The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to be the biggest edition yet, featuring 32 of the world’s top club sides in a brand-new format. Hosted in the United States, the expanded tournament brings together domestic champions and high-ranking sides from every continent in a true festival of football. The Club World Cup schedule is full of thrilling matchups and surprise storylines, with powerhouses like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich headlining their groups.
This article breaks down each of the eight groups, offering expert Club World Cup predictions on who will top their section and advance to the knockout rounds. From under-the-radar contenders like Fluminense and Palmeiras to European juggernauts such as Chelsea and Inter Milan, we explore where the value lies in the group stage betting markets.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup Group Predictions
The Club World Cup Groups have been announced, and there are some exciting clashes to look forward to. We have gone through all eight and picked our tip for a winner, along with a prediction for the rest of the places in the group.
Group A – Palmeiras
- Palmeiras
- Porto
- Inter Miami
- Al Ahly
The only group without a team from the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 or Serie A, Group A appears to be a wildcard. Former Champions League winners Porto are the favourites to top the group for anyone betting on the Club World Cup, but we are going for Palmeiras. They are playing excellently in Série A and are at peak match fitness levels with their league season beginning at the end of March. They are worth 8/5 to top Group A.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami may have the best chance at upsetting the apple cart. They have the advantage of playing at home, with the competition held in the US. However, the pedigree of Porto and Palmeiras should be too much even with Miami’s former Barca stars.
Group B – Atletico Madrid
- Atletico Madrid
- PSG
- Botafogo
- Seattle Sounders
Two European giants will clash in Group B. Paris Saint-Germain is fresh off their historic Champions League-winning campaign, and Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid enters following a strong La Liga season. We sway towards the Spanish side to top the group. PSG had a very long season, while Atleti will enter fresher. Simeone’s incredibly well-structured approach may get them through an excellent yet fatigued PSG. They are worth 13/8 to win Group B with our online bookmaker.
Botafogo are no slouches, having won the league and Copa Libertadores last season, and could cause a shock if they sense any complacency. The Seattle Sounders will struggle in what is essentially the dreaded ‘Group of Death’ in the competition.
Group C – Bayern Munich
- Bayern Munich
- Benfica
- Boca Juniors
- Auckland City
Group C looks like one of the easier groups to call. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich romped home to the title this season, winning by 13 points. They have a team full of world-class talent with the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala forming a formidable attack. The Bavarians should have few issues brushing past their opponents in Group C, and they are worth 9/20 to finish in 1st.
Benfica and Boca Juniors will battle it out for second place, but the Portuguese side should advance. They finished two points behind the champions, Sporting Club Lisbon, in the league this season, and their squad is full of talent. Auckland City are one of the weakest teams in the competition and could be in for a very rough time in the States.
Group D – Chelsea
- Chelsea
- Flamengo
- LAFC
- ES Tunis
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This is another that should be straightforward, with 2021 winners Chelsea the favourites to top Group D in the Club World Cup. The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Conference League in Enzo Maresca’s first season. Flamengo are a huge side in Brazil, but Chelsea’s quality should be too much for their three opponents here. They are worth 9/20 to top the group.
MLS champions LAFC and three-time Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo will be in the battle for second place. The Brazilian side should have enough to advance to the knockout stage in second place, while Tunis will struggle.
Group E – Inter Milan
- Inter Milan
- River Plate
- Urawa Red Diamonds
- CF Monterrey
Champions League finalists Inter Milan will enter this competition with something to prove following their 5-0 defeat to PSG. The Italian giants missed out on the Scudetto by one point and went trophyless this season. They will put their best foot forward in the hopes of claiming some silverware. Inter Milan to top Group E is worth 1/2.
Argentinian giants River Plate should have a clear route to second place. They are arguably the biggest club in South America, next to Boca Juniors. Los Millonarios are stronger than the Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds, and last season’s Liga MX runners-up, CF Monterrey.
Group F – Fluminense
- Fluminense
- Borussia Dortmund
- Ulsan HD
- Sundowns
Borussia Dortmund are the favourites to win Group F, but we are siding with Fluminense here. The German side had an underwhelming Bundesliga campaign, just barely making it into fourth place. Fluminense are going well in the early stages of Brazil’s Serie A, and we like a bet on Fluzão to pip Dortmund to the post in 1st place.
Korean champions Ulsan and South African winners Mamelodi Sundowns will struggle against those two powerhouses. This should be one of the more straightforward groups, regardless of whether Fluminense or Dortmund finish in first.
Group G – Man City
- Man City
- Juventus
- Al Ain
- Wydad Casablanca
Manchester City had one of their poorest seasons since Pep Guardiola joined the club in 2016. They will be determined to bounce back, and the 2025 Club World Cup is the ideal platform to do that. European giants Juventus also had a rough campaign, struggling to finish in the top four of Serie A and failing to reach the Champions League Round of 16 for the third year in a row. City should see them off, and we are backing them to top Group G, worth 2/5.
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Al Ain, from the United Arab Emirates, will only be saved from finishing bottom of the group by Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca. Neither side boasts anywhere near the level of talent as their two opponents, and even an out-of-form City and Juventus should step over these two sides with no issues.
Group H – Real Madrid
- Real Madrid
- Al-Hilal
- Red Bull Salzburg
- CF Pachuca
Real Madrid have won this tournament a record five times and are favourites to win it for a sixth time, according to many soccer predictions. They look to have the easiest group of the big European sides in the tournament and should come out on top here with few issues. Los Blancos are worth 2/13 to finish first in Group H.
Madrid should walk this group with relative ease. Second place could be more interesting. Al-Hilal boast the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Joao Cancelo, and Ruben Neves on their books among others. Salzburg regularly competes with Champions League sides, which is important experience in this competition. Pachuca are a big side in Mexico and has plenty of flair. Al Hilal should edge it, but this looks very open.
2025 Club World Cup Winner Predictions
Outright prediction: Manchester City to win
One of our best Club World Cup predictions is for Manchester City to win the tournament for a second time. Many would say City had a disastrous season. For reference, a bad season for Pep Guardiola’s City team is better than most teams will achieve. They finished 3rd in the Premier League, reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and made it to an FA Cup final. That is a testament to just what is expected of Manchester City.
Even without the gargantuan prize money, Guardiola would be taking this tournament very seriously. The Spaniard is on course for his first trophyless season since his debut at the Etihad in 2016. That first season is still the only campaign in Pep’s entire managerial career where he went without silverware, and he will have no plans to leave the US with a dark cloud. From a pure footballing perspective, this tournament may be more important to City than any other European side in the competition. Back the Citizens to bounce back and get their hands on a trophy for the eighth season in a row.
2025 Club World Cup Outright Betting Tips
1. Atletico Madrid to reach the quarter-finals
This is one of our best outright bets. Atletico Madrid should advance to the knockout stages regardless of whether they beat PSG. From there, the toughest draw they could get in the Round of 16 is Porto or Palmeiras. Either of those matchups would position Atleti as the favourites. Simeone’s men are the perennial underdogs but have plenty of trophies and deep cup runs in recent years. A bet on the Spanish side to reach the quarter-finals is worth 11/10 with our online sportsbook.
2. Paris Saint-Germain to reach the semi-finals
We like this bet for much the same reason we like the previous one. PSG should have a relatively easy route to the quarter-finals, and their toughest possible draw in the final eight would be Bayern Munich or Chelsea. We’d make PSG favourites to defeat both teams when at their best. A bet on PSG to reach the semi-finals is worth 13/10.
3. Highest Scoring Group – Group C
Australian side Auckland City look destined to be the whipping boys of Group C, their stature dwarfed by opponents Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Boca Juniors. We expect them to ship a lot of goals, which will do the heavy lifting for this wager. Bet on Group C to be the highest scoring group, worth 2/1.
4. Top Goalscorer – Harry Kane
Harry Kane is coming off a huge Bundesliga campaign where he finished as the top scorer with 26 goals in a title-winning season. On his day, the Englishman is arguably the best striker in the world. His Bayern side has been drawn in a group they should waltz through, and the former Tottenham man should bang them in along the way. A bet on Kane to finish as top scorer is worth 6/1.
5. Player of the Tournament – Ousmane Dembélé
After years of shouts about untapped potential and reported attitude problems, everything seems to have finally clicked for Ousmane Dembélé. The Frenchman led PSG to the Champions League title with class, scoring eight and setting up six during the campaign. He won UEFA Champions League Player of the Season for his efforts, as well as the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, as PSG secured their 13th league title. There are now calls for him to win the Ballon d’Or, and he looks to be the most in-form player in the world right now. We expect him to star for Les Parisiens again here, and a bet on him to win Player of the Tournament is worth 6/1.
