Whilst the summer of 2025 may be lacking a major tournament in terms of the men’s game, there are still two big highlights to keep football fans occupied until the start of the 2025/26 domestic season. The Lionesses defend their Euros crown in the women’s game but if you prefer men’s football, the FIFA Club World Cup started on the 14th of June, with the final scheduled for the 13th of July.
The USA will host the expanded tournament, which features 32 teams for the first time in its relatively short history. The competition will partly serve as a practice run for the nation’s co-hosting of the World Cup in 2026. But there is also a staggering amount of prize money up for grabs and plenty of football betting action to get involved in. In addition to the lure of the lucre, the Club World Cup is also viewed by some teams and their fans, particularly beyond the UK, as a very prestigious piece of silverware to add to the cabinet.
That this is the first edition of the competition where it will feel a lot more like a genuine World Cup (due to the scope of event, the number of teams involved and the duration) only adds to that prestige. A club like Real Madrid loves to stamp their mark on a tournament, as they did with the European Cup, as the Champions League was then known.
Real won the first five editions of that competition and, of course, now boast 15 wins, more than double the next-best club. They finished fourth in the first year of the Club World Cup, with Corinthians winning an all-Brazilian final against Vasco da Gama. That was in the year 2000, and Real did not get their hands on the trophy until 2014.
Since then they have made up for lost time and also won in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022. Their haul of five wins is two more than their great rivals Barcelona have managed, and Los Blancos would dearly love to claim a sixth title in 2025.
How Do the Bookies Rate Real’s Chances?
Despite 2024/25 being, by Real’s insanely high standards, a disaster, the record winners of the Club World Cup are the 9/2 favourites to win a sixth title. Barcelona, who bettered them domestically in the battle for La Liga, are not involved, but PSG are. In this – or do we say last now?! – season’s Champions League, Arsenal thrashed Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarters. PSG, who went on to win the competition in fine style, then disposed of the Gunners 3-1 in the semis, winning both legs.
Given this, and the fact that Real have a new manager, who will not have had time to really get his message across at all, it is slightly strange to see the Madrid giants at the top of the betting market. That said, there really isn’t much to separate the top four in the odds.
If Not Real, Then Who?
Many fans may have expected to see PSG installed as the bookmakers’ favourites after they produced a stunning performance in the final of the Champions League. Their 5-0 victory over Inter was a record win in the final of the competition and was thoroughly deserved. They grew into the competition in scintillating style after a slow start in the league phase.
The French side battered Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs. They were then easily the better side in both legs against Liverpool, despite only progressing past the Round of 16 on penalties. They then knocked out Aston Villa and Arsenal before that crushing win against Inter and don’t seem to have any weaknesses.
They have stars all over the pitch and, in Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nuno Mendes, Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and others, they have a raft of genuinely world-class players. Perhaps more than that, though, boss Luis Enrique is getting the best out of them and getting them to pull together for each other and work tirelessly.
Some bookies make PSG the favourites, ahead of Real, but in general they are a shade longer at 5/1. Man City are not far behind, at 11/2, with Bayern Munich the other team at single-digit odds of 7/1. City won this competition in 2023, whilst Bayern triumphed in 2013 and 2020. In contrast, PSG have never even played in the FIFA Club World Cup before, though it is hard to see how inexperience might count against them, not least because head coach Enrique led Barca to glory in the tournament in 2015.
Real’s Draw… and Chances
🗓️ Real Madrid’s calendar up to Club World Cup.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 17, 2025
Real find themselves in Group H, alongside Al-Hilal, Mexican side Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg. It is hard to see them not topping the group, which would see them face the second-best side from Group G. That is likely to be Juventus, but it could very easily be Man City, but either way Real are likely to face a tough test very early on.
Beyond that there are many permutations but ultimately Real will have to beat several very strong sides if they are to go all the way. They have shown how seriously they are taking this by paying around £10m to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold early from Liverpool. They have further strengthened their defence by adding £50m centre back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
In the dugout, Xabi Alonso has replaced Carlo Ancelotti but he will not have had much time to work with his squad ahead of this tournament. His appointment may prove savvy in time but we think Real may disappoint in the US. The Opta “super-computer” gives Real just a 9.8% chance of success, with Inter (12.3%), Bayern (12.8%), Man City (17.8%) and PSG (18.5%) all deemed more likely Club World Cup champs.
That seems about right to us, and if pushed we would plump for PSG, with Atletico Madrid (in PSG’s group) interesting outsiders.
