Club World Cup: Five talking points ahead of Fifa’s billion-dollar tournament | OneFootball

The 2025 Club World Cup will begin on 14 June, as some of the world’s top teams compete in Fifa’s newest club competition.

Fifa is hoping that the new 32-team group stage and knockout format will help to give the tournament added prestige, with the addition of a $1bn prize fund adding a financial incentive.

Despite concerns over the added workload thrust upon players, the new tournament promises plenty of intrigue as it gets underway in Miami.

And ahead of the first match on Saturday, The Independent has taken a look at five of the main storylines ahead of the first edition.

Current Ballon d'Or holder Rodri was out between late September and late May after suffering an ACL injury early into the 2024/25 season (Getty Images)

Perhaps the biggest issue surrounding the tournament is that of the workload that players are expected to bear.

Several notable players had to battle injuries last season, with Rodri suffering a season-ending injury when he picked up an ACL issue in September 2024.

And as some players pass 60 games played since August 2024, any long-term injuries suffered both at the tournament and in the weeks after will come under increased scrutiny amid concerns that players are simply playing too many games with too little rest.

With a recent study recommending a mandatory four-week rest period for players, the long-term future of the tournament could be in doubt before the first edition has even kicked off – though the prize money on offer could prove enough to make this tournament a regular fixture in the footballing calendar.

Plenty of eyes will be on Trent Alexander-Arnold as he makes his Real Madrid debut in the USA (Getty Images)

Though injuries will worry clubs, managers and fans, they will also get a look at new signings in one of the most intriguing sub-plots of the tournament.

The special mini-transfer window that closed on 10 June saw plenty of movement from clubs participating in the tournament, with Real Madrid notably paying Liverpool €10m to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold before the expiry of his contract. The England international is one of two major defensive signings for Los Blancos, along with Dean Huijsen, and there will be plenty of eyes on the duo as they attempt to adapt to life at the world’s biggest club.

Manchester City were perhaps the most active club in that mini-window, with French prospect Rayan Cherki joining as a potential Kevin De Bruyne replacement, while his namesake Ait-Nouri has signed from Wolves in defence. In midfield, it is hoped that Tijjani Reijnders can complement Rodri as Pep Guardiola looks to return to the summit of European football.

And there has been movement at Chelsea too, though there will be an almost exclusive focus on Liam Delap as he makes his debut for the Blues. Enzo Maresca will be hoping that the England U21 international is the remedy to their striker woes, though he will face competition from Nicolas Jackson.

Luis Enrique's PSG side will be the team to beat in the USA, with Ousmane Dembele hoping to add to his Ballon d'or credentials in the States (Getty Images)

While new signings will get plenty of attention, it is a club with no new additions that will be among the most-watched in the States.

New European champions Paris-Saint-Germain will be one of the stories of the tournament if they can continue their recent form, with the French treble-winners among the favourites to lift the trophy in July.

The 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final was a turning point in the club’s history, but now Luis Enrique must make sure that the club compete for the biggest honours year after year, and the Spaniard clearly sees this tournament as one of them.

They will certainly be difficult to beat if they can replicate some of the scintillating performances from the 2024/25 season, with plenty of eyes on key men including Vitinha, Desire Doue and Ballon d’Or favourite Ousmane Dembele.

And if the Frenchman can lead his side to another honour in the USA, he may well be able to wrap up the most prestigious award in football in the process.

Xabi Alonso will take charge of Real Madrid for the first time since being appointed manager in late May (Getty Images)

Surprisingly, while PSG have impressed the most in the lead-up to the competition, they are not the favourites to win it. That tag goes to Real Madrid, with the club supposedly desperate to win a competition that has been championed by club president Florentino Perez.

And football’s biggest soap opera will enter its next chapter in the USA as Xabi Alonso takes charge of the club for the first time, with the Spaniard bringing plenty of hope to the Bernabeu after an impressive stint as Bayer Leverkusen manager.

There are several questions for the 43-year-old to answer right away, from how his new signings settle in and the plausibility of his favoured formation to how to get the best out of Kylian Mbappe and Vini Jr.

But there is excitement bubbling away too, with the knowledge that if he can get it all to click, then Madrid could have a team capable of dominating European football in a similar way to the side of 2016-2019.

And Alonso is expected to land on his feet in the Los Blancos dugout, with Madrid the favourites to lift the trophy despite PSG’s recent Champions League win.

Copa Libertadores holders Botafogo will be among the South American clubs expected to reach the latter stages of the tournament (Getty Images)

Despite recent negative headlines on these shores, South American teams have generally looked at the Club World Cup as an event that is both worthwhile and prestigious, and there is plenty of expectation on them as the tournament takes place midway through their club seasons.

Copa Libertadores holders Botafogo are joined by recent winners Fluminense, Palmeiras and Flamengo, while Boca Juniors and River Plate will hope to go far too, not least because of the prize money on offer.

However, Boca and Botafogo have particularly tough tasks, with the former pitted against Bayern and Benfica and the latter in Group B alongside PSG and Atletico Madrid.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see how South American giants fare against European royalty, though there could be plenty of surprises in a competition that has historically been viewed in markedly different ways on each continent.