FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage Predictions

Given that the new edition of the FIFA Club World Cup is set to kick off with Inter Miami taking on Al Ahly, today I’m going to take a look at the groups and give my predictions for which teams I think will go through to the knockout phases and which will be flying home early. So, sit back, relax and watch as I upset almost every fan invested in this competition.

Group A

·       Palmeiras

·       Porto

·       Al Ahly

·       Inter Miami

To go through: Porto, Inter Miami

Explanation:

Group A is an interesting and competitive group, but I think it lacks any true European heavy hitters. Porto—the only European club in the group—will be looking to prove a point after a lackluster 2024/25 campaign in which they finished more than 10 points off title winners Sporting Lisbon and crashed out of the Europa League in the playoff phase. With Samu Aghehowa’s prolific goal record—25 goals in 42 appearances this season—and the young creative engine that is Rodrigo Moura, I can see Porto either topping the group or comfortably qualifying.

The next team to make the great escape out of Group A will be none other than the host nations very own, Inter Miami. At 37 Messi is still the most effective player in America, bagging 25 goals and 13 assists in only 25 appearances for Inter Miami. His age hasn’t hindered his divine quality on the ball or his ability to deliver hair-raising moments of individual brilliance. Then of course you have the rest of the old band: Busquets, Jordi Alba and the relentless Luis Suarez. Despite the grey hairs, these old dogs still use the same tricks that helped them win football’s biggest prizes during their glory days in the heart of Catalonia. Ultimately, Inter Miami is a living, breathing testament to the old “form is temporary, but class is forever” phrase and that’s why I believe they’ll claw their way out of Group A.

Group B:

·       Paris Saint Germain

·       Atletico Madrid

·       Botafogo

·       Seattle Sounders

To go through: PSG, Atletico Madrid

Explanation:

I don’t think this one needs much explanation. PSG are coming off the back of their most successful season ever, winning the treble under veteran manager Luis Enrique and finally cementing themselves as a powerhouse of European soccer. With a devious blend of young bombastic prospects like Desiree Doue and hardened professionals with endless experience such as Marquinhos, PSG’s squad should comfortably cruise to 1^st place in the group.

Atletico Madrid on the other hand have fallen short of their own lofty ambitions this year. They failed to truly compete for the title and found early exists in both the Champions League and Copa del Rey. And yet, I think the talent in their squad is simply a level above what Botafogo or Seattle can bring to the table. Players like the industrious Griezmann with his 25 goal contributions in 53 appearances or the Schwarzenegger-esque Alexander Sorloth leading the line should give Atletico enough to secure a place in the knockout round.

Group C:

·       Bayern Munich

·       Boca Juniors

·       Benfica

·       Auckland City

To go through: Bayern Munich, Benfica

Explanation:

With dynamite attacking players like Harry Kane, Olise and 2024’s golden boy runner up Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich are my clear favorites to top the group. Their attacking prowess under manager Vincent Kompany brought them back to winning ways as they triumphed over Leverkusen in the race for the Bundesliga title. Bayern’s remarkable attack was led by a dominant Harry Kane at the height of his powers. The London-born striker contributed 26 to a mouthwatering total 99 team goals, including a memorable finish against Augsburg to round-off a hattrick which was nominated as Bundesliga’s goal of the season. The team’s incredible goal tally proved to be 2 shy of the record for most goals scored by a team in a single season—Bayern Munich, 101 goals in 1971/72. In short, Bayern be scoring. And, when you’re scoring as much as they do, you give yourself a great chance to win any competition.

Usurpingly, the other team I picked to qualify was also a European club: Benfica. Benfica is the better of the two Portuguese teams that qualified for the Club World Cup. Last season they pushed Sporting Lisbon all the way and finished just 2 points off the champions. In the Champions League Benfica also produced hallmark performances including a 4-0 thrashing of Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and a comfortable 2-0 win away at Juventus in the league stage. In attack, Benfica will look to feed Greek frontman Vangelis Pavlidis who scored 29 goals in all competitions last season. Another star that will have to be at his best is Kerem Aktürkoğlu, last season’s marquee signing from Galatasaray. The Turkish winger tore up the league, racking up a total of 20 goal contributions—11 goals and 9 assists—in Benfica’s 2024/25 campaign. In the end, I think Benfica is a talented side with the ability to compete against and beat the very best teams in the world, and that’s why I think they will qualify for the knockouts.

Group D:

·       Flamengo

·       Chelsea

·       Club Leon

·       Esperance Sportive

To go through: Chelsea, Flamengo

Explanation:

Chelsea—despite a few stutters early on—ultimately punched their ticket to the Champions League on the final weekend, clinching fourth place with a 1–0 win at Nottingham Forest that sealed 69 points and a +21 goal differential in the Premier League’s gauntlet. Offensively, they boasted a well‑balanced attack: Cole Palmer chipped in with 15 league goals—tying for the club’s internal Golden Boot honors—while new signing Liam Delap began to show the promise that justified his £30 million price tag. Backed by a resolute midfield spine of Caicedo and Fernandez, Chelsea have both the cutting edge and the steel to navigate this group.

Flamengo arrived at the Club World Cup on the wings of a dominant domestic and continental campaign, amassing 68 goals and conceding just 17 in 36 matches across the Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, Libertadores and state competitions—good for a +51 goal difference. Giorgian de Arrascaeta led the charge with 12 goals, closely followed by Luiz Araújo (7) and Bruno Henrique (6). Under Filipe Luís, Flamengo combine South American flair with ruthless efficiency, and they’ll be itching to square off with Europe’s representatives on home soil.

Group E

• River Plate
• Urawa Red Diamonds
• Monterrey
• Inter Milan

To go through: Inter Milan, River Plate

Explanation:

Inter Milan arrive off the back of a nearly season that saw them finish runners‑up in Serie A by a single point—ending with 81 points and a +44 goal difference—and reach the Champions League final under Simone Inzaghi’s stewardship. Their attack, spearheaded by Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez, combined for 40+ goals across all competitions, giving them the pedigree and ruthlessness to handle Group E.

River Plate, meanwhile, boasted the all‑competitions top scorer of South America, Miguel Borja, who finished 2024–25 with 28 goals (9 in the league alone) and powered River to the semi‑finals of the Libertadores and a top‑six finish domestically. Their blend of grit and clinical finishing should be more than enough to secure the second qualification spot.

Group F

• Fluminense
• Borussia Dortmund
• Ulsan Hyundai FC
• Mamelodi Sundowns

To go through: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund

Explanation:

Fluminense’s January resurgence, led by Germán Cano—who netted 10 goals in his first 11 matches of 2025—propelled them into the Sudamericana knockout rounds and a top‑five berth in the Brasileirão, scoring 15 goals in 11 league outings overall. Their South American flair and Cano’s killer instinct in front of goal make them formidable candidates to qualify for the knockout phase.

Borussia Dortmund engineered a remarkable late‑season surge under Niko Kovac, winning six of their last seven Bundesliga fixtures to snatch fourth place and Champions League qualification, finishing on 57 points. Serhou Guirassy’s debut haul of 21 goals gives BVB the firepower needed to steamroll this group.

Group G

• Manchester City
• Wydad AC
• Al Ain FC
• Juventus

To go through: Manchester City, Juventus

Explanation:

Despite a rare dip to third in the Premier League (21 wins, 8 draws, 9 losses), Manchester City still bagged 72 goals—a tally spearheaded by Erling Haaland’s 22 strikes in 31 appearances—and boast the depth Pep Guardiola demands at this level. They’ll be overwhelming favorites to top Group G.

Juventus needed a dramatic 3–2 win at Venezia on the final weekend to clinch fourth place and Champions League qualification, with Igor Tudor’s side showing steel as they rallied from behind. Their experience in European knockout settings as well as the talent of young players such as Kenan Yıldız and Samuel Mbangula should see them comfortably slot into second.

Group H

• Real Madrid
• Al Hilal
• Pachuca
• RB Salzburg

To go through: Real Madrid, Al Hilal

Explanation:

To top the group, I’ve gone with the obvious favorites, Real Madrid. I see them as strong candidates to win the whole thing so it’s no surprise I think they will cruise through this group. They boast an inexhaustible list of world-class names in their squad from Mbappe and Jude Bellingham to Fede Valverde and Thibaut Courtois. No matter where you look on the pitch Madrid are stacked with some of the best players in the world in every position. Last season they finished runners‑up in La Liga on 84 points, with Kylian Mbappé claiming the Pichichi by netting 30 league goals in his debut campaign. I think the fact that they had a bit of a disappointing season—missing out on the title and getting knocked out of the UCL early by an emerging Arsenal team—gives them the motivation and fire to treat every game like a final. Ultimately, their blend of world‑class individuals and winning DNA makes them overwhelming Group H favorites.

Al Hilal asserted themselves as Saudi Pro League runners‑up and boasted Aleksandar Mitrović as their talisman, who struck 19 times in 23 league outings, making them the strongest non‑UEFA outfit in the group. Their continental pedigree and Mitrović’s scoring prowess should see them seal second place.