Report: Barcelona in huge advantage for the Club World Cup 2029 | OneFootball

Barcelona have slowly but steadily recaptured their status as the best team in Spain over the past couple of seasons, following a few years in the wilderness.

Their back-to-back La Liga titles have also been accompanied by some very good performances in the Champions League.

In the two seasons under Hansi Flick, the Catalan club have registered a semi-final finish and a quarter-final finish.

Although the ultimate dream of bringing the trophy back to Camp Nou is yet to be fulfilled, this has put them in a very strong position to qualify for the 2029 Club World Cup.

Barcelona well placed for Club World Cup qualification

Poor performances in the Champions League in the pre-Flick era, from 2021 to 2024, saw Barcelona miss out on the 2025 edition of the Club World Cup, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid representing Spain in the tournament.

The last time Barcelona featured in the competition was back in 2015, after winning the 2014-15 Champions League title.

On that occasion, they went on to win the tournament in Japan, beating River Plate 3-0 in the final.

Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images

Under the old system, the tournament was held every year and European teams could participate in the Club World Cup only if they won the Champions League.

However, the it was revamped ahead of the 2025 edition, expanded to 32 teams and scheduled to be held once every four years.

Frontrunners in Spain

Under the new system, FIFA looks at Champions League winners and UEFA rankings across a four-year cycle, and Barcelona are currently on 73 points, comfortably ahead of Atletico on 59 and Real Madrid on 57.

As only two Spanish teams can go to the Club World Cup, this early head start gives Barcelona a huge advantage.

That said, they can also make life easier for themselves by winning the Champions League in 2027 or 2028, which would earn them a direct ticket to the Club World Cup.

With the tournament set to bring in significant revenue for the participating teams, the Catalan club will be keen to secure qualification for the 2029 edition, either by finishing first among the Spanish clubs in the UEFA rankings or by going all the way and lifting the Champions League in the upcoming seasons.