GENEVA (AP) — Juventus, barred from European competitions this season by UEFA for violating currency rules, qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup on Tuesday when Napoli was eliminated from the Champions League.
Barcelona beat Napoli 3-1 in the second leg of the round of 16 to seal a 4-2 aggregate victory that allowed Juventus to advance through a European qualification formula to the revamped FIFA tournament.
Juventus is the 21st team to qualify for the inaugural 32-team edition of the Club World Cup to be played in the United States in June-July 2025 through the continental champions from 2021 to 2024, as well as other top rankings from those competitions.
Juventus have progressed a day after former player Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr were knocked out of the festival after being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League.
Barcelona are still unsure if they will be among the 12 European participants, as they are their Spanish rivals, Atletico Madrid, in the European qualifiers.
The winners of the Champions League over a four-year period (Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City) will be united into eight or nine groups, completing the most practical table for all the purposes of the competition. Countries are also limited to two. Entries unless they have more than two continental winning names.
Inter Milan, who reached the Champions League final last season, have already secured their place in the Club World Cup thanks to qualification and Napoli’s elimination on Tuesday ensured Juventus were not overtaken as Italy’s second-best team.
Juventus have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League twice in 4 years and also played at an organisational level last season. Lately it is ranked 14th in the European ranking, but there are 3 organizations from England, Germany and Spain that will achieve their quota.
UEFA imposed a one-season suspension on Juventus from its competitions in July following a false accounting case in which the team deducted broadcasts in Serie A.
Juventus has also been fined 10 million euros ($11 million) through UEFA but is expected to recover more than that from the FIFA Club World Cup prize money paid through FIFA. The tournament, which will take place from June 15 to July 13, follows the established regime. World Cup format, consisting of 8 groups of 4 and then a knockout bracket of 16 teams.
Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Borussia Dortmund and Benfica have also qualified and will join through Atletico or Barcelona. Other groups still in contention include Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven and Salzburg.
Three Brazilian teams – Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense – qualified, as well as the Seattle Sounders and Mexican groups León and Monterrey. Another U. S. team will qualify as part of a Club World Cup culture along with the host country’s champion.
In Asia, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds are on board. Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca have qualified for Africa and New Zealand’s Auckland City will constitute Oceania.
The 2024 continental final will be the Copa Libertadores Sudamericana on November 30.
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