Why are Chelsea playing at the Club World Cup?

The Club World Cup takes place this month in the USA, as teams from all across the global gather to compete in the rejuvenated summer tournament.

Football governing body FIFA have rebranded and expanded the competition, increasing the prize money offered and restructuring the format of the competition.

32 clubs will play in the expanded competition, with some eyebrow raising names involved and omitted in FIFA's flagship club tournament.

English football will have two representatives in the USA with Manchester City and Chelsea competing, whilst Premier League champions Liverpool are notably absent.

Chelsea will play at the 2025 Club World Cup due to the Blues lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in the 2020/21 season.

Of the 12 European teams selected to compete at the Club World Cup this summer, four places are earmarked for the previous four winners of the UEFA Champions League.

In that timeframe the winners of the UEFA Champions League were Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid on two occasions.

Only two clubs from each nation are eligible to qualify for the Club World Cup, meaning the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal were overlooked in favor of the next eligible club from UEFA, Austria's Reb Bull Salzburg.