For years, FIFA has sat on a potential gold mine with their Club World Cup. Previously, the competition was somewhat of an afterthought, with the planet’s seven continental champions battling it out for the crown, usually in the Arabian Gulf. However, world football’s governing body is no stranger to looking to build a stockpile of cash, and they have finally pulled the trigger and enhanced their marquee club competition.
This summer, 32 of the planet’s biggest and best teams will head to the United States for a showdown unlike anything we have seen before at club level. The tournament will be played over four weeks, just like its international counterpart, beginning on June 14th at Hard Rock Stadium as hometown heroes Inter Miami face off against Egypt’s Al-Ahly. Between then and the July 13th final at MetLife Stadium, the planet’s best will be whittled down to just one, and they will claim the honor of being crowned the best team on the planet.
Many didn’t know what to expect of the upcoming showdown. Would it be treated like a preseason tournament? Would anyone play their best players? Well, those questions have been answered as FIFA has announced a huge prize for the competition’s winner.
European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich will all be gunning for the trophy, and it’s them who online sports betting sites make the favorites for the crown. Websites offering online sports betting in Canada price the aforementioned trio as the +350, +450, and +550 frontrunners, but which teams outside of Europe have a chance of winning?
Botafogo
The resurgence of Botafogo has been one of the most compelling stories in South American football in recent years. The Fire only returned to the Brazilian top flight back in 2022, but since then, they have gone from strength to strength, culminating in their greatest-ever season last term.
In 2024, The Rio de Janeiro-based outfit won Serie A for just the third time in history and for the first time in 29 years. Not only that, but they also went on to be crowned champions of their continent. Botafogo won the Copa Libertadores last term for the first time, and they did so in stunning fashion, playing almost the entirety of the match with ten men. Defensive midfield dynamo Gregory was sent off less than two minutes into the Buenos Aires-hosted final against Atletico Mineiro, but they wouldn’t let that deter them and ran out worthy 3-1 victors.
The only thing bigger than being crowned as the champions of your country and your continent is to be crowned champions of the world, and that is exactly what the Fire will set out to do this summer. Attacking midfielder Jefferson Savarino is the creative heart of the team, while young defender Jair Cunha is one of the most sought-after prospects in world football. Striker Igor Jesus also has plenty of plaudits and offers much more than just goals.
The Brazilian champions find themselves locked in a difficult group alongside both Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. However, if they can send one of them two packing early, don’t be surprised to see them pick up further scalps as the competition progresses.
Palmeiras
If experience in high-stakes tournaments is the currency of success, Palmeiras are among the richest clubs in the competition. They pushed Botafogo all the way last term, finishing six points behind them in Serie A and losing to them in the latter stages of the continental stage. Now, they will be hoping to progress further than them in the Club World Cup and secure some form of bragging rights.
The Big Green made it to the final of this competition before its revamp back in 2021, and they came close to winning it. They took their clash against European champions Chelsea to extra time but were downed by a 117th-minute Kai Havertz penalty. Now, they will be aiming to make another impression, and unlike their aforementioned compatriots, they don’t have to face a murderer’s row of opponents in the group stage.
The Brazilians are arguably the best team in Group A. The only European representatives are Portuguese outfit FC Porto, while Palmeiras will also fancy their chances of beating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. The same can be said for Egyptian outfit Al-Ahly. Topping the group will leave them in a good position to power toward a deep tournament run, perhaps even making a second final in four years.
Al Hilal
The Saudi Pro League has experienced an almighty boom in recent years. Cristiano Ronaldo’s money-spinning move to Al Nassr back in December 2022 triggered an influx of talent to the Arabian Gulf that no one could have anticipated. But despite the attention that the mercurial CR7 demands, it’s Al Hilal who are without question the best team in the country.
The reigning champions of Asia have a stellar cast in their starting lineup. Striker Aleksandr Mitrovic has piled in the goals since joining from Fulham, while his Serbian compatriot Sergej Milinkovic-Savic remains the powerhouse we all remember from his Lazio days. In defense, former Premier League stars Kalidou Koulibaly and Joao Cancelo ensure that Al Hilal can take the fight to anyone on their day.
They too have a favorable group. They have been drawn alongside arguably the weakest European team in Salzburg, while Mexican side Pachuca are also very beatable. They will fancy their chances at turning a few heads in the United States this summer.
