Following Napoli’s elimination from the Champions League Round of 16, Juventus has officially clinched a spot in the Club World Cup alongside Inter.
Despite Napoli’s attempts through various legal avenues to challenge Juventus’ position, FIFA reaffirmed last week that Juventus maintained their eligibility for the prestigious tournament.
Napoli’s President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, had sought to exclude Juventus from the Club World Cup due to financial irregularities that led to their exclusion from UEFA competitions this season.
Although Juventus did not participate in the Champions League this season, their accumulation of enough points, combined with Napoli’s 3-1 defeat to Barcelona (4-2 on aggregate), ensured Juventus’ qualification for the tournament.
Inter Milan has already secured their place in the 32-team tournament, which will feature clubs from across the globe and will be hosted every four years.
The inaugural edition of this revamped format is scheduled to take place in the United States in June 2025, featuring eight groups of four teams each.
Reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport indicated that President De Laurentiis had offered Napoli players significant financial incentives, with promises of €10 million each if they managed to overcome Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16. De Laurentiis suggested to CBS Sports that the offered amount was even greater than initially reported.
