If you were expecting the same old predictable FIFA Club World Cup results where a European giant strolls through two matches and flies home with a trophy, you’re living in the past. Honestly, the 2025 expansion changed everything. We went from a week-long mini-tournament to a month-long marathon across the United States.
Chelsea ended up on top.
They took down Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium. It sounds like a blowout, and on the scoreboard, it was. But the road there was a mess of weather delays, massive upsets, and some seriously weird scorelines. Remember when Bayern Munich put ten past Auckland City? Or when Inter Miami actually managed to beat Porto?
The Massive 2025 Shake-up
The old format is dead. We now have 32 teams. FIFA basically took the World Cup blueprint and slapped club logos on it. It’s a lot to keep track of, but the FIFA Club World Cup results from this inaugural expanded version show that the gap between continents might finally be shrinking, even if a UEFA team still took the gold.
Manchester City, who everyone thought would cruise, got bounced in the Round of 16. Al-Hilal did the unthinkable and sent Pep Guardiola packing with a 4-3 win that left the Philly crowd speechless. It wasn't just a fluke. The Saudi side played them off the park for long stretches.
Group Stage Chaos and Standout Scores
The group stages were played in high-humidity cities like Miami and Orlando. Players were gassed.
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- Group C's Anomaly: Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City. It was brutal. Honestly, it felt a bit mean.
- The MLS Surprise: Inter Miami 2-1 FC Porto. This was the first time a Concacaf team ever beat a European opponent in this tournament. Messi didn't score, but he pulled the strings.
- Real Madrid’s Struggle: They started with a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal. Xabi Alonso was in the dugout, trying to find his feet, but the "Kings of Europe" looked surprisingly mortal.
Chelsea’s Path to the Crown
Chelsea wasn't even the favorite going in. They’d been inconsistent in the Premier League, but Enzo Maresca’s "Baby Blues" found a weird sort of rhythm in the States. They actually lost a game in the groups—a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo that had people questioning if they'd even make the knockouts.
They barely squeezed through as Group D runners-up.
Then, the flip switched. They hammered Benfica 4-1 after extra time in the Round of 16. They ground out a 2-1 win against Palmeiras in the quarters. By the time they hit the semi-finals, they were clinical, dispatching Fluminense 2-0.
That 3-0 Final in New Jersey
The final on July 13th was all about Cole Palmer. He’s just different.
He scored twice in the first 30 minutes. PSG, led by Luis Enrique, had 66% of the ball but did absolutely nothing with it. They were passing in circles. Chelsea’s defense, anchored by Robert Sánchez (who won Best Goalkeeper), was a brick wall. João Pedro added a third just before halftime, and the second half was basically a victory lap.
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Real Madrid vs. Manchester City: The Heavyweight Letdown
Users always search for the FIFA Club World Cup results involving these two, and 2025 was a disaster for both.
Manchester City’s exit to Al-Hilal was the headline of the tournament. Phil Foden was great, but the team looked leg-heavy. Real Madrid didn't fare much better. They made it to the semi-finals but got absolutely dismantled by PSG. A 4-0 loss. It was shocking.
Kylian Mbappé, facing his old club, was kept quiet, while PSG's Ruiz and Dembélé ran riot. It’s rare to see Madrid look that lost on a global stage, but the fatigue of a 32-team tournament in the middle of summer clearly took its toll.
Why These Results Still Matter
This wasn't just a preseason tour. The prize money and the prestige of being the "first" expanded world champion meant something. Chelsea now has two of these trophies in their cabinet, matching Bayern Munich and trailing only Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Key Takeaways from the Results:
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- European dominance is still there, but it's fragile. UEFA provided both finalists, but the "safe" bets like City and Madrid failed.
- CONMEBOL is losing its grip on the "second best" spot. Brazilian teams like Botafogo and Flamengo had moments, but they aren't the automatic finalists they used to be.
- The "Home" Advantage is real. MLS teams like Seattle and LAFC played with a chip on their shoulder, and Inter Miami’s win over Porto proved that Concacaf is no longer a pushover.
If you’re looking to analyze these FIFA Club World Cup results for future betting or just to win an argument at the pub, look at squad depth. The teams that rotated early in the group stages—like Chelsea and PSG—were the ones with enough gas in the tank for the July heat.
Actionable Insights for Fans
Stop looking at the Club World Cup as a "friendly" tournament.
If you want to stay ahead of the next cycle in 2029, start tracking the four-year coefficient rankings. That’s how these teams qualify now. It’s no longer just about winning your Champions League; it’s about being consistently elite over a four-year window.
Keep an eye on the injury reports coming out of these summer marathons. Several stars, including Real Madrid's Militao, suffered muscle tears during the 2025 run. The workload is becoming a massive talking point for FIFA and the player unions.
Check the official FIFA archives for the full breakdown of the 195 goals scored during the 2025 edition. It was the highest-scoring FIFA tournament on record per game, mostly thanks to those lopsided group stage matches.
The era of the "World Club Champion" being decided in a single weekend is over. It’s a grind now. Chelsea survived the first one, but with the way Al-Hilal and the South American sides are closing the gap, the 2029 results might look very different.