Club World Cup Preview: Borussia Dortmund

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·10 June 2025

Club World Cup Preview: Borussia Dortmund

The twenty-first in our continuing series highlighting all thirty-two clubs in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The event starts on Saturday, June 14th.

Club Background

From: Dortmund, Germany
How They Qualified: As 2024 Champions League finalists, it pushed them high up the UEFA ranking pathway.
Best CWC Finish: First time appearance.

Recent Form: Finished 4th in the Bundesliga. Beat Barcelona 3-1 in the reverse fixture of the CL quarterfinals but lost 5-3 on aggregate. Eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in the 2nd round.
Facts: Founded in 1909. Known as Die Schwarzgelben (The Black and Yellow) Their home and away kits feature both colors prominently. They are known for nurturing and developing youth talent, which brings the club substantial revenues from player transfers. They are the second most decorated German club in the Bundesliga (behind Bayern Munich).

The Team

Manager: Niko Kovač Kovač is their third coach in 2025. We’re not even halfway through the year!
Star Players: Serhou Guirassy Guinean striker. Has 33g/6a in 44 games; 13g/4a of those in CL. Pascal Groß Stalwart midfielder, formerly played for Brighton. Julian Brandt Attacking midfielder & creative force with 6g/14a Emre Can German midfield legend; team captain
Young Players: Jamie Gittens English winger, 21 years old. Karim Adeyemi 23 year-old German midfielder with 12g/7a.
Training Sites: Inter Miami CF Training Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

When to Watch

12:00pm ET on Jun 17, 2025 vs. Fluminense @ MetLife Stadium, New York, NY
12:00pm ET on Jun 21, 2025 vs. Mamelodi Sundowns @ TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
3:00pm ET on Jun 25, 2025 vs. Ulsan HD @ TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

The Hooligan Take

Borussia has a weird schedule. All three of their fixtures are day games kicking off at noon or 3pm ET. Is this an attempt to ensure broadcast revenue from primetime eyeballs in Germany? Or coincidence? They’re also training in southern Florida, even though all their games are in New York or Cincinnati. The combination of long travel and playing in mid-day heat could play a big part in determining the outcome. Regardless, the team should advance out of what is one of the easier groups in the competition.