Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and PSG are among the European giants who will be competing to claim FIFA’s inaugural, expanded Club World Cup in the United States this summer.
But could playing in yet another tournament hinder their preparation for the 2025-26 season? Could it give an advantage to the clubs that aren’t there, of which there are some massive ones.
Here are nine clubs that could benefit from not participating in the Club World Cup.
Liverpool
Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have two Premier League starts between them this season.
The flipside of that coin has been just how relentlessly Liverpool’s core of Virgil Van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah have been worked in this triumphant title-winning campaign.
The Reds’ Premier League form has still been more than good enough of late, but their Champions League elimination and League Cup final defeat hints at a team running out of steam at a crucial juncture.
Not only will Liverpool’s experienced players get a much-needed rest, but the board will be able to focus more on signing and integrating squad additions that Slot can trust to do a job.
Next season, they’ll surely be required to use more depth.
Arsenal
Like the champions, Arsenal will be licking their lips at the prospect of Pep Guardiola’s squad jetting off to play in the heat of the Club World Cup next month.
City could earn up to £100million if they get their hands on the trophy, and they’re surely among the leading contenders, but it could seriously impinge on their ability to hit the ground running in 2025-26.
The 2024-25 campaign, once again trophyless, has been gruelling for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
But if they can dust themselves off, get their injured stars back to fitness and work on integrating summer signings like Martin Zubimendi, there’s no reason next season can’t be their year.
Manchester United
Is there any manager, anywhere in the world, with more “work to do” than Ruben Amorim right now?
Manchester United sit sixteenth in the Premier League table. They’re currently on the same points tally that Ian Holloway’s Blackpool were relegated with back in 2010-11 and there are only two games left to play.
Just think about that for a second and appreciate quite how bonkers that is.
Qualifying for next season’s Champions League would be a godsend for the club financially but it would provide some major headaches when it comes to building a squad capable of competing on two fronts.
Recent Premier League form has shown them incapable of even managing Europa League rotations.
You imagine Sir Jim Ratcliffe would’ve jumped at the chance to compete in this summer’s Club World Cup, and the much-needed cash injection it would provide, but what Amorim needs above all else is proper time on the training pitch with his players.
Newcastle United
Sunday’s victory over Chelsea makes it look increasingly likely that Eddie Howe’s Magpies will be back in the Champions League next season.
That will be huge for Newcastle, but it didn’t go so well last time as the addition of top-level European excursions took its toll on a relatively thin squad. And this season’s run-in has seen Howe call upon a small but trusted cadre of players.
Reinforcements are needed in the summer, while the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali could all do with some time off.
Barcelona
The treble dream is over, but Barcelona’s key players have clocked up thousands of minutes between them as they’ve gone deep on every front this season.
There’s arguably no squad in world football that looks more in need of a rest than Hansi Flick’s right now. The good news is that’s exactly what they’ll be getting.
In particular, you look at 17-year-old Lamine Yamal – who has clocked up 52 appearances and over 4000 minutes in all competitions – and thank the stars he’ll be getting a much-needed few weeks off. It would be a footballing tragedy if he suffers the same injury fate that overworked Barca youngsters like Ansu Fati and Pedri have endured in their fledgling careers.
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen did remarkably well to keep their core together after last season’s historic, unbeaten double-winning campaign.
But you were always left with the sense the vultures would be at the door, and just like the likes of Monaco and Ajax before them it was only a matter of time before their squad would be picked apart.
It looks like that’ll be happening this summer. Xabi Alonso has already confirmed his departure. Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz are among their star names tipped to move on.
Simon Rolfes has done excellent work as sporting director, but he has a mammoth job on his hands to rebuild the squad this summer. That’s enough on their plate without a money-spinning tournament across the Atlantic.
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Napoli
To be fair, Napoli are probably the club on this list least in need of a rest.
Just like with Chelsea in 2016-17, Napoli’s title charge has been aided by the lack of European distraction and drill sergeant Antonio Conte blessed with full weeks on the training pitch to get his players tuned in to his tactical demands.
But they did need to start thinking about the addition of European football next season.
While controversial chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis will be keen to avoid a repeat of the aftermath of their latest Scudetto triumph, in which they lost their inspirational coach and suffered a full-on mid-table meltdown.
Conte is infamously demanding when it comes to the transfer market. Full focus on working in tandem to shape a squad in his image ought to be the priority.
Al Nassr
You just know that FIFA president Gianni Infantino will have been gutted that he wasn’t able to manufacture some kind of convoluted scheme to get Cristiano Ronaldo out there as one of the poster boys for his flagship tournament.
But Ronaldo’s striking lack of silverware out in Saudi Arabia left Infantino with no option. Lionel Messi will be there with Inter Miami, but his old foe won’t.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed club would’ve liked nothing more than to show off their shiny toys in front of the world this summer.
But perhaps taking stock and planning for next season will benefit them next season? A summer off for a 40-year-old playing in that climate surely can’t hurt, either.
Reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal will be there, with the unenviable task of kicking off against Real Madrid.
That distraction could give Ronaldo’s side a chance to bridge the gap and finally start competing for silverware in 2025-26.
Cristiano Ronaldo trophies
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Santos
Neymar could’ve been at this summer’s Club World Cup had he remained with Al Hilal, but you get the distinct impression that he’ll fare better after rejoining his boyhood club Santos.
The Brazilian superstar has stated his ambitions of putting his injury hell behind him and getting back to his very best for one last dance at the (proper) World Cup next summer.
You suspect that his road to recovery will benefit from playing away from the spotlight. And getting Neymar fit and firing is surely in Santos’ best interests.
After years in the wilderness, it’s all too easy to forget he’s one of the best, most talented players of his generation.
And there are some hints of that old spark returning back in Brazil. We’d love nothing more than to see him make good on his promises.