OT: Attn soccer geeks

[Fk_Pitt]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

No Udinese, who cares.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

I plan on going to some of this but am a little confused with the qualification process? How the heck did Salzburg, Porto, and Benfica quality? I thought you had to place high in the Champions League.

I also expect Messi & Inter Miami to be granted the slot allocated to the host country. Would be big-time TV to see Messi and his MLS buddies face off against the Euro teams or Al-Hilal with Neymar. I dont think Al-Nasr can qualify.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I plan on going to some of this but am a little confused with the qualification process? How the heck did Salzburg, Porto, and Benfica quality? I thought you had to place high in the Champions League.

I also expect Messi & Inter Miami to be granted the slot allocated to the host country. Would be big-time TV to see Messi and his MLS buddies face off against the Euro teams or Al-Hilal with Neymar. I dont think Al-Nasr can qualify.

It’s based on continental performance and not domestic performance.

And the host spot should go to the domestic league winner…in this case whoever won MLS. I don’t even know who that is. Lol. And don’t really care. But I’m sure FIFA is going to try and find a way to get Miami in that spot instead of the MLS champ. Unless Miami loans Messi to that team in 2025.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Actually it might be this years MLS champ? So maybe they find a way for Miami to win the league? Let the conspiracy theories begin. When FIFA is involved anything is possible.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I plan on going to some of this but am a little confused with the qualification process? How the heck did Salzburg, Porto, and Benfica quality? I thought you had to place high in the Champions League.

I also expect Messi & Inter Miami to be granted the slot allocated to the host country. Would be big-time TV to see Messi and his MLS buddies face off against the Euro teams or Al-Hilal with Neymar. I dont think Al-Nasr can qualify.

FIFA

The official site of the international governing body of football with news, national associations, competitions, results, fixtures, development, organisation, world rankings, statistics, the International Football Association Board, history, laws of the game, futsal, publications, downloads...

inside.fifa.com

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

Actually it might be this years MLS champ? So maybe they find a way for Miami to win the league? Let the conspiracy theories begin. When FIFA is involved anything is possible.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I plan on going to some of this but am a little confused with the qualification process? How the heck did Salzburg, Porto, and Benfica quality? I thought you had to place high in the Champions League.

I also expect Messi & Inter Miami to be granted the slot allocated to the host country. Would be big-time TV to see Messi and his MLS buddies face off against the Euro teams or Al-Hilal with Neymar. I dont think Al-Nasr can qualify.

Here is what I found re. Salzburg:

All European spots are now filled. Qualification is only through performance in continental competitions. All clubs still alive in UCL have already qualified so the wildcard spot goes to the highest ranking club from an association that does not already have two teams qualified. So Salzburg got in.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It’s based on continental performance and not domestic performance.

And the host spot should go to the domestic league winner…in this case whoever won MLS. I don’t even know who that is. Lol. And don’t really care. But I’m sure FIFA is going to try and find a way to get Miami in that spot instead of the MLS champ. Unless Miami loans Messi to that team in 2025.

That doesn't exactly explain those 3 getting in. Still makes no sense. It's like giving an auto bid NCAAT bid for the A10 and MAC champs, which we do but there is a defined process.

And its going to be Miami. MLS has conveniently not said how they will award the bid. It has to be Miami. MLS needs that.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

That doesn't exactly explain those 3 getting in. Still makes no sense. It's like giving an auto bid NCAAT bid for the A10 and MAC champs, which we do but there is a defined process.

And its going to be Miami. MLS has conveniently not said how they will award the bid. It has to be Miami. MLS needs that.

Maybe this helps

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

The Riverhounds invite must have gotten lost in the mail.

😢

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

I can't. I just can't. I only can get into International Soccer. Other than that, it is the LPGA to me. I have tried. Just can't.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I can't. I just can't. I only can get into International Soccer. Other than that, it is the LPGA to me. I have tried. Just can't.

Understood. You’d probably have to organically take a liking to a team…like you go to Liverpool on business, see a match at Anfield as a tourist and fall in love with them because of the experience. Until something like that or similar, you can’t relate to any of these teams and even then you still might not.

I’m excited for it because my team is in it…even though they suck. They only qualified because they won Champions League and the World Cup 3 years ago with an entirely different team.

 

[brdst11]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

It'll be interesting to see how seriously these teams take this tournament. Definitely more seriously than the even year US tours but it'll still be the off season

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Maybe this helps

View embedded media

Not really. Do I have to be in charge of everything? There are 12 spots allocated to UEFA. Would this be so hard?

2022 UCL Champ and runner-up
2023 UCL Champ and runner-up
2024 UCL Champ and runner-up
2025 UCL Champ and runner-up

4 wildcards (or more if a team qualified more than 1 way from 2022-25)

From 2022-25
1 point for UCL Group Stage qualification
2 points for Round of 16
3 points for Quarterfinal
4 points for Semifinal

I dont have any clue what math was used to qualify Red Bull Salzburg. They are essentially the minor league team of Red Bull Leipzig. Their good players, like Brendan Aaronson move on to Leipzig. They arent a Top 200 European team.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It'll be interesting to see how seriously these teams take this tournament. Definitely more seriously than the even year US tours but it'll still be the off season

It wont really be the off-season. It'll be a week or 2 after the Champions League final so it will be right after the regular season like the World Cup. I'd expect all the stars to play unless they have some nagging injuries that the club wants them to have a long off-season rest.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Not really. Do I have to be in charge of everything? There are 12 spots allocated to UEFA. Would this be so hard?

2022 UCL Champ and runner-up
2023 UCL Champ and runner-up
2024 UCL Champ and runner-up
2025 UCL Champ and runner-up

4 wildcards (or more if a team qualified more than 1 way from 2022-25)

From 2022-25
1 point for UCL Group Stage qualification
2 points for Round of 16
3 points for Quarterfinal
4 points for Semifinal

I dont have any clue what math was used to qualify Red Bull Salzburg. They are essentially the minor league team of Red Bull Leipzig. Their good players, like Brendan Aaronson move on to Leipzig. They arent a Top 200 European team.

I totally get what you’re saying. These coefficients and crazy metrics muddy the waters. We Americans want things cut and dry. Make it simple. Give us qualification pathways that are simple to understand.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I totally get what you’re saying. These coefficients and crazy metrics muddy the waters. We Americans want things cut and dry. Make it simple. Give us qualification pathways that are simple to understand.

We need Lunardi to pick this field. I just cant get over these 3. I want someone to explain the math to me. I am assuming your domestic performance counts or perhaps the Europa League but why? The Champions League is the ultimate test for ALL the teams.

This would be like having some NCAA Super Cup for the past 4 seasons and having the champions of those tournaments plus like Duquesne because they won the A10 one year. It just makes no sense. Like, how did Duquesne do in the actual NCAA Tournament? Well, they went 1-1 over 4 years but according to some math formula, they get to make the NCAA Super Cup. Why do you need a math formula? You pick the NCAA Tournament champs and finalists and maybe some semifinalists if needed.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I dont have any clue what math was used to qualify Red Bull Salzburg. They are essentially the minor league team of Red Bull Leipzig. Their good players, like Brendan Aaronson move on to Leipzig. They arent a Top 200 European team.

Even by your standards, that's ridiculous. There aren't even close to 200 European sides better than Salzburg. 538 stopped updating their club rankings last summer, but at that time Salzburg was 41st. The teams around 200 in Europe are, for the most part, teams that you have never heard of. And I mean that literally, you have never heard of them.

Why do you care how FIFA picks the teams for this tournament? Salzburg probably isn't even in the bottom half of the teams that FK listed in the original post. Why does them being in the tournament bother you, but you are fine with Wydad Casablanca or Urawa Red Diamonds? What do you suppose the score would be if the teams put full strength squads out on the pitch and Bayern plays Aukland City?

The whole goal of changing this tournament to the way they are doing it now is to get more teams from different places involved. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Even by your standards, that's ridiculous. There aren't even close to 200 European sides better than Salzburg. 538 stopped updating their club rankings last summer, but at that time Salzburg was 41st. The teams around 200 in Europe are, for the most part, teams that you have never heard of. And I mean that literally, you have never heard of them.

Why do you care how FIFA picks the teams for this tournament? Salzburg probably isn't even in the bottom half of the teams that FK listed in the original post. Why does them being in the tournament bother you, but you are fine with Wydad Casablanca or Urawa Red Diamonds? What do you suppose the score would be if the teams put full strength squads out on the pitch and Bayern plays Aukland City?

The whole goal of changing this tournament to the way they are doing it now is to get more teams from different places involved. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

Oh, 538 said it, cool.

Now lets deal in reality here. Salzburg is literally the B team of Leipzig. FWIW, RBNY is the C team. There is a distinct pecking order there. Leipzig's payroll is $101 million/year. Salzburg's is $16 million which ranks 85th in Europe. So maybe I exaggerated slightly but I don't believe an Austrian team is better than any EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, or Serie A teams. So that's about 80 right there. Then you have English 2nd Division teams plus teams in other leagues which are better. So maybe they are around 100-125? But the math says they are Top 12? How? How does that work. There would be absolutely NO CHANCE they'd finish Top 12 in the Premier League, they've done NOTHING in the UCL but somehow they are Top 12? How?

Also, I'm not necessarily ok with the top team from Oceania (Auckland City) being in it. I especially dont like the preferential treatment that New Zealand seems to get from FIFA for being the only large developed nation in their region. If you had to bet money on which nation makes the next 5 World Cups, would you take Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France? No. I'd take New Zealand. They just have to beat a few small Pacific atolls and they're in.

As for the Asian champs you mentioned, yes, I am ok with the Top 4 from Asia, Africa, and CONCACAF though I'm afraid the African teams will always be North African and I've always felt Sub-Saharan Africa was always under-represented. But 4 each from those regions pretty perfect. I liken it to the Patriot League and America East Champ making the NCAA Tournament. The NCAAT gives you the best 45ish teams and then 23 AQ's who arent anywhere close to Top 68. This tournament is similar with 1 exception. If you like UEFA to lets say a Major D1 hoops league, it would be like that league sending its 4 or 5 best teams and then for some really strange reason that no one can figure out, Boston College got a bid. I mean they went 19-15 this season so that's not bad but what math was used to include them? That's how I see RBS. There's just no way you can say they are Top 12 in Europe, not even remotely close.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

All east coast stadiums as well apparently

 

[thebadby2]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

No Liverpool? How is that?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

No Liverpool? How is that?

I agree with SMF that the whole qualification thing is stupid. Here’s my explanation although I don’t completely understand it.

European performance is what counts, not domestic league. I’m not sure Liverpool has done anything in Europe lately?


Only two teams per association can qualify, unless they win a continental competition during the period. So Chelsea is in by virtue of their euro and world championship a couple of years ago. Domestic performance doesn’t appear to matter unless an association like MLS needs a spot filled.

That said, Chelsea in not even a top 7 English team at the moment. And while I’m excited they are in this thing, they are not the proper team to represent England because they are not even close to the same team that won them qualification into this tourney. Arsenal or Liverpool are better, and so on. Leverkusen just won the German league by a mile and is out. Barca is out. AC Milan is out despite being better than Juve and is the #2 team in Italy. Wouldn’t it be great for everyone involved to have Pulisic and Musah playing in this thing in the states? The Sounders don’t appear to be a good MLS team. I could go on and on. This thing makes the NCAA selection committee look awesome.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Another thing to consider is how and when will this get played? There has been talk of the US hosting it every year but I haven’t paid attention to the progression of those talks.

And in years past it’s pretty much an afterthought unless you’re a fan of the SA clubs. The Euro champ was always inserted into the thing deep into the bracket, would win a couple matches and then take home the trophy. But now with expansion and attempt to make it a bigger event. It was like if FIBA did one and had all these teams competing, and then the NBA winner would be inserted into the semifinal, win two games and then take home a world championship.

So is it standard group play now for everyone? Would the euro powers even play their best 11 in group play? How interesting would Man City vs Casablanca be? I would still think Man City would draw 40K wherever they would play…but you’re not likely seeing Erling Haaland or Kevin DeBruyne play.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

So maybe I exaggerated slightly but I don't believe an Austrian team is better than any EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, or Serie A teams.

If you don't think that Salzburg is better than, say, Sheffield United or Almeria or Darmstadt or Salernitana then you are simply showing your ignorance. Again.

This isn't about getting the best 32 club teams in the world together for a tournament. That's so obvious that even you should be able to see it. They are trying to get representation from leagues all around the world. I'm not sure why that's so hard for you to understand.

If all they wanted was to get the top 32 clubs in the world in a tournament they would let UEFA organize it and call it the "Champions League". That isn't what this is. It isn't what this was ever intended to be. It really shouldn't be that difficult to understand.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

All east coast stadiums as well apparently

The club World Cup is going to be happening at the same time as the next edition of the Gold Cup. So they have decided that the club World Cup will be played in the eastern US, while the Gold Cup will be played in the western US, so that there isn't any overlap between the two.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

The club World Cup is going to be happening at the same time as the next edition of the Gold Cup. So they have decided that the club World Cup will be played in the eastern US, while the Gold Cup will be played in the western US, so that there isn't any overlap between the two.

So during the March window? Which would be a conflict for a player like McKinnie if he’s still at Juvy?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

So during the March window? Which would be a conflict for a player like McKinnie if he’s still at Juvy?

No, not March, June.

But yeah, there will be some players that will miss out on one tournament because they are playing in the other. Actually it will be interesting to see how that works out, because clubs theoretically are required to release players to play in their confederation championship tournaments, like the Gold Cup. But you would think that FIFA, and perhaps the clubs as well, would rather that the players participate in the club World Cup rather than the Gold Cup. I wonder which one FIFA will favor?

Note, that was a rhetorical question. FIFA is going to favor FIFA's tournament, so they will make an exception to their rule that clubs are required to release players for continental championship in the case where a FIFA tournament is going on at the same time.

 

[NTOP]

So for those of you interested in seeing good club soccer teams playing in the US in games that are not exhibitions like the ones we see each summer…save your money for next year.

The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA 🇺🇸 (24 out of 32 so far qualified)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 Juventus
🇮🇹 Inter Milan
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
🇵🇹 Benfica
🇵🇹 Porto
🇦🇹 RB Salzburg
🇧🇷 Flamengo
🇧🇷 Palmeiras
🇧🇷 Fluminense
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 León
🇺🇸 Seattle Sounders
🇯🇵 Urawa Red Diamonds
🇰🇷 Ulsan
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal
🇪🇬 Al Ahly
🇲🇦 Wydad Casablanca
🇳🇿 Auckland City

Reading that list is more exciting than watching that sport from the dying place called "Europe".

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

If you don't think that Salzburg is better than, say, Sheffield United or Almeria or Darmstadt or Salernitana then you are simply showing your ignorance. Again.

This isn't about getting the best 32 club teams in the world together for a tournament. That's so obvious that even you should be able to see it. They are trying to get representation from leagues all around the world. I'm not sure why that's so hard for you to understand.

If all they wanted was to get the top 32 clubs in the world in a tournament they would let UEFA organize it and call it the "Champions League". That isn't what this is. It isn't what this was ever intended to be. It really shouldn't be that difficult to understand.

This is so confusing. So each country can only send 2 teams? So Mexico can only send 2? That's pretty stupid but if that's true, the 12 Euro teams should be from

England
Germany
Spain
Italy
France

Then Ajax and 1 more. Either a Turkish team or Portuguese. Salzburg is way down the list.

And I didn't expect this tournament would have the 32 best teams but I did expect it would have the best 12 Euro teams. I want to see Man City vs Messi not Salzburg vs Messi. Whatever formula was used to put the Red Bull B team in is a failure. There is no one on Red Bull Salzburg who could make Red Bull Leipzig and that's by design.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

Reading that list is more exciting than watching that sport from the dying place called "Europe".