Predict the final ranking of each group

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has been reformatted, expanded and shipped to the United States, and next summer’s tournament will mark a new era for the competition.

The battle for world champion status has often been a half-hearted fight for Europe’s giants, but the competition, which now features 32 teams, will raise the stakes for all participants. 12 UEFA clubs will compete with the best and brightest from the other five continental federations, with more than a month of football played in North America.

The group stage draw has been completed and, despite justifiable questions about the renewal of the tournament, it has thrown up some intriguing and unprecedented match-ups, with teams such as Real Madrid, Inter, Manchester City and Bayern Munich now familiar to his opponents.

Here are some early predictions for how each of the eight groups could turn out.

Inter Miami may be the team that attracts the most attention in Group A, despite being included only as a host club, but they are unlikely to be one of the top two teams to qualify for the knockout stage. The Herons could well struggle against some of the world’s most established clubs on their respective continents, potentially finishing at the bottom despite the inevitable influence of Lionel Messi.

This may be one of the few groups in which a non-European team triumphs. Porto is an excellent team and it is difficult to measure their level compared to clubs they never come across, but Palmeiras, champions of the 2021 Copa Libertadores, can reach first place. The Brazilian team finished second in the 2024 Brazilian Serie A Championship behind Botafogo, which won the title the previous season.

Al Ahly also have a good chance of reaching the round of 16 as defending AFC Champions League champions. The Egyptian giants have won the continent’s top award in three of the last four years and are the most dominant force in Africa.

Two of UEFA’s heavy hitters compete in Group B: Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain fight for first place. The pair have already met in the 2024/25 Champions League phase, with a goal in the 93rd minute allowing the Spanish team to secure victory in the French capital.

However, there is no guarantee that both teams will qualify for the knockout rounds. Botafogo won its first Copa Libertadores in 2024 and also secured first place in the Brazilian first division. It is one of the teams that the European elite will have to follow closely and Artur Jorge’s men could spring quite a few surprises.

Unfortunately for the Seattle Sounders, they find themselves in the toughest group in the competition and will be happy if they can pick up any points from their three group stage matches. However, they have the advantage of playing on familiar territory.

Those looking for a surprise in Group C will be disappointed. Bayern Munich are very likely to take first place in what should be a routine group for the German giants. Having beaten Benfica in this year’s Champions League, they will be heavy favorites to secure maximum points from their three matches next summer.

Benfica and Boca Juniors are likely to fight for the remaining qualifying spot, but it’s hard to overlook the Portuguese giants taking second place. Boca is no longer the force it once was in South America, even if it did reach the final of the Copa Libertadores last season.

You have to feel sorry for Auckland City, who are making their twelfth appearance in the Club World Cup. They are the sole representative of the OFC, but are unlikely to fly the flag particularly high for the federation. They will be lucky if they get any points.

Chelsea should make relatively light work of taking top spot in Group D. The Blues are currently flying under Enzo Maresca and will be considered among the favorites to win the Club World Cup if they maintain their form heading into the end of the season. .

However, Brazilian giants Flamengo will offer a challenge and are currently managed by former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis. They have won two of the last six Copa Libertadores titles and were also defeated in the 2021 final, but they are no longer the dominant force in Brazilian football.

The Tunisian team ES Tunis and the Mexican León will face off to avoid fourth place and upset the odds. They may be the first, who are playing their fourth appearance in the tournament, who will sneak up to third place.

There may be few question marks over Inter’s position as the leading contender in Group E. The 2022/23 Champions League finalists and 2023/24 Serie A champions could well lift the title in mid-July and count with a star-studded team that should have had no problems defeating teams from CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and AFC.

The fight for second place will be intriguing. River Plate, like rival Boca, is no longer one of the main powers in South American football following the resurgence of some of Brazil’s giants, but has a great chance of qualifying for the round of 16.

Monterrey is arguably the strongest team in CONCACAF currently and the Mexican team has a lot of experience in the Club World Cup. They should finish above Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, who placed 13th in the J1 League in 2024.

Like several European teams competing in next summer’s tournament, 2023/24 Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund should drop out of Group F. The German team is an inconsistent force under Nuri Sahin, but They have too much quality for their opponents in the group stage.

Fluminense is a long way from the team that won the Copa Libertadores in 2023. They were fighting relegation in the Brazilian first division in 2024 and will struggle to overtake any of their opponents unless they improve drastically.

South Korea’s Ulsan HD and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns should be in a tantalizing battle for second place. Anything could really happen, but the African team could secure a place in the playoffs.

Manchester City may be enduring an unusually sloppy 2024/25 season after dominating English football for so long, but the Cityzens will almost certainly have found their feet by the time next summer’s tournament begins in June. They should finish first in Group G if they rediscover their best form.

Juventus will cause them problems, of course, but the Italian team has not had a bright start under Thiago Motta in 2024/25. It’s unclear where they will be when the Club World Cup rolls around, but they should still have enough quality to finish ahead of the AFC and CAF representatives in the group.

United Arab Emirates side Al Ain are the reigning AFC Champions League champions and will be delighted to have a chance of causing an upset under former Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. Moroccan side Wydad AC are a capable team, but are unlikely to challenge for the top two spots.

Real Madrid and Al Hilal played a 5-3 thriller in the 2022 Club World Cup final and will meet again in Group H. Los Blancos will be clear favorites to top the standings, and potentially win the tournament, but will be tested by an Al Hilal team that was Saudi Pro League champion in 2023/24 and features players like Neymar, Joao Cancelo and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Al Hilal could be the team outside of Europe to go the furthest in the 2025 Club World Cup, even if they don’t win their group. Jorge Jesús’s team has excellent footballers throughout his team and could be the hipster’s choice for a possible surprise.

Unfortunately for Austria’s RB Salzburg and Mexico’s Pachuca, Group H is unlikely to prove fruitful. They may be fighting to avoid last place next summer and are unlikely to cause much problems for Madrid and Al Hilal.

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