Club World Cup 2025: how are the bookies approaching Fifa's new-look competition?

The Club World Cup kicks off in Miami on Saturday night, and it is not only the organisers, clubs, players and fans who must get used to the revamped format, with bookmakers also facing a tough task in the build-up to the tournament's opening match on Sunday. 

Manchester City won the final seven-team competition in December 2023 but they are now one of 32 clubs battling it out for glory in the United States, creating a new challenge for the layers. 

Normally, the European champions are installed as strong favourites – City were 2-7 to land the 2023 crown while their closest competitors, Brazilian club Fluminense, were 9-2 – but the Citizens are joined by fellow giants Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, Inter, Chelsea, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund this time. 

European champions PSG and Real Madrid, who will be led by new boss Xabi Alonso, head the outright market at 4-1, highlighting just how different this summer's renewal will be from previous years.

Coral football odds-compiler Chris Wood said: "It used to be a case of deciding how short you wanted to go on the European team and fitting the rest of the market around that, but now we are 4-1 the field."

Steve Freeth of bet365 also provided insight into just how competitive this competition could prove to be, revealing that 36 per cent and 29 per cent of the outright bets had been staked on PSG and Real Madrid. 

Another challenge for the odds compilers has been factoring in just which sides will be taking the tournament seriously. Inter and Real Madrid arrive with new managers, defending champions Manchester City have just been through a trophyless campaign and PSG may be looking to take a break after their treble triumph. 

"I can't imagine that all of the European sides will be treating this tournament as seriously as each other," said Wood. "PSG will surely rotate and I can't see Inter being all that bothered about going deep into the competition after the disappointment of the Champions League final. 

"At the other end of the scale, I would imagine Man City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will see this as a real opportunity to salvage something from a pretty average season."

It will be the most open Club World Cup ever and the round-robin group stage could throw up some shocks. There is obviously a clear talent gap between the European sides and the rest of the entrants, but Wood believes motivation could swing the pendulum in the States. 

"The European sides are still way ahead of the teams from other confederations but the difference is that I am pretty sure that the teams from the Americas, Africa and Asia will all be taking this very seriously whereas it's harder to judge for the Europeans. I will certainly be looking to side with Al Ahly, Flamengo and all of the teams in Group E against Inter."

For the first time, there will be 32 teams battling it out for the Club World Cup trophy this summer, which could result in a few shocksCredit: FIFA via Getty Images

Freeth was in agreement, saying: "I think we must respect a number of South American teams that could leave some European sides with a bloody nose. 

"I know there is a huge £100 million carrot dangling for the winners, with bonuses aplenty, but some European sides must be running on empty after a long season –  Inter for example – while the South American sides will arrive relatively fresh. 

"Players from those sides will relish the opportunity to face European teams, showcasing their talents on a big stage."

The new Champions League format produced a fair few shocks – including the winners, who were not among the leading contenders at the start of the league phase – and it seems the revamped Club World Cup could be just as exciting from a punting perspective. 

There is, of course, a chance for things to change as the tournament progresses. 

"Our traders have produced a vast array of markets, many available since March, which of course isn’t as straightforward as normal," said Freeth. "We’ll need to be cautious in the early stages where we could see a number of price changes as we assess the quality on show."

Bet365 will also continue with their Sub On Play On offer throughout the Club World Cup even after the concession, under which bets on individual players are carried over to that player's replacement if he is substituted, cost them £16.3m in Spain's 5-4 Nations League victory over France.

"Clearly, a game with nine goals and seventeen shots on target was going to be extremely painful on the Bet Builder front, especially with the subs replacing high-profile players who hadn’t contributed," said Freeth.

Read more on the Club World Cup:

Club World Cup 2025 explained: format, teams, host cities and prize money 

Club World Cup top scorer odds: Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland head the betting 

Club World Cup 2025: All you need to know, schedule and odds 

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