From Cristiano Ronaldo To Mohamed Salah: Five Stars Set To Miss Club World Cup

Last Updated:June 12, 2025, 11:20 IST

FIFA's expanded Club World Cup in the US offers $1 billion in prize money but will miss stars like Salah, Yamal, Ronaldo, Saka, and Neymar due to various reasons.

FIFA's top Club tournament is looking a hard sell. (Credits: FIFA Media)

FIFA’s first-ever expanded Club World Cup in the United States offers a whopping one billion dollars in prize money. However, it will be missing some of football’s biggest stars.

1. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Despite finishing as English champions, Liverpool, along with Spain’s Barcelona and Italy’s Napoli, will not participate in the Club World Cup due to a complicated qualification process. As a result, Egyptian winger Salah, who set a Premier League record with 29 goals and 18 assists, will be absent.

After a gruelling season that saw his performance dip towards the end, Salah might not mind a summer break. He even posted a photo on Instagram of himself sunbathing by the beach.

Nevertheless, it’s unfortunate that African football icon Salah, alongside captain Virgil van Dijk and others, will miss out on a potential rematch with their Champions League conquerors, Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool transfer target Florian Wirtz will also be missing, as his team Bayer Leverkusen did not qualify.

2. Lamine Yamal (F.C. Barcelona)

No player has generated more excitement this season than Barcelona’s 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal. The Spanish winger has been in exceptional form and is a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or.

Yamal’s electrifying dribbling and love for the spectacular make him one of the hottest prospects in world football. Often compared to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, Yamal may have lost his only chance to play against the Argentine star, who will be present with Inter Miami, due to Barcelona’s absence.

Other notable absentees from Barcelona include Raphinha, midfield maestro Pedri, and veteran striker Robert Lewandowski.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)

Messi will also not face his long-time rival Ronaldo in the US. The 40-year-old Portuguese striker was reportedly exploring ways to participate in the tournament.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino hinted that Ronaldo might switch from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr to a team that had qualified, stating that “discussions" were underway.

However, after Portugal’s Nations League victory, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo indicated he would stay at Al Nassr. “Some teams reached out to me," the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star shared before the Nations League final.

“Some offers made sense and others did not, but you can’t do everything. You can’t catch every ball."

4. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal are another team that missed out.

After finishing the season without any silverware, the Club World Cup would have been an opportunity for England international Saka to add to his collection, which, apart from the FA Community Shield, includes only an FA Cup win with Arsenal in 2020.

Mikel Arteta’s squad demonstrated significant improvement this season, even knocking out Real Madrid in the Champions League, but ultimately fell short. A player of Saka’s calibre, who has been a regular for six seasons at the top level, could benefit from expanding his trophy haul.

Arsenal will also regret missing out on the prize money as they aim to close the gap with Liverpool and Manchester City, who have dominated English football in recent years.

5. Neymar (Santos)

Brazilian icon Neymar, who struggled with injuries at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, returned to Santos in January 2025 to regain fitness ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Despite being 33 and not at his peak, Neymar remains a significant name in football, and his absence is a commercial loss.

“Neymar, what can I say about him? He’s an outstanding player, who, for me, in my football cycle, is in the top three, with Cristiano and Messi," said Brazil midfielder Casemiro.

With ticket sales lagging, Neymar’s presence would have been a major boost.

(with AFP inputs)

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