Our coverage of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup continues as we preview the groups before the tournament kicks off on June 15.
We have already covered Groups A and B. Here, we shift our focus to the third group.
So let us take a look at Group C of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Auckland City are the sole representatives from the Oceania Football Confederation, having qualified for the Club World Cup via Oceania’s ranking pathway that saw them end the 2021–2024 cycle as the highest-ranked team in the confederation.
Bayern Munich and Benfica qualified through the same ranking pathway, having been two of the top-ranked sides of the UEFA standings for the same period.
Boca Juniors also qualified as one of the highest-ranked sides in the CONMEBOL standings.
Bayern are easily the strongest side in this group on paper. The recently crowned German Bundesliga champions boast some of the biggest names in European football and some outrageously talented youngsters. The likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, and Joshua Kimmich will be a formidable force for any opposition in the tournament. Veteran forward Thomas Müller will be playing his last tournament for the Bavarian giants, so he will have enough motivation to make one final contribution to the club’s success.
Benfica are always dark horses in any tournament they play. They may lose fullback Álvaro Carreras, which will be a massive blow, though they have enough talent in the likes of Bruma, Renato Sanches, Andrea Belotti, and Zeki Amdouni to make a splash in this tournament.
Boca Juniors, meanwhile, will count on their experienced core of Edinson Cavani, Ander Herrera, Sergio Romero, Luis Advíncula, and Marcos Rojo to shepherd the younger players in what will be their first exposure to a global audience.
As far as Auckland City are concerned, they are the unknowns compared to their counterparts in this tournament. But any side that has qualified should not be scoffed at, and other teams will be wary of taking the Kiwi outfit lightly.
The group does not exactly present a case of two clear contenders, given the wealth of European experience Boca Juniors have at their disposal in the likes of Cavani, Herrera, Romero, and Rojo. However, despite their quality and experience, it will still be a tough task for them to get a result against Benfica and Bayern.
As far as Auckland City are concerned, they will look to enjoy the global exposure that this tournament will provide, and that will make them all the better for it.
We predict Bayern Munich to progress as Group C winners, with Benfica making it through to the knockouts as the runners-up.
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