2025 Club World Cup: MLS Sides Facing Tough Task in Club World Cup
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
The first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup gets underway in the United States, and it looks like it’s going to be tough sledding for the three MLS teams in the competition.
Granted, that was always expected considering they’d have to go up against sides like Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munchen, but even by these standards, the three American sides will need something resembling a miracle to have much of a run in the event.
The one plus for Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami was that they avoided the heavyweights of Group G. Manchester City and Juventus appear to have an unchecked path to the round of 16, although they’ll have to play for it all on matchday 3 because the runner-up likely sees Real Madrid in the knockouts.
Inter Miami: A Chance to Advance (-105, DraftKings)
Ironically, the MLS side that had the most questionable qualification also has the most realistic path to the knockouts. Inter Miami is sitting at almost even money to advance for a reason, as it won’t face a European giant.
Granted, Palmeiras is no easy task as the seeded team in Group A. But the Brazilian side is the third match for Inter Miami, and the Herons have the advantage of employing Lionel Messi. The Argentinian star has been almost impossible to stop in any competition, and he seems to come up with his best in the biggest moments. Facing a Brazilian side is personal for him, as the Argentina-Brazil rivalry is South America’s biggest by a wide margin.
Inter Miami’s fate will be decided by how it performs against Al-Ahly of Egypt and Porto of Portugal. Starting with a win over the Egyptian side would give the Herons a real chance, although their style of play is not conducive to trying to get through a group stage. Miami plays a free-wheeling, attacking style, which often works in MLS but can get it into trouble against better opponents. In the MLS playoffs last year, it didn’t work out, as the Herons got picked off by a weak Atlanta United side. If the defense leaks early, not even Messi can save them.
=16ptSeattle Sounders: Making Up the Numbers (+350, DraftKings)
=11ptAt the other end of the spectrum, Seattle Sounders appears to have little chance to make it out of Group B. Seattle was the one team from MLS that qualified solely via on-field performance, as it won the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. But that landed it a group of Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Botafogo.
=11ptThat’s two European sides and a Brazilian squad, as the Sounders didn’t draw anyone from Africa, Asia or Oceania. And that’s basically done them in before they really had a chance. The Sounders have won four of five on home turf, but there’s a big difference between an MLS home match and one of the top sides in the world. Facing the European champions in PSG was always going to make this a tough ask, and it only got worse from there. If the Sounders can take any points in three matches, it will be a major win for the Rave Green
Los Angeles FC: Not Great, Not Impossible (+130, DraftKings)
Los Angeles FC did at least earn its way into the Club World Cup on the pitch, as it beat Club America in a play-in match to win the last spot in the field. That didn’t exactly help their chances to get out of the group, though, as the Black and Gold have to go through Chelsea and Flamengo to make it out of Group D.
But unlike Seattle, LAFC has a winnable group match against Tunisian champion Esperance. Esperance has only lost once in its past three months, but the Tunisian Ligue 1 isn’t exactly a top quality competition. Its only loss came when it stepped outside its own country, as it lost 1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
Like Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC’s chances depend on its attack. LAFC has not lost since April 5, which was also the last time the Black and Gold scored fewer than two goals. However, seven of LAFC’s past eight matches saw four or more goals scored, which doesn’t bode well for a group stage advancement.
Much of LAFC’s fate will be decided by its opening match with Chelsea. If the Black and Gold can keep the margin of defeat reasonable against the Blues, it will have a realistic chance to escape the group. If they get blown out, they’ll be in a tight spot.
