The draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has been completed, and all 32 participants now know their fate in the group stage next summer in the United States.
The expanded and revamped tournament has divided opinion among fans, many of whom are already growing weary of the rigors of the club football calendar. However, when the competition begins next June, there will undoubtedly be eyes trained on North America.
Group stage draw He has had some great encounters as a host of clubs from all six continental confederations prepare to compete for the title of world champion. Many confrontations in the tournament have never been witnessed before.
Here are the six most interesting matches in the group stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – ranked.
Next summer's Club World Cup kicks off with a bang. Inter Miami The team may only be in contention as a host club, but they are one of the best teams in North America, led by eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi and supported by veteran teammates and former Barcelona friends Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez.
There is no doubt that all eyes will be on the diminutive Argentine, but the defending African Champions League champion, Al-Ahly, has a lot of experience in this competition. The Egyptian giants are making their 10th appearance after winning the prestigious CAF award in three of the past four seasons.
These two European rivals met for the first time during the league stage of the 2024/25 season UEFA Champions Leaguewith an effort in the 93rd minute from the super-diver Angel Correa, to secure the victory for the Spanish team. This may not have the appeal of intercontinental battles, but it will be one of the quality encounters during the group stage.
It will be the first match for both teams in Group B, with current Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo and 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners Seattle Sounders looking forward with great interest.
Chelsea They have faced Brazilian opponents twice in the past (except in friendly matches) but have never dueled Flamengo. The Blues will be among the favorites for the tournament in the United States, with matches against Mexico's Leon and Tunisia's Esperance falling between a tough clash with one of the South American giants.
Flamengo have regularly participated in the Club World Cup in recent years, reaching the final of the competition in 2019. The team faced English opposition on that occasion, losing 1-0 to Liverpool after extra time. It's the closest they've come to the crown.
Juventus and Manchester City They have battled on six occasions since their first meeting in 1976 in the UEFA Cup, but the Italian giants have not faced the dominant force in England since 2015. Two Champions League group stage matches have ended in Juventus' favour.
However, it will be Manchester City who boast the favorites when these two teams face off in the Club World Cup. The Citizens won the cup in 2023 in their only appearance, with Juventus having never taken to the field in the competition. It will be another high-quality match between the major European powers.
Bayern Munich Boca Juniors have never played in a Club World Cup, but they did meet in the 2001 Intercontinental Cup. The competition was initially held from 1960 to 2004, and would pit the Champions League/European Cup winner against the Copa Libertadores champion in a one-off duel.
Argentine giants Boca were the defending champions when they faced Bayern in 2001, but it was the German side who prevailed thanks to the efforts of centre-back Samuel Cavour in extra time.
The gap between these two giant powers is greater now than it was at the turn of the century, but next summer's showdown should be equally dramatic.
You don't have to dig deep into the record books to find their last and only meeting real madrid And the crescent. The two teams faced each other in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup (which was actually held in February 2023) in Morocco and played an exciting match in the final.
The Spanish team won for a record fifth time in the competition, defeating its Saudi opponent 5-3, with Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior each scoring two goals in an exciting match. Despite the result, Real Madrid never lost control of any high-scoring match.
More of the same will be welcomed next summer, with Al Hilal currently featuring the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and of course Neymar in their squad.
