With there being a lot of unknowns regarding the teams and players featuring at this year's Club World Cup, one of Ladbrokes' senior traders has provided some valuable insights with our Group A preview and tips.
Chris Wood, Senior Trader with Ladbrokes has provided bettors with an in-depth guide into Club World Cup Group A, allowing those who fancy a punt at this summer's tournament to make more informed picks.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A Preview & Tips
Palmeiras
Runners-up to all conquering Botafogo in the Brazilian top flight last season and eliminated by the same team in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores. Winning the league in 2022 and 2023 as well as the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras have been one of South America’s most consistent teams in recent times.
They will still have Chelsea-bound Estevao in their squad and he will be a main goal threat after scoring 13 and assisting nine in the league last season. Joaquin Piquerez also likes to get forward from left back and takes free kicks and penalties and will be worth having a look at in the scorer markets.
Record signing Vitor Roque has had a slow start to his Palmeiras career after signing from Barcelona but remains an obvious threat up front. They currently lie in 4th in the domestic league but won all six of their Copa Libertadores group matches and will be a tough nut to crack here.
Porto
A disappointing season for Porto where they could only finish third in the league behind Sporting CP and Benfica and were dumped out of the Europa League by Roma at the round of 32 stage. They could only muster one point from four games against the other big two in the Portuguese league this season and will be desperate for a decent run here.
It looks a tough group on paper though and they could be a favourite to take on in the group betting here. The main goal threat will be Samu Aghehowa who has been a rare bright spot after signing from Atletico Madrid last summer. 18 year old prodigy Rodrigo Mora will provide support after a superb season where he contributed 10 goals and four assists from attacking midfield.
There should also be further able support provided by former Arsenal player Fabio Vieira who played well without ever fully catching alight with four goals and four assists in the league this season. Elsewhere, veteran defender Ivan Marcano can be a big threat from set pieces with 13 in 73 games for Porto.
Al Ahly
Al Ahly come here in decent form, losing just once in the league this season. They are a very tough team to break down and conceded a miserly nine goals in 17 games during the regular season in Egypt before opening up a bit during the playoffs.
I would expect them to revert to a fairly defensive dynamic here to stay in games as long as possible before attempting to nick a goal on the break or from a set piece. Main threats going forward will be Egyptian international Emam Ashour from midfield and prolific Palestinian front man Wessam Abou Ali.
If he recovers from what looks like a minor injury, Ashour will be on penalties and set pieces and Ramy Rabia will be the main threat from corners. Egyptian legends Trezeguet and Zizo have joined just in time for the tournament and add undoubted strength in depth and experience to the squad and will be attacking threats when on the field.
Inter Miami
Many familiar names in this squad with Lionel Messi obviously the most famous of all. It’s still all about him even at the age of 37 and he has top scorer for Inter so far this season with 10 in 12 starts from an ExPG of 8.5 along with five assists. He is very ably supported by another legend in the autumn of his career in Luis Suarez who has five from 13 games with seven assists.
Fellow Argentinian Tadeo Allende has six from 10 and Jordi Alba provides the chances from left back with four assist from 13 starts. The first game against Al Ahly will be very interesting as the MLS is an incredibly open, high scoring league and I expect Al Ahly to provide a completely different challenge.
Group Overview
Very difficult one to call as Porto are the strongest team on paper but may struggle here with a young side after a disappointing season.
Palmeiras are settled and in good form and will be a very tough assignment for Porto in their opening match. Al Ahly will be no pushovers either and I would expect the goals to be pretty low in all of their matches. I would be happy siding against Porto to win the group and would like to be with Al Ahly to qualify and to win the group at the current prices.
As noted, there are a lot of unknowns surrounding this summer's tournaments, with a portion of fans wondering why Liverpool aren't in the tournament but Chelsea are, for example.
When and where is the 2025 Club World Cup taking place?
The 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13, marking the first time the expanded tournament will feature 32 clubs in a month-long format.
Which teams are playing in the 2025 Club World Cup?
Heavyweights like Real Madrid, Man City and Boca Juniors have been confirmed as some of the 32 teams in the Club World Cup.
How can you watch the Club World Cup
Every single match at the Club World Cup will be broadcast on DAZN, with viewers able to watch games on their platform free-to-air for those in the UK.
Can you bet on the Club World Cup?
Ladbrokes is giving customers the opportunity to bet on the outright winner for the Club World Cup. More markets are also available, including group winners and top goalscorer.
