Brazilian Clubs Learn Their Opponents For The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Six teams will represent the entire continent of South America at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and four of those are teams from the Brazilian Série A; Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras and Botafogo. The draw for the group stage of the tournament next June has just been set and some mouth-watering clashes lay in waiting.

The four clubs from the Brasileirão are the last four winners of the Copa Libertadores. As recently as Saturday Botafogo was crowned champions of the continent and last year Fluminense won its first ever Libertadores title. In the four years previous to that Flamengo and Palmeiras dominated South American football winning two titles each. Now, all have a huge point to prove on the global stage.

Botafogo

Botafogo has been drawn in group B with Paris St Germain, Atlético de Madrid and Seattle Sounders FC.

‘Fogo’ find themselves in a bit of a group of death here, but no doubt it’s an opportunity that these players will be looking forward to. The ability to test their skills against two elite European clubs will provide a fine measure as to where the South American team rank amongst the planets best.

Botafogo is the in form team in all of South America at the moment, and they are on the cusp of winning a historic league and Copa Libertadores double, before they jet off to take on Pachuca of Mexico in the semi finals of the 2024 Club World Cup, where Real Madrid is the rival if they can reach the final. Botafogo have a team fit to compete against the best.

Fluminense

Fluminense has been drawn in group F with Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD of South Korea and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa. Fluminense could have feared a worse draw, but they have problems of their own to fix before this tournament.

Despite a rocky season for Fluminense their ticket for the U.S.A in 2025 was booked a year ago. Fortunes must change for the Rio de Janeiro side to avoid embarrassing themselves at this tournament because the team has been way off the levels of 2023 this season. Expect reinforcements for ‘Flu’ ahead of the summer competition.

Flamengo

Flamengo has been drawn in group D with Chelsea FC, Club León and Espérance Sportive de Tunisie.

Stroll down any street in Rio de Janeiro and you will see the red and black stripes of Flamengo. The eye test alone shows that this is the most supported team in Rio, and perhaps all of Brazil. Flamengo has one of the most completed squads in South America and will be fit to compete with European sides in the U.S.A next summer.

Palmeiras

Palmeiras has been drawn in group A with FC Porto, Al Ahly, and Inter Miami CF.

A tough group contains the African champions as well as FC Porto, a side who are famed for picking out the best South American talent and bringing it to Europe. Palmeiras can certainly compete to get out of this group though.

Palmeiras looks like it will just miss out on the Brazilian league title this season, which of course would have been an incredible third title in a row. Nonetheless a second place finish in such an incredible league shows the level that this team is operating at. The only São Paulo, and non-Rio, team to qualify from the whole of South America has a lot of talent in its ranks and recent history of winning big trophies.