Players to watch out for at FIFA Club World Cup 2025
With the major E uropean leagues drawing to a close, the next big event to look forward to is the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, being held in the US from June 14 to July 3.
With 32 top clubs participating from all over the globe, the CWC is expected to be a great spectacle as some of the biggest names in the sport compete for some of the biggest clubs in world football.
Here, we look at some major names to watch out for at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Players to watch out for
Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal SFC | Morocco)
Yassine Bounou is a Moroccan goalkeeper who plays for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. In 31 appearances the recently concluded season, “Bono” kept nine clean sheets for his team.
The veteran Moroccan keeper came to prominence during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when he kept four clean sheets and played a key part in his team’s route to the semi-finals. He also won the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal in 2023/24 and the Saudi Super Cup in 2023 and 2024.
The 6’5″ goalkeeper is a top-class shot-stopper who is particularly good at saving penalties. A massive presence, the 34-year-old also possesses quick reflexes and excellent footwork.
Julián Alvarez (Club Atlético de Madrid | Argentina)
Many eyebrows were raised when Julián Alvarez made a big-money move to Atlético Madrid last summer. However, the Argentine has silenced all his doubters with an exceptional debut season. In LaLiga alone, he scored 17 goals and racked up four assists in 37 games in 2024/25. In the UEFA Champions League, he bagged seven goals and an assist in ten games.
The 2022 World Cup winner is an absolute menace for defenders. His positional awareness, ability to link up play, and clinical finishing are hallmarks of any top striker. In addition, he is lethal on set pieces.
Having also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, Alvarez has the experience to perform at major tournaments. There’s every chance he shines at this Club World Cup and takes Atleti to the latter stages.
Michael Olise (FC Bayern Munich | France)
Michael Olise made the switch from Crystal Palace in England to Bayern Munich in Germany last summer. With top English clubs interested in him, it was a surprise to many when he joined the Bavarian giants.
The talented French midfielder took to the German Bundesliga like a fish to water. In 34 league games, he scored 12 goals and bagged 18 assists in his debut campaign, helping Bayern to the title. In 14 UCL games, he scored five goals and provided two assists, helping his team reach the quarter-finals.
Olise is an attacking midfielder who can also play as a winger. A left-footed player, he can play centrally and on either flank. He has decent pace and acceleration, is adept at dribbling in tight spaces, and also possesses a great range of passing. It is very likely he carries his good form into the Club World Cup.
Carlos Palacios (CA Boca Juniors | Chile)
Carlos Palacios is a 24-year-old midfielder who plays for Argentine heavyweights Boca Juniors. This season in the Primera División, the Chile international has bagged three goals and assists each in 15 games across all competitions.
Palacios is an attacking midfielder who can also play on either wing. An aggressive player, he possesses a wide range of passing skills with an eye for a defence-splitting pass.
For the Azul y Oro, Palacios has been one of the most crucial players and will be relied upon to deliver at the Club World Cup.
Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund | England)
Jamie Gittens is another interesting player. The Borussia Dortmund winger registered eight goals and three assists in 32 games this season in the German Bundesliga, while in the UCL he scored four goals — a decent return given his age.
The 20-year-old is a right-footed operator known for his aggressive style of play. He likes to take on opponents in 1v1 situations, using his pace and trickery to beat them. A modern-day winger, he prefers to cut inside. His exceptional pace, acceleration, and dribbling skills are the highlights of his playing style.
Young, exciting, and relatively raw, Gittens has the potential to develop into a top-class player. He is another one to watch out for at this Club World Cup.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea FC | England)
Cole Palmer has been one of the standout players for Chelsea over the past two seasons. Even though the Blues failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season, the English attacking midfielder was arguably their only shining light. This season as well, he led their charge for getting back into the UCL with 15 goals and eight assists in 37 league games.
The 23-year-old is a versatile and dynamic player who can play as a winger as well as a central attacking midfielder. He is known for his playmaking ability, dribbling, and composure. Palmer likes to get involved in transitions and counter-attacking moves. He is also great at scoring from free kicks as well as from open play. His great passing range is the hallmark of a top-class midfielder.
Palmer has the ability to help Chelsea go deep into this tournament — perhaps even all the way.
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF | Argentina)
Lionel Messi is a name that needs no introduction. Regarded by many as the best player of his generation, the 37-year-old “completed” football in 2022 when he led Argentina to the FIFA World Cup.
Even though age is slowly catching up with the legendary player, Messi is still capable of terrorising opposition defenders with his skills, game intelligence, and trickery. Currently plying his trade in Major League Soccer for Inter Miami, this season he has bagged five goals and two assists in ten games.
Messi has played as a forward for most of his career and possesses exceptional dribbling, close control, and finishing skills. His low centre of gravity enables him to get past players with ease, while his ball distribution and passing are second to none. Scoring from set-piece situations is another strength of the Argentine great. Having been an absolute nightmare for defenders for roughly two decades, he continues to amaze one and all with his skills.
The ex-Barça legend will be representing Inter Miami at the Club World Cup, and even though European giants like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City are the contenders for the title, all eyes will be on the diminutive Argentine forward every time he takes to the pitch.
Alessandro Bastoni (FC Internazionale Milano | France)
Italy has always been known for producing great defenders, and Alessandro Bastoni is another in a long line of great Italian centre-backs.
Currently at Inter Milan, Bastoni is a modern-day ball-playing defender who can also play at left-back. Under Simone Inzaghi, who likes to field his players in a 3-5-2 formation, Bastoni starts at the back but can also move forward to assist in the attacking phases when needed. This season, he scored a goal and provided five assists in Serie A, while also helping Inter reach the UEFA Champions League final.
Bastoni’s progressive passes (5.50), progressive carries (2.05), and tackles (1.89) — all per 90 — make him a unique defender who is not just good with blocks but can also help in attacking areas. Regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe, he could once again help the Nerazzurri go deep in a tournament.
Omar Marmoush (Manchester City FC | Egypt)
Manchester City have had a poor season by their exceptionally high standards and failed to win any of the major trophies. However, January signing Omar Marmoush has caught the eye in the Premier League. Before moving to City, Marmoush was having a sensational season with Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga and had registered 15 goals and 10 assists before his move to the Etihad, where in his first half-season he scored seven goals and provided two assists in 16 Premier League appearances.
The Egypt international is a well-rounded forward. He can carry the ball, link up play, and even operate out wide. Clinical in the box, he is adept at scoring from outside the box as well as from set pieces.
One among the many new City players, Marmoush looks like the one who can have the maximum impact for them at this Club World Cup.
Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain FC | France)
Désiré Doué is another name that is creating ripples in European football. The 19-year-old PSG winger is a serious talent and already looking like one of the best in his position. In the French Ligue 1 this season, he has scored six goals and provided eight assists as the Parisians cruised to the title.
Capable of playing centrally as well as out wide, Doué torments defenders with his pace and dribbling. Apart from being an attacking threat, he has also made important defensive contributions for his team.
Still only 19, Doué has the potential to develop into a world-class operator, and the Club World Cup could be another tournament where he can showcase his skills to the world.
Martim Fernandes (FC Porto | Portugal)
Martim Fernandes is yet another youngster to watch out for at this Club World Cup. The Portuguese right-back has been impressive for Porto in the the Primeira Liga this season, having provided six assists in 25 league games.
The 19-year-old is an attack-minded right-back who likes to make overlapping runs on the right and provide crosses and passes with accuracy. Even at this young age, he possesses composure under pressure, reads the game well, and is defensively strong — all makings of a good modern-day fullback.
While Porto may not have the quality to be able to compete with a lot of top European side at the Club World Cup, Fernandes is definitely someone capable of impressing at an individual level and attract suitors over the summer.
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid CF | France)
Kylian Mbappé is currently one of the best forwards in world football — if not the best. He joined Real Madrid last summer, and even though Los Blancos struggled to pick up silverware during the business end of this season, the Frenchman helped them remain in the title race in LaLiga for most of the campaign with 31 goals and three assists in 34 league games, while in the UCL he registered seven goals and an assist in 14 games as Real Madrid reached the quarter-finals.
The France international is already a World Cup winner from 2018 and was also a finalist as well as the Golden Boot winner at the 2022 World Cup. He has the experience and skills to perform on the biggest stages. Quick, with exceptional dribbling, link-up, and lethal finishing capabilities, he is an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders.
Mbappé will definitely be one of the most watched players at the Club World Cup, with Real Madrid one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Franco Mastantuono (CA River Plate | Argentina)
Franco Mastantouno is one of the most exciting young talents in Argentine football currently. The 17-year-old is already attracting interest from Europe’s elite clubs.
Mastantuono plays as an attacking midfielder for River Plate. This season, he has scored four goals and bagged four assists in 12 league games, while in the Libertadores he has scored two goals in five games.
He is a playmaking midfielder who also possesses incredible striking ability. A naturally left-footed player, he likes to play in a more advanced role and is particularly lethal in dead-ball situations. He is also skilful at dribbling, which complements his passing skills.
Mastantuono is definitely one of the best young talents coming up in world football. With the whole world watching, the Club World Cup could be a massive stepping stone in his fledgling career.
Vangelis Pavlidis (SL Benfica | Greece)
Vangelis Pavlidis hasn’t just impressed in the Portuguese league this season, but has also been a surprise package in the UEFA Champions League. The Greek forward has been prolific for Benfica, scoring 19 goals and getting seven assists in 34 Liga Portugal matches along with a superb UCL campaign featuring seven goals and three assists in 12 games.
The 26-year-old is a strong player known for his link-up play, progressive carrying, and ball retention. In addition, he is good aerially, with great tactical and positional intelligence, while also possessing lethal finishing skills — a complete forward.
If Benfica are to make an impact at this Club World Cup and go deep, Pavlidis’ goals will be key.
Estêvão Willian (SE Palmeiras | Brazil)
18-year-old Brazilian winger Estêvão Willian is another teenage sensation grabbing eyeballs everywhere with his skills and performances. Currently playing for Palmeiras in the Brasileirão, his move to English club Chelsea has already been confirmed for the 2025/26 season, though he will represent Palmeiras at the Club World Cup before moving to West London. In the Brasileirão, he has registered three assists in ten games this season.
Estêvão is known for his creativity in the final third. He has pace, exceptional dribbling skills, precise footwork, intelligence, and awareness. He likes to use his explosive pace to run in behind defences and create opportunities for his advanced teammates, while also preferring to take on defenders in 1v1 situations.
The fact that he has been snapped up by a big European club already is a testament to his talent and skill. As he competes against top clubs at the Club World Cup before moving to Europe, we could be witnessing the birth of a Brazilian superstar who might follow in the footsteps of Neymar Júnior.
