The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup begins in Miami next month, and 32 teams will compete for the new trophy in this revamped tournament. With so many teams and players coming to the United States this summer, there is an opportunity for many of them to take the next step and either show off their already existing stardom or fully blossom into international superstar.
Sure, there will be players that fans know in this tournament who are some of the world’s best, like Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer, or Jamal Musiala. There are USMNT players who will be with their clubs for the Club World Cup: Weston McKennie and Tim Weah for Juventus, and Gio Reyna for Borussia Dortmund. And then, there are players that could be poised to make the leap to international stardom, like Real Madrid’s Arda Güler and Endrick, or Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi.
Looking at all of the teams and each of the players available – knowing that 1 team has yet to qualify for the Club World Cup after León’s expulsion – we give our best guesses on which players will rise up to be the best in several areas of the tournament. Here are some of our player “props” to watch when the tournament begins on June 14th.
Golden Ball (best player): Harry Kane, Bayern Munich
Kane just won his very first trophy as Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga, and he will use that as motivation at the Club World Cup, scoring the goals the team needs to be successful in the tournament.
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Golden Boot (most goals): Erling Haaland, Manchester City
Haaland will be back for the Club World Cup, and that’s bad news for goalkeepers. He will outpace everyone and win the Golden Boot in the tournament, just edging Harry Kane.
Golden Glove (best goalkeeper): Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid
Courtois at his peak is the best goalkeeper in the world, and he will help Real Madrid make an inspired run despite their coaching situation being in flux.
Most assists: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami
Inter Miami could get out of the group if Lionel Messi is at his best and the team is able to score some goals. It won’t be easy, but Messi will be able to lead the tournament in assists even as the team doesn’t make a deep run in the tournament.
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Player that will come out from under radar: Estêvão, Palmeiras
The 18-year-old forward, who will move to Chelsea after the tournament is done, is going to become a household name. With 18 goals already for Palmeiras, he’s poised to emerge in this tournament to make fans at Stamford Bridge excited at the fact that they may have found another international superstar in the making.
Most ears threatened: Luis Suárez, Inter Miami
Yep…we had to do it.
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The captain who lifts the Club World Cup trophy: Manuel Neuer/Thomas Müller, Bayern Munich
Vincent Kompany, in his first year at Bayern, won the Bundesliga and they have a pretty comfortable draw in this tournament. Despite some key injuries (including to Neuer), it feels right that Neuer and Müller – who both could be leaving the club in the summer – lift one final trophy for Bayern.
The player most likely to drop the trophy (aka the Sergio Ramos Tribute Award): Sergio Ramos, Monterrey
Yep, Sergio Ramos is back! He’s the captain of Monterrey, and while we don’t think Monterrey will lift the trophy as champions, can you imagine Ramos – who has destroyed trophies before – dropping that golden trophy on the ground…or off a bus? Of course you can! A trophy isn’t prestigious if Ramos hasn’t dropped it or almost dropped it, so maybe the tournament needs another Sergio Ramos moment to gain some street cred.
The tournament is drawing closer, and fans of each team are surely starting to think about their summer plans. For general soccer fans, the ability to see some of the best clubs and players at the Club World Cup will present chances to keep their TVs running throughout the summer. We will see which players break out and lead their teams to success.
