Five big storylines to follow at the 2025 Club World Cup

The 2025 Club World Cup kicks off on Saturday with 32 teams from across world soccer in the United States for this summer’s expanded tournament.

$1 billion in prize money is on the line with the winners set to take home more than $100m. This tournament has been in the pipeline for years with FIFA president Gianni Infantino determined to give it prestige.

Here are five storylines worth following at the 2025 Club World Cup.

Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid enter a new era together

A lot has changed for Real Madrid since they finished the 2024/25 season only a few weeks ago. They have replaced Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso, meaning the Club World Cup will provide the first evidence of how the former midfielder will remould Los Blancos in his own image.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen have also made the move to the Santiago Bernabeu. Both are expected to feature heavily at the Club World Cup such is Real Madrid’s lack of defensive options due to injury. Florentino Perez has accelerated his team’s summer plans in time for the tournament. Will it pay off?

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami targeting a meaningful run

Inter Miami might have qualified for the Club World Cup through dubious means, but Lionel Messi and co. now have the opportunity to make a meaningful run at the tournament. 2025 has been a challenging year for the Herons so far, falling short in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and enduring defensive issues. With Messi on the field, though, anything is possible. 

A win over Al Ahly on opening night would set up Inter Miami nicely in a favourable group that also includes Palmeiras and Porto. Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders make up the rest of the MLS contingent, but Miami boast the most match-winning quality and could make their mark this summer.

Al-Hilal’s efforts to legitimise Saudi football on the world stage

The 2025 Club World Cup could be a landmark tournament for Saudi football. After three years of spending big in the transfer market, this is an opportunity for a Saudi Pro League outfit – namely Al-Hilal – to pit themselves against some of the best teams in the world in a competitive setting. 

This explains why Al-Hilal have made such an effort to rush through signings before the start of the tournament. Simone Inzaghi has been hired from Inter Milan as the club’s new manager with star players like Bruno Fernandes and Victor Osimhen targeted. Even if Al-Hilal don’t land a new superstar, they have enough quality to hold their own.

Will PSG back up their Champions League success?

Paris Saint-Germain finally got their hands on the Champions League trophy by thumping Inter Milan 5-0 in the final two weeks ago. Luis Enrique’s team finished the season in frightening form and arrive in the US as one of the favourites to go the distance and add the Club World Cup to their Treble of trophies.

However, Lucho’s approach requires the highest level of intensity from his players to work. Will the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha be able to maintain the same standards after such a long and gruelling season? Will PSG have enough in them to back up their Champions League success in another tournament?

Life after Simone Inzaghi begins for Inter Milan

Inter Milan’s humiliation at the hands of PSG in the Champions League final happened only two weeks ago yet the Italians already look rather different. Inzaghi was lured to Saudi Arabia by Al-Hilal just days after defeat in Munich with Cristian Chivu hired as his replacement following a messy process that also saw Cesc Fabregas and Patrick Vieira approached. 

Over the last few years, Inter have earned a reputation for being one of the best counter-attacking teams in Europe. Will that identity remain now that Inzaghi has departed San Siro? Or will Chivu have some ideas of his own? Could Inter use a different strategy to make a run at the Club World Cup?