FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Group Stage Delivers Drama and Magic

Shilpa Rajan July 2, 2025

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has offered a lot of exciting matches in the group stage of the event. European teams and South American teams have shown their dominance, while some of the smaller teams are getting a good learning experience. The world has witnessed some of the biggest global stars going against each other. The likes of Lionel Messi have lit up the stage with their magic and have taken their side into the knockout stage.

Inter Miami and Palmeiras were the first teams to book a knockout spot. Soon, PSG joined them along with another Brazilian club, Botafogo. Benfica, Bayern Munich, Flamengo, and Chelsea were the latest entrants in the knockout stage.

Former Barcelona boys combine for PSG

Lionel Messi showed his magic in the second round against Porto. The Argentine sensation scored a free-kick to win the game for Miami. His team needed a win or a draw against Palmeiras to book a spot in the last 16. This time, another former Barcelona player stepped up.

Luis Suarez created the first goal and then scored the second to earn a 2-2 draw against their Brazilian opponent. One point was enough to send the MLS club into the knockout stage. Inter Miami will now face PSG in the next round. Messi will be up against his former employees.

Benfica beat Bayern in the last group game

Two European giants went head-to-head to decide the group leader. Bayern were the favourites, but Benfica had some other ideas. 21-year-old Norwegian, Andreas Schjelderup, scored the only goal of the game. His goal frustrated Bayern, who had 71% of the ball possession throughout the match. Kompany’s men were unable to put the ball past Anatoliy Trubin in Benfica’s goal. The Portuguese giants ended the group stage as the table. Benfica will go up against Chelsea in the next round. Bayern Munich has a tough challenge in the form of Flamengo.

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has offered a lot of exciting matches in the group stage of the event. European teams and South American teams have shown their dominance, while some of the smaller teams are getting a good learning experience. The world has witnessed some of the biggest global stars going against each other. The likes of Lionel Messi have lit up the stage with their magic and have taken their side into the knockout stage.

Delap scores the first goal for Chelsea

Chelsea also booked a place in the last 16 with a 3-0 win over Esperance ST. The Blues scored all their goals in injury and stoppage time. Two goals came in the first half and one in the second half. Liam Delap opened his Chelsea account with a late strike in the first half. Chelsea finished second in the group behind Flamengo.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Which teams have qualified for the knockout stage?

Group A: Palmeiras (Brazil), Inter Miami (USA)

Group B: PSG (France), Botafogo (Brazil)

Group C: Benfica (Portugal), Bayern Munich (Germany)

Group D: Flamengo (Brazil), Chelsea (England)

Group E: TBD

Group F: TBD

Group G: Juventus (Italy), Manchester City (England)

Group H: TBD

Only the top four groups have completed all their matches. Juventus and Manchester City have already booked their spots by winning their opening two matches. In Group E, River Plate, Inter Milan, and Monterrey are the three clubs in contention for qualification. Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, and Mamelodi Sundowns are fighting for the top two spots in Group F. Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and RB Salzburg remain in contention in Group H.