FIFA Club World Cup Predictions

Lionel Messi has been in sensational form for Inter Miami in the last couple of weeks with five goals in his last three games, he can continue his hot-streak with an anytime effort against Al Ahly.

Home advantage gives Inter Miami a crucial edge but this game should be competitive. Al Ahly have won their last six competitive games and have scored in eight straight fixtures including a warm-up friendly with Club World Cup rivals Pachuca, so they should be able to at least get on the scoresheet.

We’re backing PSG to win the competition and the Golden Ball recipient will almost certainly come from the champions’ squad. Georgian attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stands out as a strong outside candidate after an excellent finish to the campaign with PSG.

Real Madrid, Pachuca, Al-Hilal, Red Bull Salzburg and Pachuca make up Group H and these four teams could provide the most goals in the group stages. Real are a level above all their rivals and could wrack up the goals, while Salzburg, Al-Hilal and Pachuca should all be able to hurt each other.

PSG will carry a lot of confidence into the Club World Cup following their historic treble-winning season.

They have looked almost unstoppable since they recovered from a 2-0 deficit to beat Manchester City in January, and their young stars will be eager for more silverware in Les Parisiens’ maiden Club World Cup adventure.

Kylian Mbappe won the European Golden Shoe thanks to a phenomenal end to the season, and he continued that form into the international break last week.

The Real Madrid star has scored 12 goals in his last eight appearances for club and country, netting 45 goals in total this season.

Porto are the favourites to take top spot in Group A, but Palmeiras look to have the biggest chance of upsetting the odds in the group stage.

The Brazilian side have won two of the last three Serie A and two of the last four Copa Libertadores titles. They have two future stars in the making in 18-year-old winger Estevao and 20-year-old former Barcelona striker Vitor Roque, while former Lazio and West Ham man Felipe Anderson offers experience to the squad.

Porto finished the season 11 points adrift of Primeira Liga winners Sporting, and inexperienced manager Martin Anselmi still has plenty of questions to answer.

Atletico Madrid finished the season with just six wins from their final 15 matches, and they look unlikely to come up trumps against a jubilant PSG side in Group B.

Les Parisiens have looked unstoppable over the past six months and possess one of the most exciting young squads on the planet, and they will be looking to build on a historic treble-winning season in their maiden Club World Cup appearance, while it’s hard to see outsiders Botafogo or Seattle Sounders putting up much of a fight.

Bayern Munich successfully reclaimed the Bundesliga title last season, and while they didn’t manage to make it to a home Champions League final, they are still a far superior side than Benfica, Boca Juniors, and Auckland City.

The Portuguese side lost both the Primeira Liga and the Taca de Portugal titles to Sporting, and they have never beaten the Bavarian side, losing their last five encounters.

Similarly to PSG, Chelsea will be buoyed by their UEFA Conference League victory and their top-five finish in the Premier League, and there will be plenty of fringe players hoping to make a good impression on Enzo Maresca this summer.

9/4 Flamengo may be a threat, especially after former Arsenal midfielder Jorginho joined the club, but I still don’t see the 2022 Copa Libertadores winners beating the Blues.

It’s tempting to say that Inter Milan’s failure to retain the Serie A title and their demolition in the Champions League final should leave them vulnerable to an upset in the United States, but they have been handed a favourable draw, and it is hard to see any of their competitors troubling them.

River Plate are second-favourites, but their squad just isn’t there right now, with 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono the only real star in the Argentine camp, while Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey are huge outsiders.

Like Inter Milan, it’s tempting to back against Borussia Dortmund following their disappointing fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga this season, but they did end the campaign with six straight victories, and the competition just isn’t there in Group F.

Fluminense are 2/1 to top the group, but even the winning experience of 40-year-0ld centre-back Thiago Silva is unlikely to drag what is a relatively underwhelming squad to the top, and neither 12/1 Ulsan Hyundai or 25/1 Mamelodi Sundowns are likely to challenge the Germans.

Manchester City are 2/5 favourites to win Group G, but that seems far too short for a side that regularly missed the mark en route to only their second trophyless season since Pep Guardiola joined the club.

They have lost Kevin De Bruyne, and it is unknown how seriously Guardiola will take this competition after his numerous complaints about fixture congestion.

Juventus had a poor season as they finished 12 points behind Serie A winners Napoli, but 11 points from their last five games secured them a top-four berth, and they are unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Citizens, including a 2-0 win over them in December.

Europe’s most successful side have been handed arguably the softest group in the entire competition, and they are justified 1/6 favourites to beat Al-Hilal, Red Bull Salzburg, and Pachuca to the top spot.

Los Blancos will be out for redemption after failing to win La Liga, the Champions League, or the Copa del Rey in 2024/25, and their star-studded lineup, including European Golden Shoe winner Kylian Mbappe, should breeze past their opponents.

Flamengo should be able to get out of a Group D that contains Chelsea, LAFC and Espérance de Tunis. If they can get out the group they only need to win one knockout fixture to reach the last eight, and their strong form in South America suggests the Brazilians could be potential dark horses at the Club World Cup.

Alexander Sorloth was Atletico Madrid’s top marksman in La Liga with 20 goals but he only managed four further strikes across 15 appearances in cup competitions. In contrast, Julian Alvarez came into his own in the cups with 12 goals in 17 appearances – giving him a total of 29 strikes across all comps – and seven of those efforts came across his 10 outings in the Champions League. Alvarez stands out as the best bet to be Los Colchoneros’ leading scorer in the States.