Real Madrid and Atlético to play the Club World Cup, Barcelona left out

The new FIFA Club World Cup will be played between 17 June and 4 July 2021 and will feature a new format to previous editions of the competition. Europe will be represented by the winners of the Champions League and Europa League from the previous four seasons - eight teams in total; South America will have six teams while Africa, Asia and CONCACAF will have three teams each, will one representative from Oceanía.

Club World Cup new format

If the same team has been crowned champions more than once during the four-year period, a place will be awarded to the next team in the FIFA ranking of that particular continent. The new format of the 24-team Club World Cup will feature eight groups of three teams with the eight group winners advancing to the quarter finals.

Barcelona need to win the Champions League next year or in 2021

Under the new format, two Spanish teams have already qualified for the first edition of the Super Club World Cup - Real Madrid, as Champions League winners in 2018, and Atlético de Madrid, as winners of the Europa League that same year. Barcelona however have been left without a place for the moment. The next places will go to either Liverpool or Tottenham and Chelsea or Arsenal - the European finalists in this year's competitions. FIFA want the current champions to be involved which means that Barça still have two seasons to win the Champions League and book their place at the tournament. The same qualification criteria applies for South America, with two clubs already through - Grêmio (Brazil) and River Plate (Argentina), as winners of the Copa Libertadores. FIFA have yet to decide where the new Club World Cup will be held but the big favourite is Japan.