GOAL US writers predict the Club World Cup winner, who will disappoint, and what to expect from Inter Miami and MLS teams
It's Club World Cup time. Forget everything else. Forget the politics, the headlines, the outside noise. Remove the complex context, the concerns, the dissenting voices.
And what remains is intrigue.
There is, admittedly, a sporting need for something like this to happen in the U.S. this summer, one year out from the 2026 World Cup. The best teams in Europe and South America play each other. Why not throw in Asia, Africa and North America while you're at it? Oceania, just to round it off? Why not.
And so we have 32 teams, playing each other across the country over the next month. There will be some memorable moments, but also a few awkward ones. No one knows what to make of this thing yet, and it might need some time to gather momemtum. But once the games get real, this could be a spectacle.
It's also now a forum for sporting excellence. Clubs have geared up. Manchester City and Real Madrid have already hit the transfer market. South American sides are up for it. MLS, with Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders and LAFC all representing, wants to put on a good show.
Within those 32 teams, there are a group of high-octane players who are out to prove a point or make a statement, for various reasons, including the likes of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Palmeiras’ Estevao Willian and PSG’s Ousmane Dembele.
So who wins it? Who takes home the Golden Boot, and who will be well worth the watch?
GOAL US writers break down the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
BackpageWhich team that you rarely get to see are you excited to watch?
Tom Hindle: Probably one of the African contingent. The African Champions League always looks quite cool, but is just never on the radar. Let's go with Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a cool nickname and cooler kits.
Jacob Schneider: Sundowns. The best kit in the competition, and an incredible social media presence. There’s just something about them that could mean a potential upset is brewing in the group stage.
Ryan Tolmich: All in for the Auckland City games! Based out of New Zealand, the club isn't even professional, normally plays in a stadium that seats 250 people. Now? They play Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors and Benfica in some of the nicest stadiums in the United States. They're going to get smashed and their stay in this tournament won't be long but, if you want a feel-good story, that's the one.
Alex Labidou: This is the fun of all of this, right? There are at least a half a dozen teams worth following, but go with the Urawa Red Diamonds or Ulsan FC. Every World Cup has a shock contender that comes out of Asia and it would be fun to see something similar here. Looking forward to watching how these teams perform against some of the biggest clubs in the world.
AdvertisementAFPWhich team is destined to disappoint?
TH: Go with Chelsea. Hope they get battered.
JS: Juventus could be the first major European club to exit. Their group stage is a rather easy one by all accounts, but inconsistency plagued them all season and it just seems disappointment is coming.
RT: Most of the European teams should waltz on through to the knockouts, but one superpower that could fall into a trap is Atletico Madrid. PSG should cruise while the Sounders should be cannon fodder, leaving Botafogo and Atletico Madrid to duke it out for that final spot. The Brazilian slide have gone all-in on this tournament and have constructed a squad with plenty of experience in Europe. They won't be favorites, for sure, but can they find a way to squeak one out against Atleti? They'll certainly believe they can. If that happens, that would be a huge blow for a Spanish giant.
AL: Inter Miami. People will focus on the fact they're opening the tournament and have well-known faces in Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. But this is a squad with significant holes in almost every position outside of attacking midfielder – we all know who plays there – and central midfield with Sergio Busquets and Benjamin Cremaschi. As seen throughout continental play and MLS earlier this season, the Herons have no response for teams that can quickly break on a counter. Suarez publicly bemoaned MLS's restrictive roster policies and with good reason. He knows that, even with Messi, this squad isn't good enough to handle what's coming.
Getty Who wins the CWC Golden Boot?
TH: Probably one of the Madrid lot, either Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Jr. But it would be nice if Harry Kane does the thing.
JS: There’s a chance that Kane or Erling Haaland could each be in double digits by the time the knockout rounds start. There’s just such a huge gap between some of the smaller clubs and the respective giants of Europe. This one will end with Mbappe, though. Madrid’s group should see them cruise to multi-goal wins each game, and he’s their scoring outlet.
RT: Kane, just because there's going to be a lot of room to stat pad if Bayern choose to do so. Up first will be a match against Auckland City. Subsequent matches against Boca Juniors and Benfica will be a bit more difficult but, if Bayern want to run up the score in that first game, Kane can get out of there with a multiple-goal head start on everyone else.
AL: For Bayern to live up to their sky-high expectations, they're gonna need Kane to be at his absolute best. The Germans are more reliant on the Englishman than, say City are with Haaland, so expect him to put up big numbers and win the boot. Another factor to consider: Kane's first matchup is against Auckland City. We could be seeing a double-digit scoreline in that one.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty Images SportWhich MLS team advances furthest in the tournament?
TH: Honestly don't think any of them get out of their group. It's entirely possible that Al Ahly are better than anyone thought and manage to get a result against Miami. None of them have a chance against European teams. A couple draws would be a good showing, in all honesty.
JS: Inter Miami should realistically make the knockouts. LAFC have a chance but it’s a small one. They need two big results regardless of opponent in the group stage.
RT: The Sounders are cooked just because of the group they landed in. Both Inter Miami and LAFC, meanwhile, will feel like they have a chance. Miami have been given a relatively good draw, paired with one of the lesser European teams in Porto to go with Palmeiras and Al Ahly, both of whom are good teams. LAFC's run, meanwhile, will come down to their third group stage game against Flamengo after a likely loss to Chelsea and a potential win over Esperance de Tunis. Because of that, LAFC seems to have the best path to the knockouts – although all are fairly perilous.
AL: Don't be surprised if Seattle gets to the knockout stages. They've had arguably the tournament's toughest draw, as they'll face PSG, Atletico Madrid and Botafogo. But the Sounders have two advantages most teams in the CWC won't have. First, they play all of their matches in their home stadium. No other team in the tournament has that edge. Second, sometimes groups of death have a funny way of panning out due to the competitiveness. PSG are likely the heavy favorites to advance out of the group, but Botafogo and Atleti might be closer matched than expected. If both have a win, draw and a loss in the group stage, it could open up things up for Seattle. It's unlikely, but stranger things have happened.