FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Back 14/1 tournament winner and two more early tips | OneFootball

Club World Cup

Ste has three tips for the Club World Cup

Ste Tudor is ready to be fascinated when this summer's Club World Cup gets underway in the States in June and he has three early tips...

Club World Cup is a fascinating tournament

The 21st edition of the Club World Cup kicks off in mid-June but it will not be as we've previously known it. Now expanded to 32 teams, divvied up into eight groups of four, it is a full-blown tournament in its own right, and one we will view with a fair amount of fascination.

Part of that fascination lies in the unusual match-ups as teams from every corner of the globe head to the United States to compete. River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds. Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid. Borussia Dortmund vs Fluminense. These are teams who typically inhabit different universes and pairing them up is very much part of this competition's charm.

There will be many fans tuning in, intrigued to see how seriously the bigger clubs take it. Will it be viewed as an extended pre-season, with peripheral players deployed, or can we expect to see major stars given considerable minutes?

Certainly, Real Madrid are in it to win it, paying Liverpool a one-off fee of £8.4m to ensure Trent Alexander-Arnold is eligible to feature for them. Manchester City, meanwhile, will welcome the opportunity to grant Rodri valuable game-time to further distance himself from a season-ruining ACL.

So, from this kaleidoscope of sides, great and small, who are tipped to go deep and who could ultimately be world champions?

Here are some early shouts and angles for bettors' consideration...

Big names to tumble early in Groups C and D

Chelsea's only real competition in Group D is Flamengo, a fixture that reunites them with their former-player Filipe Luis.

Boasting Alex Sandro and Danillo as their full-backs, and with the sometimes brilliant Giorgian de Arrascaeta down their left flank, the Brazilians should not be under-estimated. Indeed, at 11/4 they're terrific value to better the Blues and top the group.

Whatever the one-two order is, however, the winners and runners-up then face the top two of Group C, otherwise known as this summer's 'Group of Death'.

You have to feel sorry for Auckland City, facing Benfica, Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors in a little over a week.

Atletico a 14/1 long-shot to back

Real Madrid have to be strongly fancied to prevail, don't they?

Both PSG and Inter head across the Atlantic having duked out a tiring and testing Champions League final. Bayern have a super tricky group to deal with. Manchester City lost to Real in the Champions League this season, outclassed for the most part.

Los Blancos are 7/2 favourites for a hundred reasons and more.

But if not them, then how about their arch-neighbours Atletico?

Finishing third in La Liga, the Mattress-Makers ended their campaign on a high, putting four apiece past Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Girona.

Additionally, striker Alexander Sorloth concluded a successful season by bagging seven in four.

In-form River Plate one to watch

Unbeaten in 18 across all comps back in Argentina, River Plate are a big 5/2 to top Group E, especially if Inter rest personnel after a long and arduous title scrap followed by a Champions League final.

Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey will be routinely dispensed with.

Los Millonarios should also be fancied to reach the quarter finals, with Fluminense possible opponents in the last 16. The last time these South American giants met up - in 2023 - River Plate won out 2-0.

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