelsea.

FIFA has brought back the Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States in the summer of 2025. The tournament will feature 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. Winners from each group will advance to a four-round knockout stage.

Despite big names like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain competing for the lucrative prize, Liverpool will have to watch from the sidelines. Even with the expanded 32-team format, FIFA’s rule allowing only two teams per country means Liverpool cannot join England’s other representatives. Chelsea and Manchester City have already qualified by winning the Champions League in 2020/21 and 2022/23. European qualification is based on Champions League performance over a set four-year period starting in 2020–21.

Because Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final, they missed out, otherwise, their higher UEFA ranking could have given them a spot. Instead, Atletico Madrid benefited when Real Madrid won two Champions League titles within that four-year window (ranking above Barcelona). With Liverpool excluded, Arne Slot’s squad will spend the summer on their pre-season tour of Asia. Their next chance to take part in the Club World Cup will come in 2029.

Julian Álvarez Staying Put as Liverpool, Arsenal, and Barcelona Circle

Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly showing strong interest in signing Atletico Madrid striker Julian Álvarez this summer. Both powerhouses are in the market for a new striker to reinforce their attack for next season’s challenge. 

Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title this season partly because they lacked a top-class number nine. Season-ending ACL injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz also played huge parts in Arsenal’s dropping form mid-season, further giving away advantage to the Reds early in the season.

Liverpool, on the other hand, is looking for someone to replace Darwin Núñez who has since fallen out of favour in Arne Slot’s line-up and will most likely be looking out for a new team this summer. Both teams have targeted former Manchester City striker Julian Álvarez in recent weeks. He has been one of the world’s best forwards since joining Atlético Madrid from Pep Guardiola’s side in the summer of 2024. This season, the 25-year-old Argentina international scored 29 goals and provided seven assists in 54 games.

Julian Álvarez won two Premier League titles, one Champions League, and one FA Cup with Manchester City and was crucial in helping Atletico Madrid qualify for next season’s Champions League. He also won the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 and 2024 Copa América with Argentina. Atlético head coach Diego Simeone praised Álvarez in February 2025 for his humility to join them despite having “won everything by the age of 25.”

Interest for Álvarez from Arsenal and Liverpool is growing as we head into the summer transfer window. Arsenal’s Sporting Director Andrea Berta is determined to sign Julián Álvarez before Liverpool can but the Argentine’s reluctance to join either side has also been revealed.

Liverpool, who won the Premier League this season, have already made initial inquiries. But Arsenal are now the front-runners for his signature. It is Andrea Berta who is pushing Arsenal’s interest, and he is keen to complete the transfer before Liverpool can.

Liverpool and Arsenal are two of the biggest clubs in the world right now and will both play in next season’s Champions League. They will also be aiming to win the Premier League in 2025/26, and a move to Anfield or the Emirates Stadium would appeal to many players. However, Marca reports that Julián Álvarez is not keen on leaving Atlético Madrid for either Liverpool or Arsenal this summer. He does not want to return to the Premier League and feels comfortable in Madrid and in La Liga, where he has become one of Atletico Madrid’s standout players.

To make matters trickier for Arsenal and Liverpool, Barcelona is also interested in signing Álvarez as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski. Atlético Madrid, who finished third in La Liga this season, does not want to sell their Argentina international and believes he will not push for a move any time soon.

Ryan Gravenberch Suspended in Next Season’s opening game – Available for the Community Shield Game against Crystal Palace

Ryan Gravenberch’s red card in the final Premier League game of the 2024/25 season against Crystal Palace was a disappointing end to an otherwise great day for Liverpool. He will now be suspended for the first Premier League game of next season.

The 23-year-old had an excellent year, playing in a deeper midfield role and clocking up the third-most minutes in the squad (4,207) just behind Golden Boot winner Mohammed Salah and Captain Virgil Van Dijk. The young Dutchman started in all 37 Premier League games he featured in and contributed four assists for the Reds and this strong performance earned him the Premier League Young Player of the Year award.

However, his season ended on a sour note with a straight red card in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace. The foul on Daichi Kamada means he is expected to get a one-match ban. This suspension means Gravenberch will miss Liverpool’s opening Premier League game in August 2025 as they kick-start their title defense. He will play (if available) in the Community Shield on August 9 against the Eagles who proved to be a tough challenge in their previous encounter. Both sides exchanged guard of honors before kickoff on Sunday following Crystal Palace’s surprise victory over Man City in the FA Cup finals.

Liverpool will find out who they face in their first league match when the Premier League fixtures for the 2025/26 season are released on June 18.

Gravenberch started all but one league game in the 2024/25 season, so missing him for the first match isn’t ideal. Still, since the red card wasn’t for violent conduct, he’s only expected to miss the opening game of the new Premier League season.

GET TICKETS TO LIVERPOOL GAMES

Ensure front-row seats to the upcoming Liverpool games by securing available Liverpool tickets from vetted sellers. The overwhelming demand has swept official websites clean, but the secondary ticket marketplace remains your go-to source to secure available tickets to the games.

The Reds will face a daunting challenge in their upcoming season as they defend their domestic title while aiming for a fifth European championship. Arne Slot and the Liverpool board will race against time to trim the team and make significant changes, enough to continue their dominance both in England and Europe. New contracts for Mohammed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk secure their futures at Liverpool and demonstrate the club’s commitment to keeping its world-class core together. 

Be Live to witness all the action at Liverpool games by getting early and affordable tickets to the games. Find your perfect spot and be ready for an unforgettable experience.