Supercomputer Predicts 2025 Club World Cup Winner After Shock Round of 16 Exits | OneFootball

Just when it looked like the pre-tournament projections of European domination at the FIFA Club World Cup were about to come to pass, Monday happened.

It was a triumphant day for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the mastermind behind this revamped summer tournament. The Swiss-Italian claimed a “NEW ERA OF CLUB FOOTBALL has definitely started” in an Instagram post, lauding Al Hilal’s stunning victory over Manchester City.

Earlier in the day, Fluminense upset UEFA Champions League finalists Inter to reach the last eight.

A diverse pool of quarterfinal participants is undoubtedly great for the competition, but five UEFA members are still involved and remain the favourites to go all the way.

Here’s how Opta’s supercomputer rates each team’s chances of winning the Club World Cup after the round of 16.

Opta’s Supercomputer Club World Cup Predictions After Round of 16

Chelsea entered the tournament as Opta’s sixth most likely team to lift the trophy, but they’re now backed as favorities by the supercomputer.

Enzo Maresca’s side finished second in Group D and required extra time to beat Benfica in the round of 16. But they’re undoubtedly on the ‘easier’ side of the kncokout bracket and now won’t have to face off against Manchester City to reach the final.

They’re heavily favoured to beat Palmeiras in the quarterfinals, and would then take on Al Hilal or Fluminense in the semis. Despite their upset triumphs at the start of the knockouts, the Saudi champions (4.3%) and Brazilian side (4.3%) have slim chances of winning the competition. Opta is very much expectingto a European team triumph at MetLife on July 13.

Chelsea are currently slated to meet Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the most likely final, but PSG have a tough route to the showpiece event. After easing past Inter Miami, Luis Enrique’s team faces Bayern Munich in the last eight before potentially taking on either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the semis.

Opta gives PSG a 57.7% chance of beating Bayern and a 35.6% chance of winning a semifinal. Their odds of winning the competition are rated just lower than Chelsea’s (26.8%) at 24.9%.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid have grown in strength as the tournament’s gone on, and they eased past Juventus in the last 16. They’re the third most likely team to reach the semifinals (59.7%) behind Chelsea and Al Hilal, as they face Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of the 2024 Champions League final. Los Blancos are third favorites to lift the trophy overall (16.9%).