Real Madrid advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals with a 1�? win over Juventus in the round of 16 at Hard Rock Stadium. Gonzalo García scored with a header from a cross by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 54th minute. It was his third goal in the tournament. The win sets up a match against either Borussia Dortmund or Monterrey in the next round. 

Juventus got off to a good start. Kenan Yildiz helped create early chances. Randal Kolo Muani nearly scored with a soft shot over Thibaut Courtois. Yildiz later took a long shot that bounced off Aurélien Tchouaméni. However, Madrid slowly gained control of the game.

Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde both tested Juve’s goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio. Juventus tried to fight back with shots from Francisco Conceição and Nicolás González, but Thibaut Courtois stayed strong. Valverde nearly scored again, and Arda Güler forced another save. 

Kylian Mbappé made his first appearance for Real Madrid since recovering from gastrointestinal illness, coming on in the 68th minute to a loud ovation from the crowd of 62,149. Real Madrid remained composed and kept their 1�? lead, advancing to the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals. 

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The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) features 32 elite clubs from every continent, and teams qualify via continental championships or confederation coefficient. That means only the best get to compete in the new CWC season. 

Making up more than a third of the competition’s roster is testament to UEFA’s strength. Here are some of the UEFA clubs joining the biggest international club tournament in football:

Qualified as continental champions (Champions League)

UEFA Champions League winners from 2021 to 2024 automatically qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. These include Chelsea (2020/21), Real Madrid (2021/22 and 2023/24), and Manchester City (2022/23). UEFA has 12 total spots in the tournament, and after accounting for Champions League winners, the remaining places are awarded to the highest-ranked clubs in UEFA’s 2020�?024 coefficient standing.

Chelsea (English Premier League)

Coach Enzo Maresca brings stability to Chelsea’s exciting young team, featuring talents like Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández. Adding Moisés Caicedo, the Blues have a solid midfield in the starting lineup. Team captain Reece James, in the right back, is the cherry on top of giving Chelsea a stable all-around formation and a strong dark horse potential. 

Real Madrid (LaLiga)

New head coach Xabi Alonso aims to bring Real Madrid back to form after a difficult season. Coming with him is Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in preparation for his 4-3-3 formation in Real Madrid. That would mean the front is likely composed of Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior, three of the top forwards in the 2025 CWC! 

Manchester City (English Premier League)

Coach Pep Guardiola sets his sights on the CWC trophy, to recover Manchester City’s form after a difficult EPL season. Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden remain the club’s core members, but there will be aggressive changes before the 2025 CWC kickoff. Guardiola estimates investing more than the �?20 million they spent in 2024. 

Qualified via confederation rankings

The UEFA ranking used to determine who qualifies for the FIFA CWC is based on the 2020 to 2024 club coefficient. That is excluding clubs with automatic seeding as Champions League winners from 2020 to 2024. Here are the clubs that qualified for CWC via UEFA ranking:

Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Bayern Munich is the giant in Group C, having been the 2019/20 Champions League winner. They’ve had a consistently strong performance since then, even today under Vincent Kompany’s new leadership. Bayern has a strong lineup featuring goal scorers Harry Kane leading the front. Alongside him is Jamal Musiala, who is injured as of writing, but with hopes to recover before opening day.

Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)

PSG has dominated Ligue 1 for most seasons since 2012/13, with only Monaco (2016/17) and Lille (2020/21) interrupting their winning streak. This continued under Luis Enrique’s management as they defeated Inter Milan with a 5-0 lead at the 2024/25 Champions League finals. They retained their lineup from then, including core players Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, and Marquinhos. 

Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

Niko Kovač did a great job leading Borussia Dortmund in the final stretch of the Bundesliga, but is worried that CWC will be an uphill battle. The team club will be relying mostly on a solid defence, with Gregor Kobel, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Felix Nmecha as core players. Their strike team will centre around top goalscorers, Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens. 

Inter Milan (Serie A)

As of writing, Inter Milan doesn’t have a manager, and Cesc Fabregas is the first choice for a formal contract. That said, the club has a strong form with Lautaro Martinez leading the team’s forward line. Parallel to him are Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni in the midfield and backline, respectively, giving Inter a well-balanced starting lineup. 

FC Porto (Liga Portugal)

FC Porto finished in third place in Liga Portugal and has a strong performance in the UEFA rankings, primarily thanks to their consistent Champions League appearances. They have a strong form with Pepe, Rodrigo Mora, and Diogo Costa acting as the club’s anchors. FC Porto will be playing under a new manager, Martín Anselmi, so fans can expect a fresh style.

Atlético Madrid (LaLiga)

Atlético Madrid has achieved remarkable success under Diego Simeone’s leadership since he took up the position in 2011. Now, the world is going to see his magic again at the 2025 CWC. In their lineup are powerhouses like Julián Álvarez, Robin le Normand, and Conor Gallagher, who each joined Atlético in 2024, bolstering the club’s already impressive roster.

SL Benfica (Liga Portugal)

SL Benfica is one of the top performers in Liga Portugal, but they are considered the underdog in Group C, the same group as Bayern Munich. They have a challenging phase 1 to overcome, but they have a strong fighting chance. Manager Bruno Lage stated that he is counting on Ángel Di Maria in his core lineup alongside António Silva and Vangelis Pavlidis.

Juventus (Serie A)

Juventus is expected to share the top two spot with Manchester City in Group G as one of the European heavyweights. The club will be joining the 2025 CWC under Igor Tudor, who was just appointed manager in 2025. Tudor opts for a 3-4-2-1 formation, allowing frequent 1-on-1s, capitalising on Federico Gatti, Renato Veiga, and Pierre Kalulu in the defence. 

FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria Bundesliga)

Salzburg is in a pickle, being in Group H with heavyweights like Real Madrid and Al-Hilal. Manager Thomas Letsch will be capitalising on Oscar Gloukh and Petar Ratkov’s youthful energy against their generally older rivals. Though Salzburg only secured their spot after Arsenal fell short in UEFA rankings, they have the firepower to play against a giant-killing on the world stage.

Look forward to their performance at the 2025 CWC

The stage is set for UEFA’s twelve elite representatives to show their best against world-class squads. These teams will headline what was promised to be the most competitive Club World Cup yet. Look forward to their epic clashes with high expectations for a spectacular summer in 2025. 

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England will be training in heated tents to prepare for the high heat and humidity expected at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Head coach Thomas Tuchel is leading a camp in Girona, Spain, where players are tested in tough heat, like what they may face during the tournament.

The players ride exercise bikes inside the hot tents to check their fitness. Staff also track how well they recover after workouts. Tuchel said players are likely to suffer due to the extreme weather. He plans to travel to the Club World Cup in the US this summer to study the heat and learn how to keep players cool and safe.

Tuchel emphasised the importance of understanding heat levels during games, particularly in cities like Miami. He believes this World Cup will be hard for players and staff. Health experts warn that 14 out of 16 World Cup stadiums may reach unsafe heat levels. For instance, in Dallas, over 80% of June and July days go over 28°C.

England have won their first two qualifiers under Tuchel and are top of Group K. They will face Andorra on Saturday, June 7 at RCDE Stadium and Senegal on Tuesday, June 10 at City Ground.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed his Liverpool exit at the end of the 2024/25 season, closing a 20-year journey with his boyhood club. The 26-year-old icon shared the news on social media on Monday, May 5. Meanwhile, news reports of him agreeing to a free transfer to Real Madrid surfaced just hours later.

Trent joined Liverpool’s youth system at six years old and made his senior debut in 2016. Since then, he has played 352 matches with the Reds and scored 115 goals as a right-back. He was also a key player with the club’s bids for the Premier League, Champions League, and the FA Cup.

The right-back star is known for his link-up play with forward Mohamed Salah, and has shared over eight years of bond with him. The latter penned a heartfelt message on his X (formerly Twitter) account: ‘It’s been a pleasure sharing a special friendship with you and playing alongside you�?

Real Madrid on Trent for Club World Cup

News about Real Madrid wanting Trent to join them in time for the Club World Cup this summer surfaced after the footballer announced his exit from Liverpool. The Spanish side plans to talk with Liverpool about Trent’s possible ‘early release�?from his contract.

Real Madrid believes participating in the said tournament will help Trent settle faster before the 2025/26 season begins.

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