FIFA has officially unveiled the early lineup for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. As of now, just four clubs have secured qualification: Paris Saint‑Germain (UEFA Champions League winners), Al‑Ahli (AFC Champions League Elite winners), Pyramids FC (CAF Champions League winners), and Cruz Azul (CONCACAF Champions Cup winners)
Despite the tournament coming four years from now and featuring up to 32 teams, only one English club is currently slated to participate. That club — Chelsea — created shockwaves, because they are not guaranteed a spot. Even though they won the 2025 Club World Cup, FIFA’s qualification structure does not grant automatic entry to the defending champion. Chelsea must now earn their place by winning one of the next three UEFA Champions League titles or accumulating enough UEFA coefficient ranking points
This restriction has left many fans stunned.
Equally explosive was the reaction of Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, who blasted FIFA during the 2025 tournament over persistent weather-related match delays. Describing the disruption as “a joke,” he declared that multiple stoppages had fundamentally changed the nature of the games — “For me, it’s not football… It’s not for us.” Maresca used nine blisteringly harsh words to criticize the scheduling and location of the matches, questioning the suitability of U.S. venues and condemning FIFA for failing to prevent disruptions that had affected six to eight games by that point
In short: fan outrage is massive, Chelsea’s position uncertain, and Maresca’s critique has lit a fuse under FIFA’s planning for 2029. The football world is waiting to see if Chelsea can secure qualification — and whether FIFA responds to these mounting criticisms before the next Club World Cup.
Leave a Reply