This summer, 32 of the biggest football clubs in the world will head to America for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.
Whilst the jury is still out regarding the new look tournament, the honour of being named the first ever Club World Champions is an incentive that every club competing will want to win.
Let’s take a look at the three teams the bookies believe will start the tournament as favorites.
Real Madrid – 4/1
To nobody’s surprise it is Real Madrid who sit atop of the majority betting markets, with Los Blancos looking to add Club World Cup glory alongside their list of hugely impressive accolades.
Despite suffering a slow start to both their domestic and European campaigns, Carlo Ancelotti has steadied the ship and has his side playing some of their best and most consistent football right when it matters most.
Proving to be far too good for rivals Manchester City in the Champions League playoffs, Madrid’s forward line of Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo proved to be far too dynamic for their English opponents, and if the two were to meet again this summer, a repeat could well be on the cards.
Despite being locked in a battle with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16, they will have high hopes of advancing and winning yet another Champions League trophy.
Looking to win both La Liga and the Champions League this season, they will be the team that everyone else needs to beat. Few would be surprised if they won both and they will head Stateside very much in the search of more glory.
Manchester City
Some of the world’s best betting sites have Manchester City as the favorites for Club World Cup glory, and considering how tough this season has been for the Cityzens, that is surprising to see.
Whereas most of the other big teams in the competition will be motivated to be able to call themselves World Champions, how much Man City need this tournament is very much up for debate.
After years of dominating English football and being one of Europe’s best sides, Pep Guardiola and his team have hit a wall this year and currently find themselves miles behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
Players such as Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Reuben Dias, who have contributed greatly over the years, no longer seem to have the legs for the rigorous demands Guardiola insists his team play with. There is a clear need for a huge rebuild at the club this summer.
With no international football this summer, both Guardiola and his City side could have done with a real break, but that won’t happen due to City’s involvement in this tournament. What sort of side City take to America is very much a topic of debate as Guardiola may choose to rest his squad ahead of what will be a huge domestic campaign next season.
Alternatively Guardiola could also see this summer as an opportunity. Currently on course for his worst ever finish as a manager, a victory at the Club World Cup and the ability to call himself a World Champion will quickly flush the pain of this season away.
Without doubt, City are the most intriguing side at this year’s competition.
Bayern Munich
Completing the top three in the betting are Bayern Munich and the German giants certainly can’t be slept on.
After a poor campaign in 2023/2024 where the Bavarians went without a trophy, the arrival of Vincent Kompany has returned Bayern to the summit of German football and they look on course to win yet another Bundesliga title.
Whilst winning the Bundesliga is very much expected, in Europe things are often harder. However, Bayern look on course to advance past German rivals Leverkusen following their 3-0 win in the first leg and reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
This year there is a real buzz about their chances. Manchester City are already out, one of PSG and Liverpool will also depart and Real Madrid are locked in a real battle with city rivals Atletico. Harry Kane has proved to be worth every penny of his transfer fee from Tottenham and in Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller and Kingsley Coman, Bayern boast a front line that few can match.
Yes, others will start ahead of them but this could be a special season for the Germans and they will arrive in America with huge expectations that it will be them who will leave with this coveted trophy.
