Premier League champions Manchester City have been handed a favourable draw in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage next summer. City are the favourites in the latest sports betting odds on Betway after being paired with Wydad, Al Ain and Juventus in the opening phase of the tournament.
Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Fluminense to claim the trophy for the first time last year and will fancy their chances of retaining the title in the United States.
The revamped tournament, which has been expanded to 32 teams for the first time, takes place between June 15 and July 13 next year.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 – Group Stage Draw
- Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
- Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders.
- Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
- Group D: Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, Chelsea, Club Leon.
- Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
- Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
- Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al-Ain, Juventus.
- Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, Red Bull Salzburg.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 – Outright Betting
- Manchester City – 7/2
- Real Madrid – 4/1
- Bayern Munich – 7/1
- Chelsea – 8/1
- Inter Milan – 11/1
- Paris Saint-Germain – 12/1
- Atletico Madrid – 14/1
- Borussia Dortmund – 25/1
- Juventus – 25/1
- Palmeiras – 25/1
- Porto – 33/1
- Benfica – 33/1
- Flamengo – 33/1
- Al-Hilal – 33/1
- Inter Miami – 40/1
- Botafogo – 40/1
- Fluminense – 50/1
- River Plate – 50/1
- Boca Juniors – 50/1
- Red Bull Salzburg – 100/1
- Monterrey – 100/1
- Seattle Sounders – 100/1
- Cub Leon – 100/1
- Pachuca – 100/1
- Urawa Red Diamonds – 150/1
- Al-Ain – 150/1
- Al-Ahly – 150/1
- Ulsan HD – 200/1
- Wydad – 500/1
- Esperance de Tunis – 500/1
- Mamelodi Sundowns – 500/1
- Auckland City – 1000/1
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 – Preview
The expanded format of the FIFA Club World Cup has been widely criticised, with players and clubs claiming it strains an already packed football calendar.
Several other controversies have blighted the tournament, including the inclusion of Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami.
They were awarded a spot in the Club World Cup after finishing top of the MLS regular season standings, much to the chagrin of their US and Canadian rivals.
The eventual champions of MLS are determined by a playoff system, but Atlanta United eliminated Miami in the first round.
FIFA’s decision to include Miami was fuelled by their desire to have Lionel Messi play in the tournament, which makes sense from a commercial perspective.
However, ignoring the rules of domestic competition to accommodate a team undoubtedly undermines the sporting integrity of the Club World Cup.
Despite this, clubs will be eager to make their mark when the action gets underway next summer and picking a potential winner is no easy task.
Man City are the bookmakers’ favourites, while 15-time European champions Real Madrid love nothing more than adding silverware to their trophy cabinet.
However, the value bet could be Chelsea, who won the 2021 edition of this tournament and have looked much-improved under manager Enzo Maresca.
Their group stage draw is relatively favourable, and they could be tough to beat as the tournament progresses next summer.