2025 Club World Cup: Ranking the top five matchups of the group stage as Real Madrid, Chelsea games near top

PSG vs. Atletico Madrid may just be the best of the bunch

By Chuck Booth

Dec 5, 2024 at 8:24 pm ET • 3 min read

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The stage is set for the 2025 Club World Cup which will take place in the United States. An expanded tournament will now include 32 teams in eight groups of four. The draw for those groups took place on Thursday in Miami and we now know who will face who. Inter Miami will kick things off on June 15 facing Al Ahly and the close of the tournament will be on July 13 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

Let's take a look at the groups, the group of death and rank the top five group-stage meetings:

The Groups

Group A

Palmeiras
Porto
Al Ahly
Inter Miami

Group B

Paris Saint-Germain
Atletico Madrid
Botafogo
Seattle Sounders

Group C

Bayern Munich
Auckland City FC
Boca Juniors
Benfica

Group D

Flamengo
ES Tunisie
Chelsea
Club Leon

Group E

River Plate
Urawa Red Diamonds
CF Monterrey
Inter

Group F

Fluminense
Borussia Dortmund
Ulsan HD
Mamelodi Sundowns FC

Group G

Manchester City
Wydad AC
Al Ain FC
Juventus

Group H

Real Madrid
Al Hilal
CF Pachuca
RB Salzburg

Is there a group of death?

While one takeaway is that since the draw had to separate the UEFA teams, it doesn't mean that one group doesn't seem tougher to make it out of than the other. At first glance, Group B and Group C are the ones that stick out but Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, and the Seattle Sounders just edge a group of Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, and Benfica. It's likely that PSG and Atleti are the sides to make the cut from that group but if anyone slips up, it's a time to be on alert.

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5. Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly

Lionel Messi, new manager Javier Mascherano, and Inter Miami may not have the biggest headlining match possible facing Al Ahly but to kick off this star-studded tournament, they'll be sure to bring a show. This is a big-time affair and it's only the second time that an MLS team has been involved following the Seattle Sounders' inclusion after winning Concacaf Champions Cup and participating in 2022. It's a shot at history and the first step is always the most important one.

4. Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal

The Galacticos facing one of the top teams in the Saudi Pro League and former Barcelona man Joao Cancelo is also a big-time affair. The Saudi Pro League already tabled an offer to Madrid man Kylian Mbappe and could certainly come for more Real Madrid players in the future. With the spending power to compete with the world's best, there's no way to rule out Al-Hilal adding another star to their ranks either.

3. Chelsea vs. Flamengo

Brazilian sides always bring their best to the Club World Cup and Flamengo are no strangers to this tournament. This is their second appearance in the last four years and they'll get to face a new-look Chelsea side. With the Blues on the up under Enzo Maresca, getting to compete in a competition like this one will be a good, formative experience.

2. Bayern Munich vs. Benfica

They may have played recently in the Champions League but in another group where dropped points can make all the difference, Harry Kane facing off with Angel Di Maria will be a time. These teams are no strangers to top competition and performing on the global stage while also boasting budding world stars.

1. Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid

Kicking off the group of death is the most important matchup because the loser between PSG and Atleti will find themselves behind the eight-ball. In a group with Botafogo and the Sounders, there's no guarantee of going undefeated in all group stage matches which is why any dropped points will matter. The post-Mbappe era hasn't been a kind one to PSG but they have plenty of time to figure things out before the Club World Cup.