The FIFA Club World Cup is right around the corner now, starting on Saturday, June 14, 2025. In recent years, only a handful of clubs have qualified for the Club World Cup as it has traditionally been a smaller competition for the winners of each continent's version of a Champions League, but FIFA has opened up the competition to 32 teams this year, formatted similar to the World Cup. The competition will be made up of 12 European clubs, 6 South American clubs, 4 Asian Clubs, 4 African clubs, 4 North/Central American clubs, 1 Oceanic Club, and 1 auto from the host nation which is the USA. The current champion of the competition is Manchester City, the winningest club is Real Madrid with 5 titles, and a European club has won the competition the last 11 straight times. Now with the tournament starting soon, it is time to see who has the best chance at winning it all this year.
To Win Outright
Real Madrid +350: Real Madrid is coming into this tournament as the team with the best chance at winning it all according to the oddsmakers. They have the most titles in the tournament’s history, last winning it back in 2023, and they have won 4 titles over the last 8 tournaments. They have been a very decorated side over the last few years with multiple La Liga and Champions League Titles, but this was certainly a down year for them. They finished the La Liga season in good form and finished in 2nd place with a 26-6-6 record, finishing 4 points behind the leader, but they did not make a deep run in Champions League this season and were not great in that competition. They lost both legs of the Champions League Quarterfinal to Arsenal and they also struggled in quite a few of their matches against top clubs in their own domestic league. Real Madrid certainly has one of the best squads in the competition with the quality of players and the depth that they have, but those players have had their problems working together this season. Real Madrid has not had their best season this year as they acquired many quality players in the last summer transfer window but it just has not worked out on the pitch. Real Madrid certainly has the ability to win this competition, but there are better team in it this year and they have not played like a team that can win this competition for most of the season. Real Madrid will eventually run into a team that gets the better of them so there is no real value in them at this price.
Manchester City +450: Man City is coming into this tournament as the team with the next best chance at winning it all according to the oddsmakers. Man City is the defending champion of this tournament from 2023 and that is their only Club World Cup Title in their club history. They are coming off of one of their worst seasons in years though. They had a lot of distractions off the pitch to start this season and it certainly affected them in-match. They ended up finishing in 3rd place in the Premier League with a 21-8-9 record, but they spent a large majority of the season in the middle of the table. That is also a very low finish for a club that has won multiple Premier League Titles over the last few years and is always in contention. This year they finished 13 points behind the leader though and this could be the season that marks the start of the downfall for them. A lot of their core players have been aging and leaving the club over the last few seasons and this year they really had to re-invent themselves. They had a big surge at the end of the season and finished in great form, but there are better teams in this competition that will give them trouble. They made it all the way to the FA Cup Final this year just to lose 1-0 to Crystal Palace, and they did not go deep in Champions League either, barely making it out of the League Phase just to lose both legs to Real Madrid in the playoff round. Man City has been trending in the wrong direction all season and this is not a team that looks ready to defend their title in this competition. There is no real value in Man City at this price.
Bayern Munich +600: Bayern Munich is coming into this tournament as the team with the next best chance at winning it all according to the oddsmakers. Bayern Munich has 2 CWC Titles in their club history and they last won the competition back in 2020. They dominated their domestic league this season as they won the Bundesliga Title with a 25-7-2 record, finishing 13 points ahead of the 2nd place team, and their defense was great in the league as they only allowed 32 goals in their 34 matches, but they also play in a much weaker domestic league as the Bundesliga does not have the quality that some of the other leagues in Europe have. Bayern’s defense is not as good as it looked in the Bundesliga either. They only finished in 12th place in the League Phase of Champions League as they were 5-0-3, and they were not really tested in the knockout rounds. They barely got by Celtic in the playoff round and managed to dominate Leverkusen in the next round, Leverkusen also being in the Bundesliga, but they really got exposed defensively by Inter Milan and some of the other strong attacks they have faced in their own league. Bayern is also very hit or miss on defense as they concede a lot of goals when they do concede. Bayern is a contender every year in Champions League and they have a very potent attack that can score their way out of trouble, but they have not been a dominant team in Europe for a few years now and a big reason for that is due to their lack of quality on defense. Bayern is good enough to make a deep run in this competition, but they will eventually run into a team that exposes their defense and that is why there is no real value in them to win at this price.
Paris Saint-Germain +800: PSG is coming into this tournament as the team with the next best chance at winning it all according to the oddsmakers. PSG has never won a title in this competition and no French Club has ever made it to the Final of the Club World Cup either. PSG dominated their domestic league this season as they won the Ligue 1 Title with a 26-6-2 record and they finished 19 points ahead of the 2nd place team. They have been in great form to end the season and they also made a very deep run in Champions League this season. They are set to play Inter Milan in the Champions League Final on Saturday, May 31, but it does take a lot of effort to make a deep run like this. They have other matches to worry about like their domestic league and domestic cups, so getting this far in the tournament certainly takes a toll on teams no matter how good. PSG has played this season with something to prove after Messi departed from the team, and they have shown that they have the quality of players and the depth to win a tournament like this. Playing in the Champions League Final could also be a big knock against them though as the players will be fatigued from the tournament. There is also the result that will weigh on them as Champions League is the more desired competition to win so PSG could have a hangover in this tournament if they do win Champions League, or they could be down in the dumps mentally if they lose. PSG has the ability to make a deep run in this tournament, but their mental fitness is going to play a big role that could see them just end up short. PSG is not the best option to go with at this price.
Inter Milan +900: Inter Milan is coming into this tournament as the team with the next best chance at winning it all according to the oddsmakers. Inter Milan has only won 1 Club World Cup Title in their club history and that was back in 2010. They have had a very good season in their domestic league as they finished in 2nd place with a 24-9-5 record, finishing 1 point behind the leader. They also made a very deep run in Champions League this year and they are set to play PSG in the Final on May 31. Inter Milan has been very impressive this season as they knocked out some very good teams in Champions League. They beat Barcelona in the last round and also kicked out Bayern Munich in the round prior. Inter has been a very good defensive team over the years and only allowed 35 goals in their 38 league matches this season in Serie A, but they also showed in Champions League this year that they have a very potent attack that can find goals when they need to. They have the quality of players as well as the depth in their squad to make a deep run in this tournament and be the best team as well, but playing in the Champions League Final could also take a big toll on them. It is very tough on a team both physically and mentally to make a deep run in a competition like Champions League, and for a team like Inter Milan, Champions League is the most desired competition that they can win. All of their focus will be on that Champions League Final and that is going to take a toll on their mental fitness as this tournament is only 2 weeks after. Inter could be dealing with the hangover from winning Champions League when they are playing in this Club World Cup, or they could be very down on themselves after coming up short again. Mental fitness is going to be a big factor in a competition like this so Inter Milan is not the best option to go with at this price.
Chelsea +1000: Chelsea is coming into this tournament as the team with the next best chance at winning it all according to the oddsmakers. Chelsea has 1 Club World Cup Title in their club history, winning it back in 2021, and they have also been the runners up once. They are coming off of a good season in the Premier League as they finished in 4th place with a 20-9-9 record and even though they were not one of the best in the league, this was still a great season for a club that has not performed well over the last few years. This was a big year for Chelsea and their younger squad so they are going to be coming into this competition with a lot of confidence. Due to the way the qualifying works, Chelsea is actually the 2nd best Premier League team in this competition behind Man City. Chelsea is also coming off of a big win in the Conference League Final as they erased a 1-0 deficit and went on to beat Real Betis 4-1. Normally, a team coming off of a big tournament win would not be a team to take in this competition due to the fatigue of the players both physically and mentally, but that does not apply in this instance. The Conference League is not the Champions League and certainly does not have the same allure of winning it. Chelsea did not have to face many quality opponents that could match up with them on their way to the Final and they were the best team in the tournament by far. That was a nice competition for them to win, but it will not have the same effect on them as winning Champions League. The Conference League gave Chelsea a little taste of what it is like to win a tournament like this, but this is a young team that is hungry to win and improve so they are only going to be hungrier in this tournament after winning that lesser competition. Chelsea has the quality in their squad to make a deep run in this tournament and that win in the Conference League is only going to propel them more to take another big step as a team. There is some good value in Chelsea to win it all at this price.
Palmeiras +3300: Palmeiras is not the next team on the list, but they are a team that does have some good value at this price to potentially be a dark horse in this tournament. Palmeiras has never won this competition in their club history, but they were the runners up back in 2021 when they lost to Chelsea 2-1 in extra time. Palmeiras has been a dominant team in the Brasileirao and in Copa Libertadores over the last few years, but they have never won this competition so it is certainly something on the list for them to check off. They are going to be heavily motivated to make a deep run in this competition and they still have one of the best squads in all of South America, playing in great form over the last few weeks as well. A European club has won this title the last 11 straight tournaments, but a Brazilian club has been the runner up in 2 of the last 3 as well as 3 of the last 5 Finals so it is not unlikely that Palmeiras does well in this tournament. Palmeiras is going to be the best representative from South America in this tournament as they have the quality and depth in their squad as well as the motivation to win this title. There is some good value in Palmeiras at this price as a dark horse.
Inter Miami +6600: Inter Miami is not the next team on this list, but they are a team that does have some good value at this price to potentially be a long shot winner in this tournament. Inter Miami has never won this title in their club history and only 1 North American club has ever even made it to the CWC Final, that being Tigres UANL back in 2020. Inter Miami is not having a great start to the MLS season this year, but they have been one of the better teams in the league since Messi arrived there and he has completely transformed this club into a contending team with some of the players they have brought in. They may not be in the best form this season, but Messi plays his best when the lights are brightest and they are going to get up for a tournament like this when they have one of the best players in the world on their team who is also a reigning World Cup and Copa America champion. This tournament is also being hosted by the USA so Inter Miami is going to have a big home advantage in every match they play. Inter Miami has the quality and the tools as well as the experience of veteran players to make a deep run in this tournament. There is some good value in Inter Miami at this price as a long shot.
RecommendationThere are plenty of good clubs from all over the world in this tournament, but only 1 team can win it all and it will likely be a European club with the way things have been shaking out over the years. Chelsea is the team with the best value to win this tournament considering the way they have improved this season and also the strength of the field. European clubs have dominated in recent years, but there are still plenty of good clubs from other continents who certainly have a chance to win this tournament with the quality that they have. Palmeiras is a very good club from South America who has been to the Final in recent years and Inter Miami is a very good club from North America who is from the host nation and has plenty of players with experience playing at the international level. Chelsea at +1000 is the club with the best value to win this tournament, but Palmeiras at +3300 is a good dark horse and Inter Miami at +6600 is a good long shot.
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