Top 20 Football Stars to Watch at the 2025 Club World Cup
The 2025 Club World Cup is just around the corner and the brand-new format means we will see some of the biggest stars in world football congregate in America to fight it out for hundreds of millions of Dollars. With Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain taking part, there is a litany of mercurial talent to keep an eye on. Let’s take a look at our top 20 football stars to watch at the 2025 Club World Cup.
Which clubs are taking part in the Club World Cup?
The following 32 teams are set to arrive in the United States of America in June to fight it out for both the Club World Cup trophy and the huge prize money that comes with it:
Botafogo
Inter Miami CF
Los Angeles FC
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Chelsea
FC Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain
Inter
Juventus
Borussia Dortmund
Atlético Madrid
FC Porto
SL Benfica
FC Salzburg
CA River Plate
CA Boca Juniors
Al Ahly FC
Wydad AC
Espérance Sportive de Tunis
Mamelodi Sundowns FC
Al Hilal
Urawa Red Diamonds
Al Ain FC
Ulsan HD
CF Monterrey
Seattle Sounders FC
CF Pachuca
Auckland City FC
SE Palmeiras
CR Flamengo
Fluminense FC
Best Players 2025 Club World Cup
Let’s take a look through twenty of the biggest names and best players fighting it out for the Club World Cup trophy this summer, starting with a man who just controversially swapped Liverpool for Real Madrid.
20) Trent Alexander-Arnold
Club: Real Madrid
Nationality: England
History: Los Blancos paid an extra £10m to sign Trent in time for the Club World Cup, so you would expect him to play a meaningful part. Fortunately for him, Liverpool are not involved after his boyhood fans booed him for the last few games of the season. Alexander-Arnold did lift the Club World Cup with the Reds back in 2019, adding to his insane trophy collection that includes two Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Super Cup, an FA Cup, and two League Cups.
19) Olivier Giroud
Club: LAFC
Nationality: France
History: He may not be one of the top 20 players at the tournament based on talent alone, but the 38-year-old is one of the most famous stars on the LAFC team, along with Hugo Lloris. Giroud only has four goals in 33 games in his LAFC career so far. He came close to winning the Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2021, but joined AC Milan before the Blues lifted the trophy that summer.
18) Michael Olise
Club: Bayern Munich
Nationality: France
History: To say the former Crystal Palace star has been on fire this season would be an understatement. Olise played 50 times for Bayern Munich in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring 17 goals and laying on another 21 assists for his teammates. He is fast becoming one of the best right wingers in the game and is definitely one to watch this summer.
17) Luis Suarez
Club: Inter Miami CF
Nationality: Uruguay
History: Luis Suarez is one of the biggest modern-day names in football and the 38-year-old is still plying his trade over in America. He may not be as fit or as sharp as he once was, but fans will still turn out in their thousands to watch him. He has scored eight times in 21 games so far in the 2025 MLS season. He also has a Club World Cup already in his trophy cabinet from Barcelona’s 2015 victory, along with four La Ligas, four Copa del Reys, and a Champions League title.
16) Thiago Silva
Club: Fluminense
Nationality: Brazil
History: A continuing theme of ageing football legends – Thiago Silva makes Giroud and Suarez look like young whippersnappers. The 40-year-old is now back in Brazil with Fluminense for the final years of his career, the same team he lifted the Copa do Brasil with all the way back in 2007. Silva won the Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2021 and has a trophy cabinet with over 29 pieces of competitive silverware.
15) Edinson Cavani
Club: Boca Juniors
Nationality: Uruguay
History: Another 38-year-old, Edinson Cavani is doing his best to shake an injury problem to return in time for the Club World Cup this summer. Despite winning Ligue 1 six times during his time at PSG, he never got his hands on the Champions League and thus never had a chance to win the Club World Cup… until now.
14) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Club: PSG
Nationality: Georgia
History: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has played like a man possessed since swapping Napoli for PSG this season. It is no mystery why the Parisians suddenly kicked up a gear once the Georgian winger joined their ranks. Since Napoli went on to win the Serie A title, Kvaratskhelia actually won a Scudetto, a Champions League, a Ligue 1 title, and a French Cup this season. That’s a unique quadruple!
13) Jamal Musiala
Club: Bayern Munich
Nationality: Germany
History: Jamal Musiala missed the last chunk of the season with a nasty injury but should be back in time for the Club World Cup. The Bayern maestro managed 18 goals and eight assists across all competitions this season on the march to the Bundesliga title. Despite being just 22 years old now, Musiala was part of the Bayern squad that lifted the Club World Cup back in 2020. He also has five Bundesliga titles, three DFL Supercups, and a UEFA Super Cup to his name.
12) Jude Bellingham
Club: Real Madrid
Nationality: England
History: It was another superb season for Jude Bellingham in Spain, even if the Champions League and La Liga campaigns both ended in defeat. The England star racked up 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions. Although he lifted the Champions League with Madrid in 2024, he did not get a chance to play in the Club World Cup as preparations were still ongoing for the new format launching in 2025.
11) Lautaro Martinez
Club: Inter
Nationality: Argentina
History: The season ended in heartbreak for Lautaro Martinez, with defeat on the final day of the Serie A title race, followed by a 5-0 battering at the hands of PSG in the Champions League final. However, he did manage a staggering 22 goals and seven assists for Inter this season across 49 games in all competitions. The World Cup winner has now finished as the runner-up in three European finals in the last five years, but at least he has two Serie A trophies in his cabinet.
10) Julian Alvarez
Club: Atlético Madrid
Nationality: Argentina
History: Julian Alvarez has been an immense success for Atlético Madrid since signing from Manchester City. The Argentine netted 29 goals this season alone, as well as laying on another seven assists for his teammates. Unfortunately, he is yet to win a trophy in Spain, but he has plenty from his Man City and River Plate days – including the 2023 Club World Cup.
9) Désiré Doué
Club: PSG
Nationality: France
History: Désiré Doué has been one of the standout young players of the 2024/25 season, if not the very best. The 20-year-old became the youngest player to start a Champions League final last week, only to score a brace and drag PSG to their first title. In his first season with the French giants, he already has a treble under his belt, while scoring 15 and assisting another 16. What better way to cap off the year than with a Club World Cup title?
8) Harry Kane
Club: Bayern Munich
Nationality: England
History: After so many years of waiting for his first senior trophy, Harry Kane will have a taste for silverware now. Bundesliga 2024/25 champion and Golden Boot winner, Kane netted 38 and assisted another 13 in all competitions for the Bavarians. The only thing he will be gutted to have missed out on is another Champions League final.
7) Cole Palmer
Club: Chelsea
Nationality: England
History: It may not have been the biggest tournament on the continent, but Cole Palmer ended the 2024/25 season as a European Champion, leading Chelsea to a confident victory over Real Betis in the Conference League final. The England star struggled in front of goal for the second half of the season but still walked away with 15 goals and 12 assists. He also has a European Championships final goal on his CV, so he knows all about doing it on the biggest stages.
6) Vinicius Junior
Club: Real Madrid
Nationality: Brazil
History: Another year, another 21 goals and 18 assists for Vinicius Junior. However, the Real Madrid winger will be far from happy, with Los Blancos missing out on three trophies in a rare barren season. However, Vinicius may have to chance to mastermind a big-money Club World Cup victory this summer. He has already lifted the trophy twice in his Real Madrid career to go along with his three La Ligas and two Champions Leagues.
5) Rodri
Club: Manchester City
Nationality: Spain
History: Rodri has been the forgotten man this season due to his long-term injury absence, but he is still the current Ballon d’Or holder. Having made his return at the end of the Premier League campaign, the Man City star will be targeting the Club World Cup as his chance to get back to winning ways. He won the trophy with Man City in 2023, meaning he is also one of the current holders of the Club World Cup.
4) Vitinha
Club: PSG
Nationality: Portugal
History: The technically gifted Portuguese was a revelation in the Champions League this season, and added to that trophy with a Nations League final win for Portugal against Spain shortly after. The PSG midfielder is an elegant player and could be the player to open up the opposition defences this summer with his vision and passing.
3) Lionel Messi
Club: Inter Miami CF
Nationality: Argentina
History: The man, the myth, the legend. Lionel Messi may have left Barcelona, but he is still qualifying for the biggest competitions in the colours of Inter Miami. The 37-year-old already has 10 goals and five assists in just 13 MLS games this season heading into the Club World Cup – a tournament he has won three times before with Barca. What more can we say? Ten La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, three Super Cups, seven Copa del Reys, two Ligue 1 titles and the 2022 World Cup… Lionel Messi is one of the greatest of all time!
2) Ousmane Dembélé
Club: PSG
Nationality: France
History: The favourite to lift the Ballon d’Or this year, Ousmane Dembele would certainly do his chances no harm by lifting the Club World Cup in July. After finally putting his injury problems behind him this year, the French attacker has recorded 33 goals and 15 assists for PSG on the way to a historic treble. Dembele joined Barcelona a couple of years after they won their last Club World Cup, so this is his first chance at lifting the trophy.
1) Kylian Mbappé
Club: Real Madrid
Nationality: France
History: One of the most famous and talented players in world football at the moment, Kylian Mbappé comes into the 2025 Club World Cup hungrier than ever. Not only did he miss out on three trophies with Real Madrid this season, but he also had to watch PSG – the club he left to compete for Champions League honours – lift the most prestigious European title without him. After a 43-goal season with Madrid, that will surely fire him up come mid-June.
Last updated: 10.06.25
