Club World Cup Picks & Predictions
Soccer- Club World Cup Overview and Predictions
The FIFA Club World Cup is one of the most exciting events of 2025, especially with its brand-new format! This tournament brings together the top clubs from around the world, providing soccer fans and sports bettors with ample opportunities to place soccer predictions and bets on the games.
Organized by FIFA, this competition will feature Europe’s finest clubs alongside top teams from other continents. This year’s revamped format offers a fresh approach, and we’ll explain the details further down this page.
Our experts will give you their predictions for the FIFA Club World Cup from the group stage to the grand finale, set for July 13, 2025. Here, we’ll also share our favorites for the title, our take on the teams expected to qualify for the knockout stage from each group, and even the potential top scorer of the competition. Enjoy the read!
Our Free Prediction for the 2025 Club World Cup: Who to Bet On?
At this point, it's tough to provide a definitive prediction for the winner of the competition. While we now know all the participating teams and the makeup of the group stages, there are still many variables to consider.
Factors like club form towards the end of the season, injuries, and the teams selected by coaches will all play a role. Therefore, we recommend waiting a bit longer before betting on the winner of the Club World Cup 2025.
Of course, some clubs will enter as favorites, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich. Other clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain will also be in the mix.
Stay tuned for our prediction on the Club World Cup 2025 winner!
2025 Club World Cup Odds
- Real Madrid +380
- Man City +470
- Bayern Munich +600
- Chelsea +950
- Inter Milan +1200
- Paris St-G +1300
- Atletico Madrid +1600
- Palmeiras +2600
- Dortmund +2600
- Juventus +2600
- Botafogo FR +2800
- Porto +3300
- Al-Hilal +3300
- Flamengo +3300
- Benfica +3300
- Inter Miami CF +3800
- Boca Juniors +4700
- Fluminense +4700
- River Plate +4700
- Red Bull Salzburg +8500
- Monterrey +8500
- Seattle Sounders +8500
- Pachuca +8500
- Leon +8500
- Ulsan Hyundai +12000
- Al Ain +12000
- Al Ahly +12000
- Urawa Red Diamonds +12000
- Esperance Sportive de Tunis +31000
- Mamelodi Sundowns +31000
- Wydad Athletic Club +31000
- Auckland City +70000
Odds from FanDuel.
Our Predictions for the Groups of the 2025 Club World Cup
The 32 clubs will be divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each. Each team plays 3 matches in the group stage, and the top two from each group advance to the knockout rounds. The bottom two teams in each group are eliminated.
Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al-Ahly, and Inter Miami
We start with a very balanced group! We have the 2023 Copa Libertadores winner, Palmeiras, a well-known club in Europe, FC Porto, the legendary Egyptian club and recent winner of the African Champions League, Al-Ahly, and of course, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.
Here, we consider the Portuguese side as the favorites and they should qualify. Behind them, the battle for the second qualification spot should be tough, with teams of very high quality. While it’s difficult to pick between them, we give a slight edge to Al-Ahly, who should not be underestimated and must be taken seriously.
Group B: PSG, Atlético Madrid, Botafogo, and Seattle Sounders
For this second group, there's a bit less suspense on paper. Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid are the clear favorites to reach the Round of 16, and it’s hard to see them failing to get out of the group stage.
Botafogo, the Brazilian club and recent Copa Libertadores winner, along with the Seattle Sounders will likely struggle to compete with the two European powerhouses. Their level of play seems inferior to these two heavyweights, who are no strangers to Champions League competition.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, and Benfica Lisbon
We have a fantastic third group here, featuring two European clubs, Bayern Munich and Benfica Lisbon, along with the legendary Argentine club Boca Juniors, and the Australians from Auckland City. Once again, not much suspense.
We expect Bayern to finish at the top and secure their spot in the next round without too much trouble, while Benfica has more than enough ability to claim second place. Although we’ll need to keep an eye on Boca’s fighting spirit, our prediction is that the two European teams will qualify.
Group D: Flamengo, Espérance Tunis, Chelsea, and TBD
Let’s move on to Group D. We have Chelsea, the 2021 Champions League winners, Flamengo, the historic Brazilian club, Espérance Tunis, a highly respected team in Africa (Tunisia), and initially, Club León, who compete in the Mexican league. However, they were excluded from the competition by FIFA, and the identity of the fourth team is still to be determined. In any case, it’s the London Blues who are the clear favorites here, both for us and the sportsbooks.
Right behind them, we believe Flamengo has the necessary depth and talent to overcome their two other opponents and secure the second qualifying spot for the Round of 16.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, CF Monterrey, and Inter Milan
Group E looks very interesting! It features Inter Milan, a legendary Argentine club, River Plate, as well as Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds and Mexico's CF Monterrey.
There’s little doubt about the identity of the first qualifier: we expect Inter to top the group. In second place, River Plate has the perfect profile to be the second team to qualify for the Round of 16.
Group F: Fluminese, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, and Mamelodi Sundowns
Group F is probably one of the least competitive on paper, but it’s still intriguing, and we should witness some exciting matchups between Brazil's Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, runners-up in the 2023-2024 Champions League, Ulsan HD from South Korea, and Mamelodi Sundowns FC from South Africa.
Borussia Dortmund is our clear favorite for the top spot, followed by Fluminense. We find it hard to see the South Korean and South African clubs competing, as they play in less prominent leagues and aren’t as accustomed to this level of competition.
Group G: Man City, Wydad AC, Al-Aïn FC, and Juventus
For Group G, however, the level is much higher with the presence of Manchester City and Juventus. We also have Wydad AC from Morocco and Al-Aïn FC from the United Arab Emirates.
It seems very difficult not to give the two qualifying spots to the Sky Blues and Juve. The other two clubs seem to be significantly below in terms of level, quality of play, and resources. It’s hard to see how they could challenge the two European giants.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, CF Pachuca, and RB Salzbourg
Finally, in the last group, we have the best club in the world: Real Madrid with its 15 Champions League titles. A second European team joins the group, with Austria’s RB Salzburg, followed by Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia, who will arrive with some well-known players, and CF Pachuca from Mexico.
Real Madrid is obviously the big favorite for first place and shouldn't face too many difficulties in qualifying for the knockout stage. For the second spot, we give the ticket to Al-Hilal and its many stars (João Cancelo, Aleksandar Mitrović, Yassine Bounou, Malcom, Rúben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinković-Savić, etc.)!
Who Will Be the Top Scorer of the 2025 Club World Cup?
The “Top Scorer of the FIFA Club World Cup” bet will be very popular during the competition, offering attractive odds to those who can predict the future goal machine. When placing your bet, consider factors such as the player’s current form, scoring ability, their team’s schedule, and how far their club is expected to progress in the tournament.
As of now, we favor Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) as the top contender, given his ability to score in high-pressure situations. But other top strikers like Erling Haaland (Manchester City) and Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) are also in the mix.
Here’s a list of our top contenders for the 2025 Club World Cup’s Golden Boot:
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Aleksandar Mitrović (Al-Hilal)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
- Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
- Vinicius (Real Madrid)
- Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Julian Alvarez (Atlético Madrid)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Beginners in Sports Betting – How does the new Club World Cup (2025 format) work?
The Club World Cup is now arriving with a completely new format. Previously, the tournament was usually held around December, and it featured the winners of various competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores (CONMEBOL), Asian Champions League (AFC), African Champions League (CAF), CONCACAF Champions League, and the Oceania Champions League (OFC).
The competition used to feature just a few matches with single-elimination encounters (first and second rounds, semifinals, and final, plus a third-place match), totaling 7 matches. Now, the format is quite different.
The new 2025 Club World Cup format features 32 teams in total, split into 8 groups of 4 teams. Each team plays once (a total of 3 matches), and the top two from each group advance to the round of 16. The bottom two teams in each group are eliminated from the tournament.
Then, there’s a knockout stage for the 16 qualifying teams, starting with the round of 16 and culminating in the final on July 13, 2025. Unlike the previous format, there is no longer a match for third place.
Here’s a summary of the new 2025 Club World Cup format:
- Group draw on December 5, 2024
- Group stage with 8 groups of 4 teams
- The top 2 from each group qualify for the round of 16 (16 teams total)
- The bottom 2 from each group are eliminated (16 teams total)
- Knockout matches from the round of 16 until the final (July 14, 2025)
Our Tips for Making Accurate Club World Cup Picks & Predictions
To place as many reliable bets as possible on the new Club World Cup, a rather unique competition, certain aspects will be very important if you want to maximize your success. Here are our main tips:
- Analyze the form of teams in the past few weeks
- Keep an eye on players' form toward the end of the season
- Be aware of the squads selected for this tournament
- Analyze each team's aspirations
- Don't underestimate clubs from lower-tier leagues
If you keep these tips in mind before placing your bets, you’ll have a much better chance of succeeding with your predictions during the tournament. Below, we explain each point in detail, with our arguments.
Analyze the form of teams in the past few weeks
This is one of the most important aspects: paying attention to the form of clubs coming into the competition. While there will certainly be a hierarchy between the clubs, with European teams having an advantage on paper, you need to pay close attention to the most recent results of each team.
For example, let’s say a club like Benfica finishes the season with a poor run of 6 matches without a win, including 5 heavy losses, and plays its group-stage match against Boca Juniors, who are unbeaten in their last 18 matches in all competitions. On paper, the Portuguese club is superior, but caution is required here, as the in-form team could well be the one to back!
Keep an eye on players' form toward the end of the season
The seasons are getting longer and longer, and players are often struggling to keep up with the pace. It frequently happens that some players are no longer performing at their best toward the end of the season, whether due to the string of matches, psychological fatigue, or minor injuries.
You will need to pay attention to the recent performances of the star players from each club, an aspect that will be crucial for the success of your sports bets. For example, a Chelsea team without a great Cole Palmer or a PSG without an in-form Barcola or Dembélé is clearly not the same as their usual teams.
Be aware of the squads selected for this tournament
At this point, it is the big question mark: will the biggest European clubs call up AND play their stars for the 2025 Club World Cup? As we just mentioned, the season has already been quite long, and many players didn’t miss the chance to complain about it in interviews.
It will then be very important to see if the clubs choose to bring their best players or if they let them go on vacation to rest and better prepare for the following season. For example, if Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius don’t come with Real Madrid, it would change a lot of things.
Analyze each team's aspirations
This point is somewhat related to the one we just mentioned above. As we know, FIFA wants to make this competition a true success and has reportedly offered a lot of money to the clubs participating in this Club World Cup. If additional bonuses are also added based on the progress made, this could provide a significant incentive.
However, for clubs that are already coming off a full season and are among the top clubs in Europe, such as PSG, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid, the promised reward may not have much of an impact on a club's true desire to go far in the tournament. This is something to watch closely, based on statements from players, coaches, and presidents, as well as the content of the early matches.
Don't underestimate clubs from lower-tier leagues
We end with a very important aspect: while they may not disrupt the entire hierarchy, it is crucial not to underestimate the smaller clubs in the 2025 Club World Cup. With all the factors and topics we’ve discussed, particularly the already-packed seasons of the big clubs and star players, we could see some surprises in this tournament.
It will then be important not to underestimate the clubs considered weaker on paper and to avoid placing large sums on handicap bets with a wide margin of goals, for example. This is a piece of advice to follow, at least for the first matches, in order to gauge the temperature of the competition.
By following these tips, you will maximize your chances of success with your bets during the 2025 Club World Cup.
What Not to Do for Your Bets on the Club World Cup
Now that you know the right reflexes for your predictions on the Club World Cup, let's talk about what you should also avoid doing. Here’s our list:
- Betting without considering the value of the odds
- Only betting on the small odds of the favorites
- Betting without analyzing the match beforehand
- Betting after losing a bet in an attempt to recover
- Underestimating the smaller teams
- Betting on a club just because of its history
- Betting an amount you're not prepared to lose
We strongly advise you to avoid these bad habits when placing your bets on the 2025 edition of the Club World Cup. They will not serve you well, our experts are sure of that!
To Conclude: How to make accurate predictions for the 2025 Club World Cup matches?
By taking into account all the information provided on this page, you are 100% ready to make your predictions for the new 2025 Club World Cup.
It will be very important to study the matches of this competition in-depth (team and player form, club motivation, etc.) by relying on the latest results and official statements, as well as implementing the best practices suggested by our experts.
We end with some good news: to save you from doing all this work for each match of the tournament, our experts will provide you with free predictions for every game of the Club World Cup, carefully written by our soccer specialists. These predictions will simply help you save time on analysis and place the most reliable bets throughout the tournament. Good luck with your betting!
Club World Cup: Top Betting Odds
Odds are not yet available for this competition.
