🌐 FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Tournament So Far
🏁 Group Stage Recap
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The inaugural 32-team format has seen an array of continents represented—32 clubs across 63 matches. The top two from each group advanced, with Brazilian teams Palmeiras, Botafogo, Flamengo, and others joining European giants in the Round of 16 thesun.co.uk+2talksport.com+2latimes.com+2espn.com+1si.com+1.
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In Group C, Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10–0 and topped their group, with Benfica also advancing si.com+1talksport.com+1.
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Group D highlighted Chelsea’s momentum: they overcame Benfica 4–1 after weather delays, with Reece James scoring a standout free-kick as.com+15thesun.co.uk+15sbnation.com+15.
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Brazilian fans have dominated the event, with a vibrant South American presence in stadiums and clubs performing well—FIFA even praised this energy as one of the tournament’s most positive aspects thetimes.co.uk+1as.com+1.
🔥 Round of 16 Highlights
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Palmeiras beat Botafogo in extra time, and Chelsea eliminated Benfica, setting up an exciting Palmeiras vs Chelsea quarter-final clash theguardian.com+10sbnation.com+10thesun.co.uk+10.
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Other Round of 16 pairings included:
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Inter Milan vs Fluminense
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Manchester City vs Al Hilal
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PSG vs Inter Miami (Messi vs PSG storyline!)
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Flamengo vs Bayern Munich
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Borussia Dortmund vs Monterrey
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Real Madrid vs Juventus thesun.ie+5sbnation.com+5thesun.co.uk+5.
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⭐ Players Impressive & Underwhelming
Impressing:
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Michael Olise (Chelsea): Awarded Player of the Group Stage, featured in the Group Stage Team of the Tournament bavarianfootballworks.com.
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Reece James (Chelsea): Free kick specialist—scored a key goal vs Benfica and earned an 8/10 performance rating thesun.co.uk.
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Jamal Musiala & others (Bayern Munich): Musiala bagged a hat-trick in the 10–0 dismantling of Auckland City latimes.com+14talksport.com+14si.com+14.
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Jude Bellingham & Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid): Dominant in the 3–0 Group H win over Salzburg—Bellingham controlled midfield while Vinícius opened the scoring thetimes.co.uk+3theguardian.com+3talksport.com+3.
Underwhelming:
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Liam Delap (Chelsea): Barely made an impact and was rated 3/10 vs Benfica thesun.co.uk.
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Enzo Fernández & Moisés Caicedo: Their performances were flagged as below average in the same game thesun.co.uk+1thetimes.co.uk+1.
📅 What’s Next in the Knockout Rd of 16
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Key fixtures looming:
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Manchester City vs Al Hilal
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PSG vs Inter Miami—a potential Messi vs European champions showdown 1xbet.whoscored.com+6sbnation.com+6talksport.com+6.
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Inter Milan vs Fluminense, Flamengo vs Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund vs Monterrey, and Real Madrid vs Juventus sbnation.com+1thesun.co.uk+1.
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💰 Prize Money & Format Shake-Up
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The expanded tournament boosted prize money to over €1 billion, with clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid already earning over €46 m and €43 m respectively from group stage participation cadenaser.com.
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Hosted in the USA from June 14 to July 13 across 12 venues—this edition marks the largest Club World Cup ever fifa.com+11espn.com+11thesun.co.uk+11.
🎯 Who’s the Favorite & Betting Talk
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Manchester City are among the favorites, especially after their comprehensive 5–2 group stage win over Juventus starsandstripesfc.com+6thetimes.co.uk+6mlssoccer.com+6.
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Pundits predict a semifinal showdown of PSG vs Bayern, Real Madrid vs Man City, leading to a possible Madrid‑City final si.com+2thesun.co.uk+2sbnation.com+2.
⚡ Final Thoughts
From jaw-dropping goals and breakout performances to dramatic upsets, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has been a spectacular showcase. With Round of 16 battles ahead—including Messi vs PSG and Madrid vs Juventus—the storylines are heating up. Whether you’re a superfan or rooting for a team for the first time, now’s the perfect moment to dive in—it’s global football at its most intense.