Al Ahly vs Inter Miami kicks off the 2025 Club World Cup group stage on June 14th with the expanded tournament seeing two teams progress to an eight-club knockout bracket from each of the eight sections.
Somewhat surprisingly, Real Madrid have been pencilled in as the bookies’ favourites despite having precious little time to adapt to the philosophies of new manager Xabi Alonso or bed in exciting new signings Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander Arnold.
They’re readily taken on in the outright betting with newly-installed Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, who look a bit of value even as joint-second favourites.
Paris Saint-Germain to win
@ 9/2
Odds: Real Madrid 7/2, Man City 9/2, PSG 9/2, Bayern Munich 7/1, Chelsea 10/1, Inter Milan 13/1, Atletico Madrid 14/1, 25/1 bar.
Check out the Club World Cup betting odds in full on Betzone.
PSG expected to share bottom half of the draw with Real
It’s not generally a positive when the team you want to back will face the favourites before the final should the early rounds results pan out as expected.
However, this summer’s Club World Cup is an exception, with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid likely to end up in the same half of the knockout draw if both win their groups.
The two clubs will meet at the semi-final stage if all pans out according to the odds-compilers assessment and, if they do, Luis Enrique’s side should be strong favourites to prevail.
PSG are well ahead of Real on a UCL semi-final formline through Arsenal, having comfortably bested a Gunners side that comprehensively outplayed Real a round earlier.
Top-half of the draw looks vulnerable with City shortest-priced
Meanwhile, the quarter-finals in the top-half of the knockout draw will be Porto vs Atletico, Bayern Munich vs Flamengo, Inter vs Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City vs Al Hilal if all progresses in line with the bookies’ expectations.
City are the shortest-priced of those in the outright betting, sharing 9/2 second favourite status with the PSG side that saw them off 4-2 in the Champions League in January and has only grown in stature and belief since then.
Pep Guardiola’s side are a team in transition, with their loss to Crystal Palace in the 2024/25 FA Cup Final seemingly indicating that their manager is likely to need more than a month to recalibrate the next next great iteration of his team.
Next to a young PSG side riding the crest of a wave that promises to swell higher and higher still over the next few seasons, City look flattered by their share of 9/2 second favouritism.
More Betzone news here.
