Why Chelsea Haven’t Qualified For the Next Club World Cup While PSG Have

Despite winning the first Club World Cup under FIFA’s revamped structure, Chelsea have not yet secured qualification for the 2029 edition – while, bizarrely, runners-up Paris Saint-Germain have. That revelation comes just a day after the Blues produced a surprise of their own, dismantling the Champions League holders 3-0 on Sunday evening at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Two quickfire goals from Cole Palmer set the tone early, before Joao Pedro added a third before the break – a clinical, chipped finish that helped Enzo Maresca’s side to a three-goal lead that they dug their heels in and held onto throughout the second half. The result sealed Chelsea’s second major European honour in just a few months, following their Europa Conference League triumph at the tail end of the 2024/25 campaign.

PSG only made matters worse for themselves after the interval, with midfielder Joao Neves receiving a straight red card for yanking Marc Cucurella’s hair, which sparked ugly full-time scenes. But while some neutrals continue to downplay the Club World Cup’s significance, Chelsea’s victory came with a staggering £125 million in prize money. Though, one head-scratcher is that the London club aren’t guaranteed to be heading to the next tournament in 2029.

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Why Chelsea Haven’t Qualified For 2029 Club World Cup

Paris Saint-Germain already have

There are 32 places up for grabs at the next Club World Cup, with the allocation distributed between each continent as fairly as possible, with coefficiency determining how many places are given to each organisation. Based on FIFA rankings, UEFA is granted 12 spots, CONMEBOL six, AFC four, CAF four, CONCACAF four, and OFC one. The host nation will also receive one slot, which explains the involvement of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in this year’s competition.

However, there is no automatic qualification for the winners of the Club World Cup itself, meaning Chelsea must still qualify as one of UEFA’s 12 representatives. Of those 12 UEFA spots, four are reserved for the Champions League winners leading up to the tournament, which is why runners-up PSG are already confirmed for 2029, despite their defeat to Chelsea, while Cruz Azul, Pyramids, and Al-Ahli have also qualified.

The remaining UEFA slots are determined by club rankings, where Chelsea currently sit 14th, putting their place in the next tournament far from guaranteed. But, that being said, their summer form suggests they could easily climb the rankings next season after qualifying for the Champions League.

For perhaps the first time since the Todd Boehly regime took over the west London club in 2022, everything is finally clicking into place – and their free-spending mentality is beginning to deliver the rewards it promised with the acquistions of Estevao, Joao Pedro, and Liam Delap. All eyes will now turn to whether they can carry their Club World Cup form into the Premier League when they kick off the 2025/26 campaign on August 17 against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.

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