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Fc Salzburg Secures Spot In Inaugural Expanded Club World Cup
FC Salzburg has been awarded the last of the 12 places for European teams in the upcoming inaugural expanded Club World Cup.
The Austrian club’s place was confirmed after Arsenal’s elimination from the Champions League by Bayern Munich, paving the way for FC Salzburg to participate in this prestigious tournament.
The Club World Cup set to take place in the United States, will feature 32 teams from around the globe, including six teams from South America, four each from Concacaf, Africa, and Asia, and one from Oceania. The 32nd place is reserved for the host confederation, with Concacaf yet to announce how it will determine its additional fifth port.
FC Salzburg, despite being ranked 18th in the performance table, has consistently featured in the group stages over the past four years and made it to the round of 16 in 2022. Their inclusion in the Club World Cup highlights their consistent performance and growth on the international stage.
The allocation of European spots for the tournament was a competitive process, with some of Europe’s biggest clubs being ineligible due to a two-club limit on teams from one country. This rule led to clubs like Liverpool, RB Leipzig, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, and AC Milan missing out on a spot, despite their higher rankings in the performance table.
The remaining European places were filled by top clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Internazionale, FC Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid. The tournament format will see the 32 teams drawn into eight groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages.
