Betting Tips
2025 FIFA Club World Cup Betting Tips & Preview: What to Expect
by Chike Nwoye
14 Jun 2025
The FIFA Club World Cup has never really been must-watch TV for casual fans, but that’s about to change. At least that’s what Gianni Infantino is praying for. What used to be a quick two-week tournament in December has now been stretched into a full month at the end of the season.
FIFA knows this competition hasn’t exactly been popular in the past, so they’re pulling out all the stops to make it matter. First move? A massive $1 billion prize pool, with the winner potentially bagging up to $125 million.
For context, PSG made €83.12 million in 9 months from winning the Champions League. Now imagine earning 1.5 times that in just one month at the Club World Cup. Yeah, now clubs are locked in. I mean, Man City have made 4 signings already.
Before, this tournament was a yearly event with just 7 teams; the continental champions. But now, it’s a full-blown 32-team tournament. AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), and CONCACAF each get 4 spots, Oceania and the host nation (USA) get 1, CONMEBOL (South America) has 6, and UEFA (Europe) tops the list with 12. “Equality” at its finest.
Oh, and instead of being every year, it’s now happening every 4 years… just like the real World Cup.
That said, there’s still no room for current league champs like Liverpool (England), Barcelona (Spain), or even Africa’s newly crowned champs, Pyramids FC. It's odd, but here we are. Anyway, let’s dive into the 8 groups and share some bet predictions on who’s likely to top each one.
The FIFA Club World Cup has never really been must-watch TV for casual fans, but that’s about to change. At least that’s what Gianni Infantino is praying for. What used to be a quick two-week tournament in December has now been stretched into a full month at the end of the season.
FIFA knows this competition hasn’t exactly been popular in the past, so they’re pulling out all the stops to make it matter. First move? A massive $1 billion prize pool, with the winner potentially bagging up to $125 million.
For context, PSG made €83.12 million in 9 months from winning the Champions League. Now imagine earning 1.5 times that in just one month at the Club World Cup. Yeah, now clubs are locked in. I mean, Man City have made 4 signings already.
Before, this tournament was a yearly event with just 7 teams; the continental champions. But now, it’s a full-blown 32-team tournament. AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), and CONCACAF each get 4 spots, Oceania and the host nation (USA) get 1, CONMEBOL (South America) has 6, and UEFA (Europe) tops the list with 12. “Equality” at its finest.
Oh, and instead of being every year, it’s now happening every 4 years… just like the real World Cup.
That said, there’s still no room for current league champs like Liverpool (England), Barcelona (Spain), or even Africa’s newly crowned champs, Pyramids FC. It's odd, but here we are. Anyway, let’s dive into the 8 groups and share some bet predictions on who’s likely to top each one.
Group A: Al Ahly, Palmeiras, FC Porto and Inter Miami
This is easily one of the most balanced groups in the tournament. Al Ahly are Africa’s most successful club, and while they’ve never made it to the final of this competition, they’ve picked up three bronze medals in the last four editions - that’s pedigree right there.
Palmeiras are one of Brazil’s top sides, having won the league twice in the past three seasons, finishing second in the other. Porto are seen as the strongest team in the group, thanks in part to Samu Aghehowa, last season’s second-highest scorer in Portugal behind Viktor Gyökeres.
They’ve also got Francisco Moura, a super attacking left-back who had 10 league assists, and 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora, who scored 10 goals despite starting just 16 games.
Then there’s Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi and his old Barcelona crew. With the home crowd behind them - and let’s be real, FIFA wouldn’t mind seeing Messi in the Round of 16 - they’ve got a shot.
On paper, Porto and Palmeiras look like the top two teams, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Inter Miami squeezed into second place.
Betting Tips:
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders
This is my personal Group of Death. PSG are coming in hot after smashing Inter 5-0 in the Champions League final. Having won a treble, they have their eyes on adding a Club World Cup title to make it a quadruple.
Next up, there’s Atletico Madrid. Say what you want, but Diego Simeone is a beast in knockout football and knows exactly how to get his teams through tricky group stages.
Then there’s Botafogo, who are living their dream right now. The club of the great Garrincha has always played second fiddle in Rio de Janeiro - or maybe fourth - behind Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco. But since American businessman John Textor bought them in 2022, it’s been a different story.
This year alone, they ended a 29-year league title drought and won their first ever Copa Libertadores.
What makes this more impressive is that just five seasons ago, they were dead last in Brazil’s Serie A and got relegated. Now they’re Brazilian and South American champs. Considering Textor is part-owner of Crystal Palace - who just lifted a trophy for the first time in 119 years - be like say that man get oil for head. Let’s not sleep on them.
Seattle Sounders round out the group, but let’s be real, they’re probably the whipping boys here. While they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup three years ago, they’ve regressed in recent years, failing to qualify for the last two editions and not even making it past the conference semi-final of the MLS playoffs since then.
Betting Tips:
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica
Bayern Munich don’t mess around, and with the winner of Group C set to face the runner-up from Group D, I can already see the German giants cruising into the quarter-finals. They’re miles ahead of the other three teams in this group, who’ll mostly be battling it out for second place.
I’m expecting a proper thrashing in their opener against Auckland City from New Zealand, and a pretty routine win over Boca Juniors.
Benfica might put up more of a fight, but even then, I think Bayern will get the job done. Both sides actually faced off on Matchday 4 of the last Champions League, and while the 1-0 scoreline suggests it was tight, the game definitely wasn’t.
Vincent Kompany’s side had 24 shots to Benfica’s one (yes, just one), and they controlled a massive 74% of the ball.
Betting Tip:
Group D: Flamengo, Espérance de Tunis, Chelsea and LAFC
This is one of those groups where absolutely anything can happen, and I won’t be shocked. Sure, Chelsea are the most talented squad on paper, but the other teams have enough going for them to cause trouble.
Flamengo are top of the Brazilian Serie A; they’ve scored 24 goals and conceded just 4 in 11 games. Their fullbacks, Alex Sandro and Danilo, bring serious experience, and their star man up front, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, already has 9 goals and 4 assists to his name. Oh, and they’ve just added Jorginho who, let’s not forget, knows Chelsea inside out.
Speaking of ex-Blues, LAFC have Olivier Giroud leading their attack. They’ve also got Hugo Lloris and Cengiz Ünder in the mix. Plus, defensive midfielder Igor Jesus spent four years at Flamengo, so yeah... proper reunion vibes in this group.
Espérance de Tunis aren’t part of the reunion party, but they’ve got plenty to feel good about. They just wrapped up a domestic treble after a 1-0 win over Stade Tunisien in the Tunisian Cup final, capping off an 11-game unbeaten run to end the season + 9 clean sheets. Solid stuff.
Still, any team with Cole Palmer is a problem. So, I’m backing Chelsea to top the group.
Betting Tip:
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Reds, Monterrey and Inter
This is one of those groups where Inter have to finish top. Anything less, and their fans won’t be letting it slide after the way they collapsed at the end of the season. First, they got dumped out of the Coppa Italia semis by Milan (4-1 on aggregate), then bottled a 2-point lead in Serie A, and finally got humiliated in the UCL final. A season that was supposed to end in a treble turned into a triple disaster.
After the PSG thrashing, Simone Inzaghi left for Al-Hilal, and ex-player Cristian Chivu stepped up. He’s worked his way through the youth ranks (U14, U17, U18, U19), so it’s a big moment for him. He’s still settling in, but the squad is stacked and easily the strongest in this group.
Inter matched their club record for goals in a European season (26) and scored 2+ in every knockout game before they ran into that PSG buzzsaw. So yeah, expect opposing defences to be under serious pressure.
That said, Monterrey is a team I’ll be keeping a close eye on. They’ve got Sergio Ramos at the back, plus ex-Sevilla stars Lucas Ocampos, Óliver Torres, and Jesús Corona. All those guys have Europa League medals. And with Pep’s former assistant, Domènec Torrent calling the shots, they won’t be pushovers.
Betting Tip:
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns
Al Ahly may be the most decorated club in Africa, but Mamelodi Sundowns could be the continent’s best shot at making a real run, maybe even beyond the Round of 16. The South African giants have won their domestic league a record 15 times, including the last eight in a row. That’s dominance in every sense.
They were inches away from winning the CAF Champions League too, only to fall 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids FC in the final. I actually think they’re a stronger side than Fluminense, who are relying on experienced heads like Thiago Silva and Ganso.
Ulsan Hyundai, the Korean champs, are coming into the tournament with some confidence after winning the K League three years running, but I don’t think they’ll have enough to match what Sundowns bring to the table.
That said, I’m backing Dortmund to top this group. They’ve got Serhou Guirassy up front, one of Europe’s most clinical strikers. This past season, he scored 34 goals, including 13 in 14 Champions League fixtures. Without him, Dortmund would’ve likely missed out on the Top 6 entirely.
Betting Tip:
Group G: Man City, Wydad AC, Al Ain and Juventus
I think the obvious pick here is Manchester City to win the group. Pep Guardiola is simply not messing around. After spending €212m in the January transfer window, they’ve just spent another €129m on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rayan Cherki. Ridiculous. Ordinary 3rd wey dem finish for table and dey don dey buga everybody.
You can tell they’re taking this tournament seriously. With Jack Grealish left out of the squad, I think it’ll light a fire under some of the other players to step up. They know last season wasn’t good enough by their standards, and the reset starts here.
I expect them to go deep in this tournament and more than that, my bet of the day is for Erling Haaland to return to the goal-scoring madness we’ve all gotten used to. I have him winning the Golden Boot and you can get the best odds for that on BetKing compared to other online sports betting sites.
Betting Tips:
- Bet on Man City To Win Group G @1.37
- Bet on Man City To Reach The Semi-Final 2.35
- Bet on Erling Haaland to Win the Golden Boot @6.50
Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg
Group H kicks off with a blockbuster matchup between the Galacticos and the team most people now call “the Galacticos of the Saudi Pro League”, Al-Hilal. We already know what Real Madrid bring to the table, but Al-Hilal’s lineup isn’t short on star power either; Mitrovic, Cancelo, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Koulibaly, Bounou... and now Simone Inzaghi in the dugout. Pure box office.
Sorry to Pachuca and RB Salzburg, but realistically, I don’t see either of you getting more than three points in this group.
I’ve got Real Madrid topping the group, obviously. They’re coming into this tournament with a chip on their shoulder after a trophyless season, something that’s just not acceptable by their standards, especially after getting schooled by Lamine Yamal and co.
That painful end led to some big changes: Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric moved on, and in came Xabi Alonso as head coach, plus new boys Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen from the Premier League.
I also think this tournament is where Kylian Mbappé really stamps his authority. He had an insane debut season scoring 43 goals, the most ever for a Madrid player in year one. If Haaland doesn’t snatch the Golden Boot, it’s Mbappé’s for the taking. And if Real go all the way like many expect, don’t be shocked if he’s named Player of the Tournament too.
Betting Tips:
- Bet on Real Madrid To Win Group H @1.13
- Bet on Real Madrid To Win The Tournament @4.95
- Bet on Kylian Mbappé To Win The Golden Boot @5.50
- Bet on Kylian Mbappé To be Named Player of the Tournament @4.50
Group A: Al Ahly, Palmeiras, FC Porto and Inter Miami
This is easily one of the most balanced groups in the tournament. Al Ahly are Africa’s most successful club, and while they’ve never made it to the final of this competition, they’ve picked up three bronze medals in the last four editions - that’s pedigree right there.
Palmeiras are one of Brazil’s top sides, having won the league twice in the past three seasons, finishing second in the other. Porto are seen as the strongest team in the group, thanks in part to Samu Aghehowa, last season’s second-highest scorer in Portugal behind Viktor Gyökeres.
They’ve also got Francisco Moura, a super attacking left-back who had 10 league assists, and 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora, who scored 10 goals despite starting just 16 games.
Then there’s Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi and his old Barcelona crew. With the home crowd behind them - and let’s be real, FIFA wouldn’t mind seeing Messi in the Round of 16 - they’ve got a shot.
On paper, Porto and Palmeiras look like the top two teams, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Inter Miami squeezed into second place.
Betting Tips:
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders
This is my personal Group of Death. PSG are coming in hot after smashing Inter 5-0 in the Champions League final. Having won a treble, they have their eyes on adding a Club World Cup title to make it a quadruple.
Next up, there’s Atletico Madrid. Say what you want, but Diego Simeone is a beast in knockout football and knows exactly how to get his teams through tricky group stages.
Then there’s Botafogo, who are living their dream right now. The club of the great Garrincha has always played second fiddle in Rio de Janeiro - or maybe fourth - behind Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco. But since American businessman John Textor bought them in 2022, it’s been a different story.
This year alone, they ended a 29-year league title drought and won their first ever Copa Libertadores.
What makes this more impressive is that just five seasons ago, they were dead last in Brazil’s Serie A and got relegated. Now they’re Brazilian and South American champs. Considering Textor is part-owner of Crystal Palace - who just lifted a trophy for the first time in 119 years - be like say that man get oil for head. Let’s not sleep on them.
Seattle Sounders round out the group, but let’s be real, they’re probably the whipping boys here. While they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup three years ago, they’ve regressed in recent years, failing to qualify for the last two editions and not even making it past the conference semi-final of the MLS playoffs since then.
Betting Tips:
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica
Bayern Munich don’t mess around, and with the winner of Group C set to face the runner-up from Group D, I can already see the German giants cruising into the quarter-finals. They’re miles ahead of the other three teams in this group, who’ll mostly be battling it out for second place.
I’m expecting a proper thrashing in their opener against Auckland City from New Zealand, and a pretty routine win over Boca Juniors.
Benfica might put up more of a fight, but even then, I think Bayern will get the job done. Both sides actually faced off on Matchday 4 of the last Champions League, and while the 1-0 scoreline suggests it was tight, the game definitely wasn’t.
Vincent Kompany’s side had 24 shots to Benfica’s one (yes, just one), and they controlled a massive 74% of the ball.
Betting Tip:
Group D: Flamengo, Espérance de Tunis, Chelsea and LAFC
This is one of those groups where absolutely anything can happen, and I won’t be shocked. Sure, Chelsea are the most talented squad on paper, but the other teams have enough going for them to cause trouble.
Flamengo are top of the Brazilian Serie A; they’ve scored 24 goals and conceded just 4 in 11 games. Their fullbacks, Alex Sandro and Danilo, bring serious experience, and their star man up front, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, already has 9 goals and 4 assists to his name. Oh, and they’ve just added Jorginho who, let’s not forget, knows Chelsea inside out.
Speaking of ex-Blues, LAFC have Olivier Giroud leading their attack. They’ve also got Hugo Lloris and Cengiz Ünder in the mix. Plus, defensive midfielder Igor Jesus spent four years at Flamengo, so yeah... proper reunion vibes in this group.
Espérance de Tunis aren’t part of the reunion party, but they’ve got plenty to feel good about. They just wrapped up a domestic treble after a 1-0 win over Stade Tunisien in the Tunisian Cup final, capping off an 11-game unbeaten run to end the season + 9 clean sheets. Solid stuff.
Still, any team with Cole Palmer is a problem. So, I’m backing Chelsea to top the group.
Betting Tip:
Group E: River Plate, Urawa Reds, Monterrey and Inter
This is one of those groups where Inter have to finish top. Anything less, and their fans won’t be letting it slide after the way they collapsed at the end of the season. First, they got dumped out of the Coppa Italia semis by Milan (4-1 on aggregate), then bottled a 2-point lead in Serie A, and finally got humiliated in the UCL final. A season that was supposed to end in a treble turned into a triple disaster.
After the PSG thrashing, Simone Inzaghi left for Al-Hilal, and ex-player Cristian Chivu stepped up. He’s worked his way through the youth ranks (U14, U17, U18, U19), so it’s a big moment for him. He’s still settling in, but the squad is stacked and easily the strongest in this group.
Inter matched their club record for goals in a European season (26) and scored 2+ in every knockout game before they ran into that PSG buzzsaw. So yeah, expect opposing defences to be under serious pressure.
That said, Monterrey is a team I’ll be keeping a close eye on. They’ve got Sergio Ramos at the back, plus ex-Sevilla stars Lucas Ocampos, Óliver Torres, and Jesús Corona. All those guys have Europa League medals. And with Pep’s former assistant, Domènec Torrent calling the shots, they won’t be pushovers.
Betting Tip:
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns
Al Ahly may be the most decorated club in Africa, but Mamelodi Sundowns could be the continent’s best shot at making a real run, maybe even beyond the Round of 16. The South African giants have won their domestic league a record 15 times, including the last eight in a row. That’s dominance in every sense.
They were inches away from winning the CAF Champions League too, only to fall 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids FC in the final. I actually think they’re a stronger side than Fluminense, who are relying on experienced heads like Thiago Silva and Ganso.
Ulsan Hyundai, the Korean champs, are coming into the tournament with some confidence after winning the K League three years running, but I don’t think they’ll have enough to match what Sundowns bring to the table.
That said, I’m backing Dortmund to top this group. They’ve got Serhou Guirassy up front, one of Europe’s most clinical strikers. This past season, he scored 34 goals, including 13 in 14 Champions League fixtures. Without him, Dortmund would’ve likely missed out on the Top 6 entirely.
Betting Tip:
Group G: Man City, Wydad AC, Al Ain and Juventus
I think the obvious pick here is Manchester City to win the group. Pep Guardiola is simply not messing around. After spending €212m in the January transfer window, they’ve just spent another €129m on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rayan Cherki. Ridiculous. Ordinary 3rd wey dem finish for table and dey don dey buga everybody.
You can tell they’re taking this tournament seriously. With Jack Grealish left out of the squad, I think it’ll light a fire under some of the other players to step up. They know last season wasn’t good enough by their standards, and the reset starts here.
I expect them to go deep in this tournament and more than that, my bet of the day is for Erling Haaland to return to the goal-scoring madness we’ve all gotten used to. I have him winning the Golden Boot and you can get the best odds for that on BetKing compared to other online sports betting sites.
Betting Tips:
- Bet on Man City To Win Group G @1.37
- Bet on Man City To Reach The Semi-Final 2.35
- Bet on Erling Haaland to Win the Golden Boot @6.50
Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg
Group H kicks off with a blockbuster matchup between the Galacticos and the team most people now call “the Galacticos of the Saudi Pro League”, Al-Hilal. We already know what Real Madrid bring to the table, but Al-Hilal’s lineup isn’t short on star power either; Mitrovic, Cancelo, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Koulibaly, Bounou... and now Simone Inzaghi in the dugout. Pure box office.
Sorry to Pachuca and RB Salzburg, but realistically, I don’t see either of you getting more than three points in this group.
I’ve got Real Madrid topping the group, obviously. They’re coming into this tournament with a chip on their shoulder after a trophyless season, something that’s just not acceptable by their standards, especially after getting schooled by Lamine Yamal and co.
That painful end led to some big changes: Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric moved on, and in came Xabi Alonso as head coach, plus new boys Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen from the Premier League.
I also think this tournament is where Kylian Mbappé really stamps his authority. He had an insane debut season scoring 43 goals, the most ever for a Madrid player in year one. If Haaland doesn’t snatch the Golden Boot, it’s Mbappé’s for the taking. And if Real go all the way like many expect, don’t be shocked if he’s named Player of the Tournament too.
Betting Tips:
- Bet on Real Madrid To Win Group H @1.13
- Bet on Real Madrid To Win The Tournament @4.95
- Bet on Kylian Mbappé To Win The Golden Boot @5.50
- Bet on Kylian Mbappé To be Named Player of the Tournament @4.50
BetKing offers you the chance to win big by betting on the FIFA Club World Cup. Join us today to get value for money. Try out the best betting apps in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.
BetKing offers you the chance to win big by betting on the FIFA Club World Cup. Join us today to get value for money. Try out the best betting apps in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.