PSV On Track For 2029 Club World Cup Qualification As Champions League Results Prove Crucial

PSV are on course to qualify for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, according to Voetbal International, with their continued presence in the Champions League putting the Eindhoven club in a strong position.

The 2029 tournament participants will be determined at the end of the 2027/28 season. VI journalist Tom Knipping reports that PSV's run of consecutive Champions League appearances has given them a strong platform in the qualification race.

“Thanks to a run of Champions League appearances in a row, PSV has favourable prospects to take part in the criticised but lucrative prestige project of FIFA chief Gianni Infantino,” Knipping writes, as relayed by PSV Inside.

The Dutch qualification route for the Champions League will also change from the 2027/28 season. Only the Eredivisie champions will qualify directly for the league phase, while the runners-up will have to navigate the preliminary rounds.

That makes winning the Dutch title particularly significant for PSV, both competitively and financially.

For the Club World Cup, the current assumption is that UEFA will again have 12 places, with Champions League winners and four-year coefficient rankings forming the basis of qualification. The previous system also included a maximum of two clubs per country.

According to VI, PSV currently sit around 15th in the overall coefficient ranking but rise to 11th when the two-club-per-country restriction is applied.

Several clubs ahead of PSV could therefore be excluded under those rules, including Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa.

The picture could improve further this season. PSV are currently just behind Atalanta in the revised ranking, and another Champions League victory would bring them level with the Italian club.

Atalanta are not competing in the Champions League this season, meaning they cannot add points to their total. Club Brugge, AS Monaco and Benfica are among PSV's other potential rivals, although Monaco and Benfica are also competing outside the Champions League.

VI therefore believes PSV's continued participation in Europe's premier competition could strengthen their position considerably.

“Prolonging the league title (or becoming runners-up and surviving the preliminary rounds) would mean that PSV will take part in the entire qualification period in the Champions League. That should normally be enough for participation in the World Cup,” the report states.

Qualification for the Club World Cup would offer PSV another potential source of significant revenue, while the club is also considering plans to expand the Philips Stadium towards a capacity comparable with Ajax's Johan Cruijff Arena.

The plans remain at an early stage, but VI suggests that sustained Champions League participation, potential Club World Cup qualification and stadium expansion could form part of a broader financial push by PSV.