Underdogs rising: Should you bet on these 5 teams at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to be a larger event than ever. From what used to be an annual competition with just 7 teams, it is now a grand tournament for 32 clubs every four years, opening the opportunities for underdogs to take the global stage.
CREATE YOUR SPORTSBET.IO ACCOUNT NOW
Set your sights on five underdog teams playing at the FIFA Club World Cup to share the limelight with European favourites like Chelsea and Inter Milan. In 2025, they might undertake an insurmountable challenge to prove their mettle to all football fans.
Look forward to some giant killing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup!
JOIN THE 10 MILLION CLUB WORLD CUP: JACKPOT PROMO
Auckland City FC (New Zealand): Consistent qualifiers, but still underestimated
New Zealand club Auckland City secured their place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by accumulating the most points in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) standings. It spanned from the 2021 to 2023 OFC Champions League cycles, and their consistent dominance made them the giants in Oceania.
The odds are stacked against Auckland City having to start in Group C with Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors, and Benfica. Judging by stats and accolades alone, the Oceania representative will be lucky to get a draw, let alone a win against these three powerhouses. It’s not all doom and gloom because Auckland City is a 10-time Dettol Northern League winner.
Auckland City is the top team in New Zealand and has consistently qualified for the biggest events in Oceania. They have seven straight OFC Champions League victories between 2011 and 2017. The odds may be against them, but Auckland City has pulled off surprises before—and could do so again in 2025.
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco): Repping Africa with flair and grit
Winning the 2021/22 CAF Champions League secured Wydad Casablanca a spot at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. It is one of four allocated spots in the tournament shared by all domestic leagues in Africa. Wydad also won multiple continental competitions over the years, further solidifying their qualification.
Wydad Casablanca is one of the giants in Africa, but is outclassed by their rivals in Group G—Manchester City, Juventus, and Al Ain. The Moroccan club’s most likely victory is against Al Ain, but it’s still a long shot. Manchester City and Juventus, meanwhile, are consistent top contenders in European football leagues, so Wydad is unlikely to secure a draw at all.
Nevertheless, it’s not hopeless for the African representative. Bookmaker odds for their club are low, but they have feats to prove that they can slay giants.
Al Ahly SC (Egypt): Africa’s giants, but global outsiders
Al Ahly won one of the four allocated spots for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as the 2022/23 CAF Champions League winners. They also maintained their status as one of Africa’s most successful clubs by winning continental competitions.
There is no doubt that Al Ahly is one of the best clubs in Africa, having won 44 of 65 editions of the Egyptian Premier League. That’s one of the highest among all clubs in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. However, they are still the underdogs in Group A, where they are facing Palmeiras, Porto, and Inter Miami.
Unlike Auckland City or Wydad, Al Ahly is in a much better position. They are the underdogs of their group, but the difference in odds is small. It’s easy to imagine Al Ahly winning at least two games against Inter Miami or Porto. You can also count on them making it to the knockout stage, albeit with considerable challenge.
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan): Tactical discipline with a wild card edge
The Urawa Red Diamonds are one of four representatives of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. They earned their spot after winning the 2022 AFC Champions League. It was a hard-fought victory against Al Hilal across two legs.
Compared to the other clubs on this list, Urawa Red Diamonds is not the underdog of the group. They have a big chance to reach the knockout stage over fellow Group E contenders— Monterrey, River Plate, and Internazionale Milano.
What makes Urawa Red Diamonds an exciting club to follow this season is that they are well-equipped to slay giants. It’s difficult to imagine them winning against Inter Milan, but there’s a big chance for a draw at least. Consider that a long-shot prediction opportunity to win big payouts in any of the best crypto for sports betting.
JOIN THE 10 MILLION CLUB WORLD CUP: GIVEAWAY
Club Pachuca (Mexico): Gritty, technical, and highly underrated
Pachuca is one of two teams representing Mexico and one of four teams from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). They qualified by winning the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, making it to Group H.
The Mexican giants are the underdog in Group H, where they will face Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and Salzburg. Pachuca is still a force to be reckoned with as they also qualified for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024, where they beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup trophy.
Real Madrid is a considerable challenge to overcome this season, so expect Pachuca to aim only for a draw in their fixture. However, they might win against Al Hilal and Salzburg.
Format overview of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is overhauled from the small, annual event that ran from 2000 to 2023. It will now take place every four years, similar to the FIFA World Cup, and will feature 32 teams instead of the usual 7.
This expanded format isn’t a new concept. FIFA President Gianni Infantino first proposed the idea in 2019. Here’s the new format and what to look forward to in the upcoming tournament this June:
- Group stage: All 32 teams are split into 8 groups of 4.
- Each team plays three group stage matches in a round-robin format.
- The top two teams of each group progress to the Round of 16, but the rest are eliminated.
- The tournament follows a single-match knockout format from the Round of 16 to the Final.
- Extra time and penalties if knockout matches are tied.
- No third-place play-off.
- The winner in the finals will be crowned the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup champion.
The magic of the unexpected – Why follow underdogs?
Do you love stories of heroes giving everything they’ve got to win against all odds? If so, you should root for underdogs when they go up against tournament favourites. It’s not a battle of good versus evil—both sides want to win just as badly. But it still captures the thrill of a classic David vs Goliath showdown.
Should you consider betting on underdog football teams? They offer exciting betting opportunities for punter. If you enjoy taking risks for the chance at big payouts, consider placing wagers against the favourites. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is a fiercely competitive tournament where every team has earned its spot. Each club comes prepared with a winning game plan, and you can bet that it just might work against the giants
Join the thrill of underdog betting at Sportsbet.io
Never miss a promising upset from one of the biggest international football events. Place your bets in-play, future, or outrights right here at Sportsbet.io.
Visit our promotions page and claim any exciting offer to improve your football betting experience. Use risk-free bets to back underdog selections and aim for big payouts. To further improve your winnings, use Price Boost, a Sportsbet.io exclusive offer on select fixtures.
You can also place an even more exciting bet by combining them into one ticket. This is possible with the Multi Bet feature that exponentially increases your potential payout. All of these make underdog betting more fun at the best crypto betting bookmaker—Sportsbet.io.
Bet on international club competitions here
DISCLAIMER
The information provided by the blog above on Sportsbet.io is for general information purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however, we make no representation, warranty, or guarantee of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, or completeness of any information or betting tips on the Site.
