FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A Preview, Squads & Fixtures

There will be plenty to look forward to in Group A in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, with the top-ranked CONMEBOL team, Palmerias, facing two-time Champions League winners FC Porto, Africa’s best Al-Ahly and Inter Miami, who have a magician in store. The latter two will kick off the tournament in its brand new 32-team format on 15 July 2025 in Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens at Miami, with MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta being the other venues to host Group A games. Among the groups in the competition, this one looks to be harder to predict, with all sides possessing a similar type of qualities while carrying a rich legacy and prestige to the competition.

Group A Teams - FIFA Club World Cup 2025

Group A presents a tactically diverse mix featuring Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al-Ahly, and Inter Miami. Palmeiras arrive with a well-structured, high-pressing unit built around young attacking talent like Estêvão. Porto, though inconsistent recently, possess midfield depth and European experience. Al-Ahly bring tournament pedigree and a disciplined defensive setup, while Inter Miami rely heavily on individual brilliance from Messi and a veteran core.

Palmerias

Brazilian heavyweights Palmeiras qualified for the Club World Cup 2025 after winning the 2021 Libertadores, a title they defended and secured the third continental prize in their history. The Verdão has been a dominant force domestically as well, with back-to-back Brasileiro Série A  titles in 2022 and 2023 in the last four years and remains in contention for the prize in the present season. They have won an incredible 10 trophies in that period and ended as runners-up in the 2021 Club World Cup. Palmeiras enter the expanded Club World Cup carrying a hot streak of form, with 23 wins managed this year from 35 games, thanks to their sprawling attack, containing the Chelsea-bound hot talent Estêvão, who has contributed to a staggering  40 goals in two years. Managed by Abel Ferreria, who has overseen 209 wins for the club since joining in October 2020, Palmeiras looks likely to top Group A standings, but it depends on how they open their tournament journey against a struggling yet European side, FC Porto and whether they could silence the rousing support of Al Ahly and Inter Miami in the next two games.                                    

Palmeiras Club World Cup 2025 Squad

Goalkeepers: Mateus, Marcelo Lomba, Weverton

Defenders: Marcos Rocha, Bruno Fuchs, Agustín Giay, Vanderlan, Mayke, Micael, Gustavo Gómez, Joaquín Piquerez, Murilo, Kaiky Naves, Luiz Benedetti

Midfielders: Aníbal Moreno, Felipe Anderson, Richard Ríos, Maurício, Raphael Veiga, Lucas Evangelista, Emiliano Martínez, Allan

Forwards: Vitor Roque, Paulinho, Facundo Torres, Luighi, Thalys, Estêvão, José Manuel López

Manager: Abel Ferreira

FC Porto

Being the fifth best-ranked side in UEFA rankings in the last four years, FC Porto is set to make their Club World Cup debut, being one of the two most decorated clubs in Portugal with 86 trophies. However, since winning the 2021/22 domestic league title, the side has seen a slump after finishing third in the previous two seasons behind their rivals Benfica and Sporting CP, exchanging the league titles in that period. The past season was particularly disappointing as they finished 11 points adrift of the top spot in the league and failed to get past the knockout playoffs in the Europa League, having finished 11th in the League Phase of the competition. Despite having a trusted midfield and a firing attack, the major problem for the side remains at the back, which they haven’t quite improved in the special transfer window ahead of the tournament. The Dragons are still a good enough side to progress to the knockout stages of the Club World Cup 2025, but winning their group could be a stretch for the team.                         

FC Porto Club World Cup 2025 Squad

Goalkeepers: Cláudio Ramos, Diogo Fernandes, Samuel Portugal, Diogo Costa

Defenders: Otávio, Iván Marcano, Zaidu Sanusi, João Mário, Nehuén Pérez, Martim Fernandes, Gabriel Brás, Francisco Moura, Zé Pedro

Midfielders: Stephen Eustáquio, Fábio Vieira, Vasco Sousa, Gabri Veiga, André Franco, Alan Varela, Tomás Pérez, André Oliveira, Domingos Andrade, Gil Martins, João Teixeira

Forwards: William Gomes, Samu Aghehowa, Pepê, Danny Namaso, Deniz Gül, Ángel Alarcón, Gonçalo Borges, Leonardo Vonić, Rodrigo Mora, Brayan Caicedo

Manager: Martín Anselmi

Al-Ahly

Al-Ahly of Egypt are the most successful club in African continental football history with a record 12 CAF Champions League titles, while the 2020-21 season success booked a spot for them in the expanded Club World Cup this summer. The team won two more continental prizes in the last four years, showing their pedigree again. They are also the team with the second most appearances in the global club competition, this being their 10th. Al-Ahly have a lot of tournament experience, reaching the semifinal stage in the old format on six occasions and in each of the last four editions. The squad is filled with international campaigners for their respective nations, including Egypt’s number one and club captain, Mohamed El Shenawy, who is a pillar between the sticks. Even though the side is capable of causing chaos, boosted by the support that will try its best to feel games are played in Cairo and not on U.S soil, progressing from the group stage looks difficult because of more quality-filled oppositions.                     

Al-Ahly Club World Cup 2025 Squad

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy, Mohamed Seha, Mostafa Shobeir, Mostafa Makhlouf

Defenders: Khaled Abdelfattah, Omar Kamal, Ahmed Ramadan, Yasser Ibrahim, Karim El Debes, Achraf Dari, Mostafa El Aash, Mohamed Hany, Yahya Attiyat Allah 

Midfielders: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Trézéguet, Hamdy Fathy, Marwan Attia, Hussein El Shahat, Achraf Bencharki, Mohamed Magdy, Emam Ashour, Aliou Dieng, Ahmed Reda, Zizo, Taher Mohamed, Ahmed Nabil Koka

Forwards: Wessam Abou Ali, Nejc Gradišar

Manager: José Riveiro

Inter Miami

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 was handed a footballing icon, Lionel Messi, to compete at the stage when MLS outfit Inter Miami was given the dedicated host slot for the competition. The Argentine genius guided the club to its first Supporters' Shield honour last year, given to the team with the best record in the regular season, giving them entry into the competition. As much hype there will be for Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will also be cheered, although it doesn’t necessarily mean Inter Miami will thrive from this star-studded squad. While the charisma and class of the 37-year-old with his 49 goals and 23 assists in 59 appearances is unquestionable, as is his other Barcelona teammates, Miami as a unit might not work smoothly, especially their defence. Javier Mascherano’s side has improved in the last two games after taking just one win and suffering five losses in eight games in a month, conceding 23 times. The shaky back-four that has not kept a clean sheet in the 10 games, with an average of 2.8 goals leaked, leading up to the summer tournament, does not appear to hold strong against some of the best sides of their confederations in this group, even though their games will be hosted at their stadium. So, it will be little surprise to see Messi take an early leave from the competition, not what FIFA wanted.                          

Inter Miami Club World Cup 2025 Squad

Goalkeepers: Drake Callender, Oscar Ustari, William Yarbrough, Rocco Ríos Novo

Defenders: Gonzalo Luján, Tomás Avilés, David Martínez, Ryan Sailor, Ian Fray, Jordi Alba, Tyler Hall, Noah Allen, Maximiliano Falcón, Marcelo Weigandt, Israel Boatwright

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia, Baltasar Rodríguez, Benjamin Cremaschi, David Ruiz, Yannick Bright, Federico Redondo, Santiago Morales

Forwards: Fafà Picault, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi, Tadeo Allende, Leo Afonso, Allen Obando

Manager: Javier Mascherano

Group A Fixtures and Venues – FIFA Club World Cup 2025

All Group A matches are single round-robin, with the top two sides progressing to the Round of 16.

Who will qualify from Group A in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?

Palmeiras look best equipped to top the group with their balanced squad and recent form. FC Porto may have defensive vulnerabilities, but their midfield strength and European experience should see them through.

Inter Miami, though star-studded, lack cohesion and defensive solidity, while Al-Ahly, despite their pedigree, may find the technical gap hard to bridge.

Predicted Qualifiers: Palmeiras, FC Porto

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