- The draw for next summer's Club World Cup takes place on Thursday
- Reigning European champions Real Madrid are seeded in Pot 1
- The Spanish giants could come up against a host of familiar foes
Carlo Ancelotti, the ultimate club statesman, put a rare foot out of place when the topic of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup came up last summer.
Real Madrid's manager surprisingly admitted in an interview that his team would "refuse the invitation" for the new-fangled competition as the prize money on offer was too insignificant.
The club hurriedly published an official statement insisting that they would be part of the tournament before Ancelotti posted a sheepish message on social media claiming that his words had "not been interpreted in the way I expected".
Whether he likes it or not, Ancelotti will be leading his side out at the 32-team event in Miami in June. Madrid, as two-time European champions in the last three years, will be in Pot 1 alongside the other top seeds - three others from Europe and four from South America.
However, there is still potential for some tricky fixtures in the group stage of the competition. Here are Madrid's possible opponents ahead of Thursday's draw to decide all eight groups of four.
Potential Pot 2 opponents
Simply plucking random names out of a hat would be far too simple for the powers that be at FIFA. Football's global governing body with a deserved reputation for corruption have openly rigged the upcoming draw to ensure that the elite teams from Europe and South America do not meet too early in the competition.
In order to avoid meeting another UEFA heavyweight in the first knockout round after the group stages, Madrid can only face a select number of clubs from Pot 2. This rules out a potential clash with Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter or Porto.
Atletico Madrid can't go up against their city rivals as clubs from the same association will be kept apart, leaving Madrid with three options; Benfica, Juventus and Red Bull Salzburg.
Salzburg are comfortably the weakest of that trio having fallen off the pace in the Champions League and - for the first time since the energy drink era began - on the domestic scene.
While a clash with Juventus is an enticing historical matchup, Benfica boast the creative might of former Madrid playmaker Angel Di Maria.
Potential opponent | Path |
|---|---|
Benfica | UEFA four-year ranking |
Juventus | UEFA four-year ranking |
Red Bull Salzburg | UEFA four-year ranking |
Potential Pot 3 opponents
Pitting clubs from different corners of the world against one another is not a new concept. The Intercontinental Cup ran for more than four decades after the inaugural edition in 1960 saw Real Madrid, as the European champions, face then South American champions, Penarol of Uruguay.
Madrid were the joint-record winners of that now-defunct competition, an honour they share with Argentine giants Boca Juniors. The legendary teams could face each other in the latest iteration of this global affair.
Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal don't have quite the same illustrious international history as Madrid or Boca, but they certainly have thrown around enough money to compete with those teams.
Since the summer of 2023, the Riyadh outfit have splashed more than £390m on the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves and the vague idea of Neymar. Real Madrid have spent less than half as much, but should still be favourites against any Pot 3 opponent.
Potential opponent | Path |
|---|---|
Botafogo (BRA) | 2024 Copa Libertadores winner |
Monterrey (MEX) | 2021 CONCACAF Champions League winner |
Leon (MEX) | 2023 CONCACAF Champions League winner |
Al Hilal (KSA) | 2021 AFC Champions League winner |
Al Ahly (EGY) | 2020/21 CAF Champions League winner |
Wydad AC (MOR) | 2021/22 CAF Champions League winner |
Boca Juniors (ARG) | CONMEBOL four-year ranking |
Ulsan HD (KOR) | AFC four-year ranking |
Potential Pot 4 opponents
Given the commercial revenue on offer from a fixture involving Lionel Messi, almost every club will want to pull Inter Miami out of Pot 4. Real Madrid, however, may want to avoid the Argentine.
Messi has either scored or created 40 goals in 47 appearances against Madrid. The Barcelona icon is the most prolific player in the history of El Clasico, with eight more goals than any of the other legendary individuals to have graced that fixture. Miami have created their own Barcelona enclave, with Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba all managed by Javier Mascherano.
Mexican outfit Pachuca boast Salomon Rondon. The veteran Venezuelan is one of only two Premier League players to have scored a hat-trick of headers in a single game, but doesn't have quite the same lofty reputation as Messi (for most).
Potential opponent | Path |
|---|---|
Seattle Sounders FC (USA) | 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winner |
Pachuca (MEX) | 2024 CONCACAF Champions League winner |
Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) | 2022 AFC Champions League winner |
Al Ain (UAE) | 2023/24 AFC Champions League winner |
Esperance de Tunis (TUN) | CAF four-year ranking |
Mamelodi Sundowns (ZAF) | CAF four-year ranking |
Auckland City (NZL) | OFC four-year ranking |
Inter Miami CF (USA) | Hosts |
