Thousands of fans submit their guesses via FIFA Play Zone before tournament start, but none correctly predict full round of 16 line-up
Real Madrid C. F., Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München among the clubs most favoured by fans to lift the trophy pre-tournament
FIFA’s second chance knockout bracket is now open, with round of 16 matches set to make history in Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia
With the final whistle of the thrilling 48-match group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ having sounded on Thursday evening, FIFA is inviting fans in the United States and around the world to join the excitement by challenging family and friends to fill out their predictions for a second chance bracket at the FIFA Play Zone.
The second chance knockout bracket is pre-populated with the 16 elite clubs that emerged from group play at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™, giving fans the chance to predict the winner of each tie until they have nominated their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 winners.
The second chance knockout bracket is now open and will remain so until 12:00 (EST) on Saturday, when the first match of the tournament’s round of 16 kicks off with an all-Brazilian blockbuster between Palmeiras and Botafogo at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Thousands of fans entered a bracket for the full tournament prior to the opening match in Miami on Saturday, 14 June, but with ample upsets and surprises over the past fortnight, there is no one in the United States or globally that perfectly predicted the outcome of the group stage.
The early exits of European sides Atlético de Madrid and FC Porto dashed the hopes of many fans, with 46% having predicted that the Madrid side would top Group B, while 42% thought that Porto would finish at the head of the Group A standings.
Fans largely got it right – or came close – in Group G, with both Manchester City (48%) and Juventus (46%) tipped to top their section – an outcome that was only decided at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Thursday afternoon. Supporters were also largely accurate in Groups E, F and H, correctly tipping FC Internazionale Milano, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid to finish first in their respective groups.
And while the 3.4% and 8.2% of fans that tipped Botafogo and CF Monterrey to top Groups B and E respectively didn’t quite get it right, they were among those that showed strong predictive instincts, with the inspiring Brazilian and Mexican sides performing strongly to advance from challenging groups.
With the original field of 32 clubs now reduced to 16, fans will have a clearer shot at predicting which clubs will ultimately compete to lift FIFA’s bold new Club World Cup trophy at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on Sunday, 13 July 2025. However, it will be intriguing to see whether fans stay loyal to their pre-tournament favourites, including iconic clubs such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern München, or shift their predictions to back other clubs that have captivated crowds.
Real Madrid
Selected by 24% of all fans to reach the final
Selected by 36% of all US fans to win the
