Club World Cup Round of 16 Predictions – Who Progresses to the Quarterfinals?

• Palmeiras (+135)
• Botafogo (+235)
• Draw (+200)

These two Brazilian teams are very familiar with each other, having played five games since June 2024. Botafogo has won three and drawn two of those five games, and the two recently played a 0-0 draw at Palmeiras in March 2025.

Saturday in Philly:

🇧🇷 Palmeiras vs. Botafogo 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/vi5PEIudsJ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 24, 2025

Palmeiras has a counterattacking threat, and they stunned Inter Miami with two late goals to earn a draw, which gave them first place in Group A. Botafogo finished second in Group B, but defeated PSG 1-0 in an impressive performance. Igor Jesus has been fantastic for Botafogo, scoring the winner in both matches.

Due to the familiarity between the two, I’m taking Botafogo at +235 at soccer betting sites to win this match, and I think it’ll be a close one!

• Chelsea (+105)
• Benfica (+255)
• Draw (+250)

Benfica topped Group C, defeating Bayern Munich 1-0 on the final group-stage day to take the top spot. Ángel Di María is rolling back the years as the 37-year-old is one of three players to have three goals so far.

Chelsea book their spot in the Club World Cup round of 16 where they’ll face Benfica ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/E3QxPkZvqg

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 25, 2025

On paper, Chelsea has the better team. But they haven’t looked like it at the Club World Cup, finishing second in Group D. They were thoroughly outplayed in a 3-1 loss to Flamengo, and Cole Palmer has yet to be at his best. Manager Enzo Maresca has also complained about the heat, saying it is, “impossible to train”.

But everyone has to play in the same heat, and Chelsea hasn’t adapted yet, looking sluggish most of the time. That’s why I’m taking Benfica at +255 to pull off the upset, but if you’ve watched the teams, it’s not much of a shock. Led by Argentinean veterans Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi, Benfica is playing with a belief that I don’t think Chelsea has.

• PSG (-500)
• Inter Miami (+1100)
• Draw (+650)

PSG managed to top Group B despite their loss to Botafogo, but they were extremely impressive in a 4-0 demolition of Atlético Madrid to open the tournament. It has to be tough for PSG to be motivated after their thrilling Champions League run, but they can win their fifth trophy of the season!

PSG. 🇫🇷
Inter Miami. 🇺🇸#FIFACWC Round of 16. ❤️‍🔥

THE MESSI BOWL. 👀 pic.twitter.com/eE34jin1y8

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) June 24, 2025

Lionel Messi kept his perfect group-stage record intact as Inter Miami finished second in Group A, although a pair of late goals relegated them to this match. Messi played two seasons in Paris, and played under PSG manager Luis Enrique in Barcelona.

I have no doubt that Messi will show up for the game. It’ll be interesting to see if Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets can dig deep and find a throwback performance. But across the board, and especially defensively, PSG is so much better than Inter Miami. If the MLS team wins this match, it’ll rank as one of the biggest wins of Messi’s career.

However, I can’t pick them in my daily Club World Cup best bets. PSG is in my Club World Cup Round of 16 predictions, but at -500, I wouldn’t lay money on it.

• Bayern Munich (-145)
• Flamengo (+360)
• Draw (+310)

Bayern finished second in Group B because of the loss to Benfica, as manager Vincent Kompany also commented on the heat. They beat Auckland City 10-0, but that was to be expected. Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise have both scored three goals for Bayern, but the loss to Benfica was alarming.

🇧🇷 FLAMENGO vs BAYERN MUNICH 🇩🇪

Club World Cup knockout match confirmed! 👀 pic.twitter.com/DMQvMY20Kk

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 24, 2025

Flamengo is the third Brazilian side so far to reach the knockouts, topping Group D thanks to their win over Chelsea. They’re solid defensively, and they like to have the ball to get a good shot.

However, Bayern will likely have most of the possession here, and it’s tough to play Flamengo’s style when you’re down, especially against a juggernaut like Bayern. I like the Germans here at -145 in my Club World Cup Round of 16 picks, and honestly, I think those odds are a bit of a steal!