The 2025 Membership World Cup has reached its halfway level. With two weeks gone, half of the 32 groups are out; the opposite half are getting ready for the knockout phases, which start Saturday.
And after , order has (principally) been restored. Eleven of the highest 12 groups in our have reached the Spherical of 16. 13 of the 16 are from Europe or Brazil. The favorites to win the Membership World Cup on June 14, when it kicked off, are largely nonetheless the favorites now.
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However there was some shuffling. Some European groups look disinterested or exhausted. Some challengers from different continents have risen.
Beneath is our re-ranking of the 16 groups remaining after the group stage. ( are in parentheses.)
After a rocky season and a $400 million refresh, Manchester Metropolis all of a sudden look likes itself once more. (Getty Photos)
(image alliance by way of Getty Photos)1. Manchester Metropolis (4)
Positive, Man Metropolis’s group-stage opponents weren’t precisely world-beaters. And certain, the might quickly reappear. However, having spent over $400 million on new signings this calendar 12 months, the membership that dominated England for the higher a part of a decade is rolling as soon as once more. As if to flaunt his wealth, towards Wydad and Al Ain. A combination of the 2 then , and appeared like a reborn juggernaut.
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The Cityzens, bear in mind, have been the betting favorites when this competitors first took form a 12 months in the past. After 10 rocky months, they’re again.
2. PSG (1)
After 90 minutes out west, the appeared like they’d roll to their fourth title of 2025. After 270, they give the impression of being … a bit caught? Maybe . Or, maybe, there was an emotional ebb after that flying 4-0 win over Atlético Madrid on opening weekend. Both approach, an mixture scoreline of 2-1 towards Botafogo and the Seattle Sounders is a bit ominous. It’s robust to inform whether or not the Parisians will have the ability to rediscover their Champions League type within the knockout rounds.
3. Actual Madrid (2)
Unsurprisingly, with a number of new faces and so little coaching time, the Xabi Alonso period . However even by their third recreation, Los Blancos appeared to have discovered a little bit of a rhythm. Jude Bellingham is locked in. Kylian Mbappé remains to be absent, having been hospitalized with an sickness early within the group stage, but when he can return to health and type, Actual Madrid can proceed to develop into this event — and win it.
4. Bayern Munich (3)
The Bavarians have been superior — sharp, composed, organized, incisive — towards Boca Juniors. They have been principally unfortunate towards Benfica. Even setting apart their , and regardless that their dominance of Benfica didn’t yield a aim, they have been probably the most spectacular groups all through the group stage. Michael Olise is class personified.
CR Flamengo is dreaming large, and Bruno Henrique helps lead the cost. (Getty Photos)
(Xinhua Information Company by way of Getty Photos)5. Flamengo (12)
Maybe we’re overreacting to at least one recreation — a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Matchday 2. However no one else has stepped as much as problem the highest 4, so … why not Flamengo? Brazil’s largest membership has been as marketed. It has the expertise and the drive to make a deep run. It has probably the most boisterous fan backing of any membership remaining.
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Sadly, regardless of successful its group, its knockout-round path seems to undergo all 4 of Bayern, PSG, Actual Madrid and Man Metropolis.
6. Chelsea (6)
The Blues recovered from their Flamengo wounds, took care of enterprise towards Espérance Tunis, and stumbled right into a blessing. Because of upsets in Teams B and D, moderately than face Bayern and PSG within the first two knockout rounds, they’ll get Benfica, then both Palmeiras or Botafogo. And so they definitely have sufficient attacking firepower to take advantage of their luck.
7. Palmeiras (11)
To be frank, Palmeiras haven’t performed flowing soccer. They didn’t precisely dash to the highest of Group A. However they’ve a smart supervisor in Abel Ferreira and glorious depth, as evidenced by their comeback towards Inter Miami. They’ve “two and even three choices per place, at a really excessive degree,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano mentioned. They’re a semifinal risk.
8. Inter Milan (5)
The Nerazzurri have appeared previous and never fairly absolutely invested within the Membership World Cup. Or possibly they’re simply dragging, bodily and mentally, after their 2024-25 season resulted in such a brutal mixture of humiliation and heartbreak. After all, they nonetheless plodded to the highest of Group E, and now they’ve a positive Spherical of 16 matchup. However we’d be stunned to see them within the semis.
9. Juventus (9)
There’s little disgrace in getting shredded by Man Metropolis — particularly if you’ve finished the shredding your self in your first two video games, albeit towards Al Ain and Wydad. However Juventus remains to be, clearly, a piece in progress beneath Igor Tudor. A 2025-26 Serie A title problem is a chance, however a Membership World Cup title? Nah, in all probability not.
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10. Benfica (10)
What a bizarre group stage. Benfica fell two objectives behind to a nasty Boca Juniors workforce, then (by way of a doubtful penalty and set piece). Subsequent got here a stagnant first half towards Auckland Metropolis, adopted by a climate delay, adopted by … a five-goal second-half outburst. And eventually, a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich?
Positive.
We have now no clue what to make of this workforce coming into a Spherical of 16 matchup with Chelsea.
11. Al Hilal (14)
Saudi Arabia’s lone consultant was , then sufficiently spectacular towards Salzburg and Pachuca. Its squad is top-heavy, and a few stars aren’t absolutely match, so there’s an opportunity the wear and tear and tear (and warmth) of this event take their toll within the Spherical of 16. There’s additionally an opportunity Manchester Metropolis is simply too dang highly effective. However Al Hilal received’t be a pushover.
12. Borussia Dortmund (7)
They’ve and warmth. They . They bought outshot — by a 2:1 ratio, twice! — and out-xG’d by Fluminense and Mamelodi Sundowns.
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One way or the other, they nonetheless bumbled their method to the highest of Group F. However they by no means as soon as performed like title contenders.
13. Botafogo (18)
Though they grew to become the primary darlings of the event with a 1-0 upset of PSG, the reigning champs of Brazil and South America have struggled in 2025. And in some sense, the Membership World Cup has been no exception. Their cumulative Anticipated Aim differential (xGD) — 1.9 xG for, 6.5 xGA — was the worst of any workforce that superior.
On a optimistic word, nevertheless, they owned their Spherical of 16 opponent, Palmeiras, in 2024. Botafogo ousted O Verdão from the Copa Libertadores, and received each conferences within the Brasileirão. (Their first league assembly of 2025, on opening weekend, ended 0-0.)
Sergio Ramos and Monterrey have been all management and composure within the Membership World Cup group stage. (Picture by Stu Forster/Getty Photos)
(Stu Forster by way of Getty Photos)14. Monterrey (16)
Effectively, after a , Rayados have been … fairly businesslike in Group E. They neutralized Inter and River, then stormed previous Urawa Reds, to a winnable Spherical of 16 matchup with Dortmund. (And don’t you dare underestimate Sergio Ramos in a knockout event!)
15. Inter Miami (21)
of the calendar 12 months in a win over Porto and a draw with Palmeiras. It “managed” each video games, as Lionel Messi and others mentioned, much better than it normally does. . Messi and Luis Suarez did their factor. “We confirmed that we will hold,” defender Noah Allen mentioned, “when folks did not imagine in us.”
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However ? Uh, that’s one other story.
16. Fluminense (22)
Fluminense stunned some people when it outplayed Dortmund. Subsequent video games have urged that was much less about Flu, extra about Dortmund. The Brazilian aspect might be able to slowing down Inter Milan within the Spherical of 16, however something past an unsightly win and an uneventful quarterfinal exit can be beautiful.