Reason Why Orlando Pirates Were Not Part of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

• Orlando Pirates failed to qualify for the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, with Mamelodi Sundowns earning the spot
• Despite Pirates’ strong continental feats, including a 1995 CAF Champions League win, they failed to meet recent qualification criteria
• Pirates still have an excellent chance to qualify for the 2029 Club World Cup by winning titles or reaching semi-finals in upcoming CAF competitions

Orlando Pirates, one of the most successful clubs in South Africa, missed out on the revamped 32-club FIFA Club World Cup, currently underway in the United States of America.

The Buccaneers were not invited to the tournament but instead were overtaken for the hot seat by the reigning Betway Premiership champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, who were knocked out of the tournament after they failed to beat Fluminense in their last game.

Pirates snubbed despite rich history

Their exclusion came as a surprise to many Bucs fans, even though the club is one of only two South African teams with Mamelodi Sundowns, to win the CAF Champions League, which they won in 1995 and were runners up in the 2013 CAF Champions League. They were also the runners-up of the 2015 and 2021–2022 CAF Confederation Cup.

In total, Orlando Pirates have appeared in four Confederation of African Football finals, which is more continental finals than any other Premier Soccer League side. The club has won nine league titles and 88 trophies in total, including 10 South African Cup trophies. This year, they succumbed to Pyramids FC in the semi-finals, who went on to win the title, beating Sundowns.

Why Pirates didn’t qualify

The Bucs failed to meet the criteria to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup, either by winning the CAF Champions League or through the CAF four-year African clubs ranking. The four spots for the continent were allocated to Sundowns, Al Ahly of Egypt, Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco and ES Tunis from Tunisia.

Regardless of Pirates' colourful track record in continental football, they have not won any of the CAF Champions League titles between 2021 and 2024. Instead, the Egyptian giants, Al Ahly, won in 2021,2023 and 2024, while Morocco's Wydad won it in 2022.

The titles won by the Egyptians meant that CAF had to include two more participants based on the secondary criterion: points-based club rankings. The list was dominated by clubs which have participated a lot recently in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, and that is how Sundowns and ES Tunis booked their spots.

Hope for 2029 is still alive

The chances for the Bucs to be a part of the next FIFA Club World Cup in 2029 are firm. Considering that they only need to win one of the CAFCL championships between this year and 2028, or somehow reach every semi-final stage during the four-year cycle.

Mamelodi Sundowns dance for the world in defeat

Briefly News previously reported that the staff and players of Mamelodi Sundowns danced in front of the world at the Hard Rock stadium. This action was met with criticism by unhappy fans who believed it was inappropriate.

Source: Briefly News