Crystal Palace will play in the Conference League this season after losing their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). UEFA punished Palace for breaking rules about owning shares in more than one club in European matches.

John Textor owned part of Crystal Palace and Lyon, which both qualified for the Europa League. UEFA stated that this gave Textor too much control over both teams, which isn’t allowed. 

At the appeal, Palace said Textor didn’t have real power in the club and was no longer involved. They also claimed UEFA mistreated them by not giving them the same deadline extensions as other clubs, like Nottingham Forest.

The CAS panel disagreed and rejected Palace’s claim of unfair treatment. After the ruling, Forest will move up to the Europa League, while Palace must settle for the Conference League. 

Palace will face the team that loses the qualifier between Fredrikstad of Norway and Midtjylland of Denmark.

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Crystal Palace fans took to the streets in protest after UEFA confirmed the club’s demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League. Most of them are holding banners and chanting ‘it’s not fair!â€?against the European football governing body.

Supporters gathered outside Selhurst Park, with many marching from Norwood High Street. Over 3,000 fans have also signed a petition that calls on UEFA to reverse said decision.

Palace had earned a spot in the Europa League after winning the FA Cup in May 2025. However, UEFA blocked their place due to multi-club ownership rules. Palace investor John Textor is also a majority owner in Olympique Lyonnais, another club that qualified for the Europa League.

Though Textor is in the process of selling his shares in Palace to Woody Johnson, UEFA said the sale came too late to meet competition rules.

Club chair Steve Parish called the decision ‘probably one of the greatest injustices that has ever happened in European football.â€?He confirmed the club will appeal and set to take this case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) features 32 elite clubs from every continent, and teams qualify via continental championships or confederation coefficient. That means only the best get to compete in the new CWC season. 

Making up more than a third of the competition’s roster is testament to UEFA’s strength. Here are some of the UEFA clubs joining the biggest international club tournament in football:

Qualified as continental champions (Champions League)

UEFA Champions League winners from 2021 to 2024 automatically qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. These include Chelsea (2020/21), Real Madrid (2021/22 and 2023/24), and Manchester City (2022/23). UEFA has 12 total spots in the tournament, and after accounting for Champions League winners, the remaining places are awarded to the highest-ranked clubs in UEFA’s 2020â€?024 coefficient standing.

Chelsea (English Premier League)

Coach Enzo Maresca brings stability to Chelsea’s exciting young team, featuring talents like Cole Palmer and Enzo FernĂĄndez. Adding MoisĂ©s Caicedo, the Blues have a solid midfield in the starting lineup. Team captain Reece James, in the right back, is the cherry on top of giving Chelsea a stable all-around formation and a strong dark horse potential. 

Real Madrid (LaLiga)

New head coach Xabi Alonso aims to bring Real Madrid back to form after a difficult season. Coming with him is Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in preparation for his 4-3-3 formation in Real Madrid. That would mean the front is likely composed of Kylian MbappĂ©, Jude Bellingham, and VinĂ­cius JĂșnior, three of the top forwards in the 2025 CWC! 

Manchester City (English Premier League)

Coach Pep Guardiola sets his sights on the CWC trophy, to recover Manchester City’s form after a difficult EPL season. Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden remain the club’s core members, but there will be aggressive changes before the 2025 CWC kickoff. Guardiola estimates investing more than the â‚?20 million they spent in 2024. 

Qualified via confederation rankings

The UEFA ranking used to determine who qualifies for the FIFA CWC is based on the 2020 to 2024 club coefficient. That is excluding clubs with automatic seeding as Champions League winners from 2020 to 2024. Here are the clubs that qualified for CWC via UEFA ranking:

Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Bayern Munich is the giant in Group C, having been the 2019/20 Champions League winner. They’ve had a consistently strong performance since then, even today under Vincent Kompany’s new leadership. Bayern has a strong lineup featuring goal scorers Harry Kane leading the front. Alongside him is Jamal Musiala, who is injured as of writing, but with hopes to recover before opening day.

Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)

PSG has dominated Ligue 1 for most seasons since 2012/13, with only Monaco (2016/17) and Lille (2020/21) interrupting their winning streak. This continued under Luis Enrique’s management as they defeated Inter Milan with a 5-0 lead at the 2024/25 Champions League finals. They retained their lineup from then, including core players Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©, Vitinha, and Marquinhos. 

Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

Niko Kovač did a great job leading Borussia Dortmund in the final stretch of the Bundesliga, but is worried that CWC will be an uphill battle. The team club will be relying mostly on a solid defence, with Gregor Kobel, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Felix Nmecha as core players. Their strike team will centre around top goalscorers, Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens. 

Inter Milan (Serie A)

As of writing, Inter Milan doesn’t have a manager, and Cesc Fabregas is the first choice for a formal contract. That said, the club has a strong form with Lautaro Martinez leading the team’s forward line. Parallel to him are NicolĂČ Barella and Alessandro Bastoni in the midfield and backline, respectively, giving Inter a well-balanced starting lineup. 

FC Porto (Liga Portugal)

FC Porto finished in third place in Liga Portugal and has a strong performance in the UEFA rankings, primarily thanks to their consistent Champions League appearances. They have a strong form with Pepe, Rodrigo Mora, and Diogo Costa acting as the club’s anchors. FC Porto will be playing under a new manager, Martín Anselmi, so fans can expect a fresh style.

Atlético Madrid (LaLiga)

AtlĂ©tico Madrid has achieved remarkable success under Diego Simeone’s leadership since he took up the position in 2011. Now, the world is going to see his magic again at the 2025 CWC. In their lineup are powerhouses like JuliĂĄn Álvarez, Robin le Normand, and Conor Gallagher, who each joined AtlĂ©tico in 2024, bolstering the club’s already impressive roster.

SL Benfica (Liga Portugal)

SL Benfica is one of the top performers in Liga Portugal, but they are considered the underdog in Group C, the same group as Bayern Munich. They have a challenging phase 1 to overcome, but they have a strong fighting chance. Manager Bruno Lage stated that he is counting on Ángel Di Maria in his core lineup alongside António Silva and Vangelis Pavlidis.

Juventus (Serie A)

Juventus is expected to share the top two spot with Manchester City in Group G as one of the European heavyweights. The club will be joining the 2025 CWC under Igor Tudor, who was just appointed manager in 2025. Tudor opts for a 3-4-2-1 formation, allowing frequent 1-on-1s, capitalising on Federico Gatti, Renato Veiga, and Pierre Kalulu in the defence. 

FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria Bundesliga)

Salzburg is in a pickle, being in Group H with heavyweights like Real Madrid and Al-Hilal. Manager Thomas Letsch will be capitalising on Oscar Gloukh and Petar Ratkov’s youthful energy against their generally older rivals. Though Salzburg only secured their spot after Arsenal fell short in UEFA rankings, they have the firepower to play against a giant-killing on the world stage.

Look forward to their performance at the 2025 CWC

The stage is set for UEFA’s twelve elite representatives to show their best against world-class squads. These teams will headline what was promised to be the most competitive Club World Cup yet. Look forward to their epic clashes with high expectations for a spectacular summer in 2025. 

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