RB Leipzig have only a minimal chance of successfully qualifying for the reformed Club World Cup. According to FIFA, the Bundesliga club would have to reach at least the semi-finals of the current Champions League to have any chance at all. This is because the Saxons would have to overtake Borussia Dortmund in the four-year ranking of the premier class, as only two representatives per nation are permitted.
Coach Marco Rose already said in December that he considers the expansion of the tournament to be critical. "Anything on top of that is unacceptable as far as the players' health is concerned," said the 47-year-old. "Nevertheless, we continue to turn the wheel and we know that our business is very much driven by money. You have to support a few things that you might not think are great."
The Club World Cup, which has been expanded to 32 teams, will be held in the USA in the summer of 2025. 19 teams have already qualified for the tournament, which runs from June 15 to July 13, including FC Bayern Munich. 13 teams have secured their ticket by winning their continent's Champions League format between 2021 and 2024. A further six are in through their confederation's four-year ranking.
Twelve places are available to UEFA, four of which are still open. One of these will go to the winner of this year's top flight, provided they have not already qualified. The other clubs reach the World Cup via the ranking list. At the moment, the open places would go to Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, Juventus Turin and Salzburg.
Leipzig (61 points) are currently seven points behind Dortmund (68). Two points are awarded for a win and one for a draw. A further point is awarded for each additional round reached in the knockout phase. Leipzig would automatically be in as winners, with a maximum of 13 points still possible in the event of a defeat in the final. If RB fail to beat Real Madrid in the round of 16 (first leg 0:1), they are out of the running.
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