The Champions League Round of 16 elimination for Napoli this evening means that Juventus are mathematically qualified for the Club World Cup along with Inter.
The Partenopei had attempted several legal avenues to force Juve out of their way, but FIFA reiterated last week that Juve remained in pole position.
President Aurelio De Laurentiis had hoped to get Juventus excluded based on the financial irregularities that saw them removed from UEFA competition this season.
Despite not being in the Champions League this term, Juve still accrued enough points to beat Napoli to that spot following the 3-1 loss to Barcelona, 4-2 on aggregate.
Congratulations to @juventusfc on qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025!
As a result of @sscnapoli's elimination from the @ChampionsLeague, Juventus are now assured of a spot via Europe's ranking pathway and become the 10th team from Europe to qualify for the tournament. pic.twitter.com/DuFVzCsgqh
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) March 12, 2024
Inter have already secured their spot in the 32-team tournament, which will be hosted every four years involving clubs across the globe.
The first edition of this new format will be played in the United States in June 2025, with eight groups of four teams.
La Gazzetta dello Sport had reported that De Laurentiis promised Napoli players €10m each if they beat Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16 this evening, with him telling CBS Sports today that it was “more than that.”
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis confirms to @GuillemBalague he will be paying his players €10m+ if they beat Barca 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VCMULgsxcY
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 12, 2024
Barcelona’s second stadium looks better than Napoli’s stadium. C’mon Serie A – sort out these stadiums.