We’re days away from the start of the brand-new, expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament featuring 32 teams across six confederations.
With Inter Miami, LAFC and Seattle Sounders FC in the competition, let's examine what needs to happen for each of MLS’s three representatives to advance from the group stage and into the Round of 16.
We’ll lay out the best-case scenario – and the oh-no-it’s-all-going-wrong scenario – for that trio ahead of Saturday’s tournament opener between Inter Miami and Al Ahly.
Onwards.
Why they will get out of Group A
There’s an obvious difference between Inter Miami and the other two MLS teams entering the Club World Cup’s group stage – plus between the Herons and the other teams in their group. Miami have the single biggest difference-maker in the Americas: Lionel Messi. It’s not too difficult to imagine a motivated Messi helping Miami finish above two of Al Ahly, Palmeiras and Porto to reach the Round of 16.
Unlike Seattle and LAFC, who will likely see much less of the ball in the group stage than they do in MLS play, Miami may have enough attacking firepower between Messi, Luis Suárez and the rest of the roster to stay the tactical course. That continuity could provide an edge (feeding the GOAT is almost always a smart approach), especially when combined with the luxury of playing two of their group games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Toss in the lack of a true European giant in Group A and Miami have a real shot at the knockouts.
Why they won’t get out of Group A
In MLS and continental play, Inter Miami's defense has been stretched to the limit this year. Looking solely at the regular season, Javier Mascherano's team has allowed the seventh-most non-penalty xG per 90 minutes in 2025 – more than Toronto FC, CF Montréal and D.C. United, according to FBref. Because Miami's roster is so heavily tilted towards the attack and because they've had some major consistency issues in goal, they've struggled to steady the ship in their own half against MLS foes.
Those defensive issues are going to be even more pronounced against high-quality opponents, especially in Porto and Palmeiras with their deep, talented rosters. Samu Aghehowa, who dominated the Portuguese top-flight for Porto this past season, will pose a problem for an Inter Miami backline that still hasn't found its rhythm this year. And if that backline and the pieces around it aren't at their absolute best, Miami will concede too many chances for their attack to balance out at the other end.
Why they will get out of Group D
If you polled club coaches across Concacaf, asking them which player in the region terrifies them most in attacking transition, I'm willing to bet you'd get a whole slew of answers with Denis Bouanga's name underlined.
While Steve Cherundolo's side can lack finesse in possession, they're downright terrifying on the break thanks to the Gabon international on the left wing. In their matchups with Flamengo and Chelsea, expect LAFC to defend with a lower line of confrontation before pouncing on a turnover and letting Bouanga fly forward.
Remember: Bouanga's goal against Club América booked LAFC's spot in Group D in the first place. The 30-year-old, backed by a strong group of players in the midfield and in the defense, could deliver yet again this summer.
If LAFC can collect three points against ES Tunis and earn one more point in their other two matches, they'll have a real chance to see the Round of 16.
Why they won’t get out of Group D
Unlike Seattle and Inter Miami, LAFC don't have the luxury of playing a group stage game in their own city. While they won't face the same travel as the rest of their group-mates, they miss out on a built-in advantage following their late play-in game victory at the end of last month.
It's not just the lack of home-field advantage that will make LAFC's life difficult in the group stage. It's also how their attack hasn't lived up to expectations outside of Bouanga. Olivier Giroud has proven inconsistent since he first set foot in Southern California and Cengiz Ünder is out injured. With those two Designated Players not providing top-tier contributions in the attacking third, LAFC may not have enough firepower to throw their counterpunches. In a group with high-level teams, that lack of attacking balance could come back to bite them.
Why they will get out of Group B
The way out of Group B, where Seattle will face reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid and Botafogo, involves heroic defensive play against some of the world's best attackers. There's little doubt that, of the three MLS teams at the Club World Cup, the Sounders face the toughest sledding ahead of them – the only other group featuring two teams from Europe's big five leagues is Group G, with Manchester City and Juventus.
But if Seattle reach the knockout rounds, it will be on the back of their strongest phase of play: their defensive work. So far this year, only four MLS teams have allowed fewer non-penalty xG per game than the Sounders, according to FBref. They were inside the top five in that same statistic in each of the last two seasons, too. Brian Schmetzer's team can sit deep and absorb pressure when the moment calls for it. And this moment? Yeah, it calls for it.
Why they won’t get out of Group B
Outside of how Seattle would almost certainly have to pick up at least four points across their three group-stage games against top-tier opponents (perhaps a win against a very talented Botafogo team and a draw against one of the European giants?), there's another unfortunate reality facing the Sounders: they're banged up.
Jordan Morris is expected to miss the Club World Cup with a hamstring injury, robbing Seattle of their most influential goalscorer and one of their most experienced on-field leaders. Schmetzer's center-back depth chart is riddled with little red injury icons, with Jackson Ragen having recently returned and Yeimar and Kim Kee-Hee both stuck on the trainer's table. At their best, emerging from Group B would be a tall task. Missing key players at both ends, it starts to look like a massive one.
