Club World Cup 2025: Group Stage Roundup

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage has come to an end, delivering plenty of excitement and surprises, with a clear battle between South America and Europe for dominance—though some unexpected guests also managed to reach the Round of 16.

Non-stop excitement. A total of 48 matches were played in this group stage, with 144 goals scored. The field has now been reduced from 32 teams to just 16, who will begin the knockout stage.

In most cases, stadiums have failed to reach full capacity or even attract large crowds, which has arguably been the tournament’s only blemish—U.S. audiences are still not widely passionate about this sport.

Club World Cup 2025: Qualified Teams

Without question, UEFA is the confederation with the most teams in the Round of 16. Of the 12 European teams, 9 made it through. From South America, all four Copa Libertadores champions (all Brazilian) advanced, while both Argentine teams were eliminated.

One of the highlights was the matchup between the current UEFA Champions League winners, PSG, and the Copa Libertadores champions, Botafogo. It was a throwback to the old Intercontinental Cup—and the Brazilian side won 1-0.

CONCACAF and Asia delivered the tournament’s biggest surprises. Monterrey reached the Round of 16 unbeaten, drawing with Inter and River Plate and defeating Urawa Reds. The Mexican side eliminated River, one of the major disappointments. Franco Mastantuono—playing his last matches with the club before a big-money move to Real Madrid—made little impact.

The other CONCACAF representative didn’t qualify via international success but rather as the host nation’s best regular-season MLS team. Still, Inter Miami shocked many by going unbeaten in the group stage and eliminating Porto with a historic 2-1 win.

As for Asia, Al Hilal carried the region’s hopes by going unbeaten, including a dramatic draw with Real Madrid thanks to a last-minute penalty save by Bono—all without their star striker, Aleksandar Mitrović, who was injured just before the tournament.

Club World Cup 2025: Disappointments

Starting with Porto. The Portuguese side finished third in their group, losing to Inter Miami (2-1) and drawing against Palmeiras (0-0) and Al Ahly (4-4) in matches they arguably deserved to lose. Upon returning home, they were greeted with jeers by angry fans.

Boca Juniors gave their fans some hope, only to disappoint once again. They blew a 2-0 lead against Benfica, drawing 2-2 with a goal in the last minutes. In an exciting match, they lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich—again conceding late.But the biggest embarrassment came in the final match: a 1-1 draw against semi-pro Auckland City. Boca fans were at least hoping for a win in that match, but it ended in humiliation.

River Plate also failed to live up to expectations. Marcelo Gallardo’s team, led by rising star Mastantuono, was predicted to go far. But after a win over Urawa Reds, they failed to score in a draw with Monterrey and then lost 2-0 to Inter Milan.

Club World Cup 2025: Surprises

In addition to Inter Miami and Al Hilal, Mamelodi Sundowns were another pleasant surprise. The South African club brought joy to the tournament with their dancing celebrations and entertaining style. They beat Ulsan 1-0, lost 4-3 in a thrilling game against Borussia Dortmund, and drew 0-0 with Fluminense. They fell just one point short of the Brazilian team.

Club World Cup 2025 Round of 16

The Round of 16 promises blockbuster clashes, and the biggest is undoubtedly Flamengo vs. Bayern—two football powerhouses representing CONMEBOL and UEFA, continuing the continental rivalry.

Another fascinating intercontinental match is Inter Milan vs. Fluminense. Although both teams showed vulnerabilities in the group stage, they boast excellent goalkeepers and skillful scorers who could decide the match individually.

One Brazilian team is guaranteed a quarterfinal spot, as Palmeiras and Botafogo will face off in the opening Round of 16 match.

Meanwhile, matches like Real Madrid vs. Juventus and Benfica vs. Chelsea offer a taste of the UEFA Champions League, bringing European pedigree to the knockout rounds.

The most one-sided clashes could involve the biggest surprises. Lionel Messi will reunite with former teammates as Inter Miami faces PSG, while João Cancelo will do the same when Al Hilal takes on Manchester City.

Lastly, closing out the Club World Cup Round of 16 will be an exciting and balanced clash that could be huge for CONCACAF: Monterrey, led by Sergio Ramos, Sergio Canales, and Óliver Torres, will face Borussia Dortmund, who haven’t looked at their best so far.