Atlético de Madrid was eliminated by Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, losing 4-2 away and overturning the one-goal advantage they had obtained in the Spanish capital. Amid that disappointment, they take home a consolation prize: they qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup.
Diego Simeone’s team was neck and neck with FC Barcelona for one of the two remaining tickets that UEFA had for the competition, which will debut a new format in the United States. It will be played from June 15th to July 13th with 32 teams from different confederations, which will be divided into eight groups and then play directly from the round of 16 to the final.
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The elimination of both Spanish teams (Barça lost to PSG) means that the team of the Brazilian Samuel Lino, who did not play against Dortmund due to suspension, was better placed in the UEFA ranking and secured their spot. The remaining spot will go to Arsenal if they win this Champions League, otherwise it will go to Salzburg (Austria).
There is a limit of two clubs per country that can enter the select list, with the exception in cases where more than two teams from the same country win the main club competition of the confederation during the four-year period.
Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus were already qualified from Europe. CONMEBOL has six places, with Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Fluminense already having secured passage by winning the last Libertadores, and the rest to be determined based on what happens in the current edition of the continental tournament.
Zagallo documentary
Sambafoot Series has launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo’ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays – as a player and as a coach. The first episode is available in Sambafoot’s Youtube channel and the series will receive weekly releases to tell this legend’s life story.
