NFL
By Keith Richards
Each day, we’re getting closer to the start of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Today, we’ve reached the penultimate group in our preview of all the teams and groups of the group stage. Group G includes both giants and lesser-known clubs. On paper, it might seem that the clubs from some of the most competitive leagues in the world might be in line for a cakewalk. However, football is won on the pitch, not on paper.
As always, we will examine each club’s history, discuss how each currently performs in its respective domestic leagues, and pick which two teams will advance to the Knockout Stage. So, let’s get right to it!
Manchester City – English Premier League
It feels strange, but Manchester City might be a dark horse to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. One might say, “No way! Manchester City?! THE Manchester City that has been the English Premier League champions six times in the past ten years? You must be smoking some of Colorado’s finest.” Yet, we are talking about THAT Manchester City. In the 2024-25 season, City went from being one of the most feared clubs in the world to just another tough club.
Since the 2015-16 season, Manchester City failed to finish outside the top three of the EPL table once: The 2015-16 season. In the 2016-17 season, City finished third. Then, in the 2019-20 season, they finished second. Finally, in the 2024-25 season, Manchester City again finished third. If you have a keen eye, you’ll notice a chunk of seasons missing. Ten points to Slytherin!
First, Manchester City won the Premier League title in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Then, City were English football champions from the 2020-21 season to the 2023-24 season. In modern football, that kind of dominance is rare in English football. You’d have to return to the 2008-09 season in the English Premier League to find the last repeat champion. In that season, Manchester United won the third of three consecutive titles.
Nevertheless, all good things come to an end. Manchester came crashing violently to earth in the 2024-25 season. Here’s another thing that feels strange: City finished third last season, but it’s considered a bad season for them. Why? Outside of the season’s infancy, Manchester City never truly challenged for the league title—even clubs with as much depth as City would struggle with vast amounts of injured players they had. The defense and attack suffered, and they could never play consistent football.
Consequently, it looks as if Manchester City’s golden age is at an end. Manchester City ranks fourth all-time with ten English football titles. In addition to their eight EPL titles, they won two Football League First Division titles. While City is in a position to reload and make another run at it next season, some investigations surrounding the club may have something to say about that. However, we won’t get into all of that here.
IFFHS ranks Manchester City as the 19th-best club entering the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. While they are the reigning and defending champions, they are not the highest-ranked club in Group G. Despite their disappointing season, Manchester City is still very dangerous. They’re as healthy as they’ve been in a year. Should they be considered a top-four team? No, but they’re not a team you want to face deep in the tournament.
Wydad AC – Botola Pro (Morocco)
Wydad AC, also known as Wydad Casablanca, is the most successful club in the Moroccan-based Botola Pro league. While Botola Pro may not be the most well-known league worldwide, IFFHS ranks it as the 34th-best league in the world. That’s 15 places higher than the MLS here in the States. Botola Pro is the second-best league in CAF, behind only the Egyptian Premier League.
While Wydad AC is the most successful club in Botola Pro history, it isn’t considered a big fish in a small pond. Their 22 league titles are the most in league history, but two clubs not far behind have 13 titles each: Raja CA and ASFAR. Furthermore, Wydad Casablanca has only won four Botola Pro titles over the past ten seasons. It’s still significant, but it’s far less than we see with other clubs we’ve covered.
Wydad was founded in 1937. In its time as a club, it has never been relegated from the top-flight division of Moroccan football, which only two other clubs have done. Since winning its first title in 1947, Wydad Casablanca has won a title every decade since. However, since winning the championship in the 2009-10 season, Wydad’s title pace has slowed significantly.
Since the 2009-10 season, Wydad Casablanca has won only five titles. Additionally, only two of those title wins came in consecutive seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22). The 2021-22 season is the last season that Wydad AC won a Botola Pro title. In the 2024-25 season, they finished third in the Botola Pro table, 16 points behind champion RSB Berkane.
Wydad has the second-most domestic titles in Moroccan Throne Cup history (9). Wydad Casablanca has also performed well in international competitions. Their three CAF Champions League titles are the fifth-most all-time, and they won the CAF Super Cup in 2018. Still, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be a new experience for them.
Wydad AC is the only club in Group G that IFFHS does not rank. Looking back at the clubs in the previous groups we’ve covered, they’re the first team that IFFHS does not rank. Thus, Wydad Casablanca has a tough road ahead of it. There’s no better way to put your name out there than a shocking victory or thrilling draw. However, can Wydad Casablanca do that in Group G? That is a question they must answer.
Al Ain FC – Pro League (United Arab Emirates)
Al Ain FC is like Wydad AC in many respects. Like Wydad Casablanca, Al Ain plays in one of the lesser-known leagues worldwide. However, there are some areas where the two clubs differ. While the Botola Pro league is decently respected worldwide, you can’t say that for UAE’s Pro League. The Pro League is not awful, but it does fall to the bottom 50 of the IFFHS rankings (51st).
Al Ain FC was founded in 1956. Since then, they have won the most titles in Pro League history (14). Here, Al Ain is like Wydad again. While Al Ain FC’s 14 titles are the most in league history, it’s not the most by a wide margin. There are three other clubs in the Pro League with at least six titles: Shabab Al Ahli (9), Al Wasl (8), and Sharjah (6).
However, regarding domestic cups, Al Ain FC is not the king. In the UAE President’s Cup, Al Ain has the third-most titles all-time. Their seven President’s Cup titles are behind the 11 of Shabab Al Ahli and the 10 of Sharjah. It’s like the UAE Super Cup and the UAE League Cup. Al Ain’s five titles in the Super Cup are second only to Shabab Al Ahli’s seven. In the League Cup, their two titles are the third most.
Al Ain FC has been fair in international competition. They have two titles in the AFC Champions League Elite (2003 and 2024) and were runners-up in that competition two times (2005 and 2016). Regarding the FIFA Club World Cup, Al Ain finished second in 2018. However, it was a much smaller competition then. Back at home, Al Ain has not won a title in three seasons. They were fifth in the Pro League in the 2024-25 season, their worst finish since the 2020-21 season when they finished sixth.
Unlike Wydad, IFFHS ranks Al Ain. However, they don’t rank them high. IFFHS ranks Al Ain FC as the 413th-best club coming to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a 65-spot slide over the previous rankings. The prospects for Al Ain in Group G are the same as Wydad AC—they’re not very high.
Juventus FC – Serie A (Italy)
Juventus FC is the king of Serie A in Italy. Well, they are the kings of Serie A historically. The Italian giant has not won a Serie A title in the past few seasons. Furthermore, in that stretch, they’ve only finished in the top three of Serie A once. However, in Juventus’s long history, that’s only a blemish.
Juventus was founded in 1897. In its 127-year history, Juventus has won the most Italian football titles and the most Italian domestic cups. Juventus has 36 Serie A titles, 15 Coppa Italia titles, and nine Italian Super Cups. Juventus has more recent titles in the Italian cups than in its domestic leagues. Juve won the Coppa Italia title in the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons. Its last Super Cup was the same year as its last Serie A title.
The other clubs in Serie A will be happy that Juventus has not had any recent success. Juventus FC won nine consecutive league titles between the 2011-12 and 2019-20 seasons; the longest streak of consecutive title wins in Serie A history. Only two times have clubs won more than four straight titles in Serie A history: Juventus and Inter Milan.
If there’s one area that Juventus lacks, it’s international competition success, especially in recent history. Juve has two UEFA Champions League titles but has not won since the 1995-96 season; they would win the UEFA Super Cup that same season. However, the opportunity for more UEFA titles has been slim. Traditionally, they play too well and don’t qualify for the UEFA Europa League because they qualify for the Champions League.
However, they don’t win the Champions League titles and can’t compete for the Super Cup titles. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be one of the best opportunities for an international cup for Juventus. IFFHS ranks them as the 16th-best club worldwide, with three places in front of Manchester City. Juve should have no issue making the Knockout Stage from Group G.
The Prediction
No disrespect to Al Ain or Wydad, but I don’t see a scenario where Juventus and Manchester City don’t advance out of this group. It’s plausible that we see some unexpected draws, but I don’t see victories over the two giants. The bigger question is, who wins Group G? Juventus is 3-0 all-time against Manchester City, with the latest win coming in November of last year. Manchester City gets their first win over Juve in the CWC and wins Group G.
Who do you think will make it out of the group? Let us know! One more group to go!
