FIFA has done all it can to ensure the biggest names are in the United States for its expanded 2025 Club World Cup.
The tournament’s gigantic prize pot is there to tempt Real Madrid and Manchester City to play their strongest stars, and the tournament opens with Inter Miami and Lionel Messi playing the first match.
But while the focus is on megastars like Vinicius Junior or Erling Haaland, the tournament could also be a good chance to see the stars of the future.
South American Wonderkids
Brazil is the most represented of all nations at the Club World Cup with 141 players, followed by 103 players from Argentina.
The four Brazilian sides in the tournament are packed with players who will be looking to make an impression.
Flamengo has five players in its side who were in the Brazilian national team this international break, and Chelsea fans will have their eyes firmly fixed on Palmeiras’ forward Estevao, who will move to London after the tournament.
Brazilian soccer agent Paulo Roca says that as well as Estevao, those watching Palmeiras should keep an eye on the quick and powerful 21-year-old midfielder Allan.
For Botofogo, Roca recommends the fast and sharp striker Nathan Fernandes and 20-year-old defender Jair, who looks set to join Nottingham Forest. He says Jair is not that fast but is great at reading the game.
And for Flamengo, he highlights attack-minded full-back Wesley as well as a young attacking midfielder Joshua, if he is given the chance to play. Flamengo have also brought in several veterans including Italian midfield conductor Jorginho ahead of the Club World Cup.
Argentina’s representatives have some rising stars of their own. It won’t be long before River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono heads to Europe. Real Madrid has completed a more than $50 million deal for the 17-year-old who made his Argentina debut this month. Mastantuono was River’s third youngest ever player when he made his debut for the club last year, and he will become its record sale when he joins Los Blancos in August.
Boca Juniors’ defensive midfielder Milton Delgado turns 20 on the eve of the tournament and is rated by CIES Football Observatory as among the best under-20 defensive midfielder in the world after breaking into the first team this year.
Europe’s Next Big Things
The top European clubs will likely play their stronger teams if they reach the knockout stages, but given that the Club World Cup comes at the end of the season, clubs may elect to play some youngsters in the group stage games.
The tournament will also be the first chance for fans to see some new signings. Real Madrid paid Liverpool to release Trent Alexander-Arnold from his contract so he could play in the tournament, and Chelsea’s new forward Liam Delap chose to play in the Club World Cup rather than the under-21 European Championship, so he could make his first appearance for his new club this month.
While the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid are predicted to cruise through the group stage, the same can’t be said for Porto or Benfica. The Athletic actually predicts Palmeiras to win Porto’s group due to the Portuguese side’s poor form this season, but keep an eye on Porto’s 21-year-old striker Samu Aghehowa who had a break-out season, coming second in Portugal’s scoring charts behind Viktor Gyokeres.
At the other end of the pitch, Benfica’s Antonio Silva has struggled a bit this season but the 21-year-old centerback is still seen as a huge prospect and has already represented his country more than a dozen times.
Red Bull Salzburg is the only European side that Opta gives a less than 50% chance of reaching the knockout stages. The Austrian side’s best hope is Israeli attacking midfielder Oscar Gloukh who creates the most of the team’s chances.
Other Potential Club World Cup Breakout Stars
Salzburg is expected to finish behind Real Madrid and Al-Hilal, who could be a surprise package at the Club World Cup. The Saudi side might not have Neymar anymore (or ever, really), but it is packed with quality such as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly. One name to look out for is striker Marcos Leonardo who faces a battle to recover from a muscle injury in time for the tournament. The Brazilian 22-year-old scored 25 times for Al-Hilal this season after joining from Benfica.
For the Major League Soccer teams at the tournament, Seattle Sounders’ Alaska-born Mexican international Obed Vargas, who already has 100 appearances for the club despite only being 19 years old, could potentially be Mexico’s next star player.
And for the other teams at the Club World Cup, there are a few older players who could impress such as Al Ain’s Soufiane Rahimi, who was the top scorer at last summer’s Olympic Games; Ulsan goalkeeper Cho Hyunwoo, who was the hero for South Korea against Germany at the 2018 World Cup; and a defender at Mexican side Monterrey called Sergio Ramos.