Barcelona trailing Atletico Madrid in ranking for 2025 FIFA Club World Cup qualification

Barcelona will have a lot at stake when they take on Napoli in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. First up would be the esteemed prestige and second, qualification beyond that would entail them for a must-needed financial boost.

As such, it is reported that the team from Catalonia will bag €10.6 million in bonus if they qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition.

Apart from that, though, their performance against Napoli will also determine their place in the FIFA Club World Cup which will be held in the United States in 2025.

To make this competition have more value, FIFA has decided to make it a 32-team tournament, starting in 2025, and the tournament will be played in eight groups of four teams.

As of today, Barcelona are way below the pecking order and Mundo Deportivo has affirmed that even Atletico Madrid are above them in the classification ranking.

How can Barcelona get up in the ranking?

If Barcelona do make it to the quarterfinals in the Champions League, they would not be able to play in the tournament. This means to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, the Blaugrana need to beat Napoli across both legs and win their first leg of the next round.

However, even if they somehow manage to beat the Serie A team, a lot depends on how Atletico Madrid perform in their Champions League tie against Inter. If Atletico lose both legs, Barcelona can have a chance. 

Otherwise, the other option would be to emerge champions of the continental championship, which in all fairness is a distant dream.

How does the ranking work?

To put things in perspective, results in the Europa League do not count. As for the points accumulated, Each win in the Champions League gives two points, and a draw gives one point. 

Moving to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final each adds one point. Barcelona needs to win both Round of 16 matches to reach the quarterfinals and earn at least seven points (2+2+1+2). 

If Atletico lose to Inter, and Barcelona ties them with 62 points, Barcelona would go to the Club World Cup based on the UEFA coefficient rules. Furthermore, If Atletico win or draw against Inter, Barcelona would need to reach the semifinals or further to have a chance.