FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A Preview: Can Messi Spark Inter Miami?

• League: Primeira Liga (Portugal)
• Head Coach: Martin Anselmi
• Key Players: Samu Aghehowa, Diogo Costa, Rodrigo Mora, Fabio Vieira

Any season without the Portuguese title is a disappointment for Porto. The team finished third in the table with a record of 22-5-7 and 71 points.

Porto trailed Sporting FC by 11 points at the end of the 2025 season. The most well-known club in Portugal still had several bright moments, though. They finished strong with four wins in their last five matches, finding some form in the Club World Cup build-up.

Still, the overall numbers lined up with their third-place finish, as Porto was third with 1.9 goals for and 0.9 goals against in the Primeira Liga, a modest return for the club’s standards.

There’s a lot of quality on this roster despite not achieving their ultimate goal of lifting the trophy in Portugal again. We should see this on full display against the more manageable opposition in Group A.

JUST MORA.

📺 Subscreve a @sporttvportugal#BFCFCP pic.twitter.com/KkmczgeXRS

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) May 12, 2025

Two talented playmakers spearhead the offense. Forward Samu Aghehowa and emerging superstar midfielder Rodrigo Mora offer Porto a couple of dangerous scorers. The 19-year-old Mora is having such a fantastic year that he is turning heads at Barcelona.

Mora’s form in the league gives Porto plenty of confidence going to the US. Over the last nine matches, Mora notched nine goals as he remains on fire with the Club World Cup on the horizon. He is the most dynamic player in Group A and a game-changer for Porto.

The team can also rely on a solid goalkeeper like Diogo Costa, midfield anchor Alan Varela, Arsenal loanee Fabio Viera, and many other talented players.

Porto is by far the best team in this group, and I expect them to dictate the tempo in every single game. While the favorites might not win all matches, finishing first in Group A is the most likely outcome.

• League: Brasileirão Série A (Brazil)
• Head Coach: Abel Ferreira
• Key Players: Estevao, Vitor Roque, Richard Rios

There will be no shortage of fan support for Palmeiras in the Club World Cup, but will that translate into a successfu campaign? They are currently in the midst of a solid campaign in the Campeonato Brasileirão Série A.

Through 11 matches, Palmeiras is fourth in the top Brazilian league. They’ve notched a record of 7-1-3, but their form has slipped recently with back-to-back losses in league play against Cruzeiro and Flamengo. Those are two of the best clubs in Brazil, with Flamengo leading the table at 7-3-1.

Last year, Flamengo was the only club in Brazil that finished ahead of Palmeiras by six points. That ended two years of Palmeiras championships, as their bid for a 13th was denied. Losing star center-back Vitor Reis to Manchester City was a major blow to the franchise.

Still, Estevao will be there, giving the team hope of a strong run in the tournament. The talented youngster is set to transfer to Chelsea this summer, but the deal will go through after the Club World Cup.

Estevao is a do-it-all winger capable of scoring, playmaking, and defensive skills. I’m looking forward to watching Estevao vs. Mora in Group A, which should prove to be a thrilling battle!

Joao Paulo Sampaio, the head of Palmeiras' academy: "Estevao is the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar. You watch him and you fall in love.

He already impresses with his technique but, like Neymar at this same point in his career, he has not yet… pic.twitter.com/pX3YmX7Yg9

— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) June 23, 2024

Palmeiras lean heavily on their defense, as they’re fourth with eight goals conceded at 0.72 per match. Where are they going to get the offensive firepower from, though? Note that Palmeiras is just 10th in the Brasileirão Série A, with 1.09 goals per match.

The Brazilians should be fine against Al Ahly and maybe Inter Miami, but Porto should be able to suffocate them. That’s why I don’t expect them to finish first in the group.

• League: MLS (USA)
• Head Coach: Javier Mascherano
• Key Players: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Tadao Allende, Sergio Busquets

When the teams were revealed for the tournament, there was a collective question about why Inter Miami was included. The official reasoning is that Inter Miami won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and finished with the best overall record in the MLS.

However, public opinion is that FIFA wanted to find a way to include Messi in the tournament. That is to be expected for a player of his magnitude and fan reach. TV ratings and attendance will undoubtedly be higher for matches that he is participating in.

Nevertheless, I’m not overly optimistic about Inter Miami’s chances as far as winning this tournament is concerned. Even winning Group A or qualifying for the knockouts is questionable. Inter Miami has the sixth most points in the MLS and is ranked third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 8-5-3.

The three-headed attack of Messi, Tadeo Allende, and Luis Suárez offers Inter Miami exciting options in the offensive third. Messi leads The Herons with 10 goals and is tied for second in assists with seven. Suárez is atop with eight assists as the former Barça star continues to enjoy a comfortable life in the MLS.

That magical left foot! 💫

Messi strikes for the @InterMiamiCF goal. pic.twitter.com/By7YmwBd6P

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 29, 2025

However, all of this flash comes at an expense because Inter Miami hasn’t kept the same energy on the defensive side. They’ve allowed 27 goals, for an average of 1.68 per game. That’s in the bottom quarter of the MLS and isn’t going to win them a championship. Sergio Busquets gives them a presence defensively, but depth is a concern.

The Messi factor is affording Inter Miami shorter odds to win Group A than I think they deserve. The team’s most potent players are deep in their 30s, so they should struggle against both Porto and Palmeiras.

• League: Egyptian Premier League
• Head Coach: Jose Riveiro
• Key Players: Ashour Eman, Wessam Abou Ali, Hussein El Shahat

Al Ahly Cairo has the longest 2025 Group A Club World Cup odds at +900. Although I don’t anticipate them winning the group, they should be more competitive than that price suggests.

Fresh off an Egyptian Premier League title, Al Ahly Cairo enters the tournament with some momentum on their side. They’re in top form with six consecutive wins and haven’t lost since a 2-1 loss to Pharco on April 17.

If Ashour Eman can get hot and gather confidence early, Al Ahly Cairo might be good for an upset. The rest of Group A can’t sleep on Al Ahly Cairo or they’re going to catch them by surprise.

Al Ahly Cairo went an impressive 11-6-0 in the regular season and 6-1-1 in the playoffs. They are on the heels of a 6-0 blowout over Pharco as they put together preparations for the Club World Cup.

WHAT A SCREAMER ! 🤯🚀

Eman Ashour has scored a crucial goal in the title race and what a way to do it ! 😮‍💨

The Ahly midfielder has now become the joint top scorer in the league. 👟🏅 pic.twitter.com/XRvI0imTrG

— Onze Masr 🇪🇬🇬🇧 (@Onzemasr_EN) May 17, 2025

In 25 matches, they’ve registered a wildly impressive 58 goals and 15 against for a 43-goal differential in 2024-25. When Eman and Wessam Abou Ali are in top form, the rest of the club feeds off their energy. It’s a tough ask, but not out of the realm of possibility that Al Ahly Cairo sneaks in to qualify for the knockouts.

Still, the level of competition in the domestic league is far off the likes of Porto and Palmeiras. Qualifying for the next stage would be tough, while finishing at the top of the standings is borderline impossible.