All The FIFA Club World Cup Permutations As Final Round Of Group Games Begins

The Athletic has live coverage of Seattle Sounders vs. PSG and Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The final set of group games at the FIFA Club World Cup get underway on Monday (June 23) and it’s still all to play for across the tournament’s first round.

The top two teams in each of the eight groups will advance to the knockout stage, with the bottom two in each being eliminated.

Here, The Athletic guides you through the state of play in each group and who needs to do what to reach the last 16.

Tiebreaking procedures

Teams level on points will be separated by their head-to-head records and then overall goal difference. Here is what the FIFA rulebook for the tournament says:

If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points after the completion of the group stage, the following criteria, in the order below, shall be applied to determine the ranking:

a) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned

b) superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned

c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned

If, after having applied criteria a) to c) above, teams still have an equal ranking, to determine their final rankings, criteria a) to c) above are applied to the matches between the remaining teams only. If no decision can be made through this procedure, criteria d) to f) below shall apply as follows to the two or more teams still equal on points:

d) superior goal difference in all group matches

e) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches

f) highest team conduct score (players and team officials) relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained:
— yellow card: minus 1 point
— indirect red card (as a result of two yellow cards): minus 3 points
— direct red card: minus 4 points
— yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points

Only one of the above deductions shall be applied to a player or team official in a single match. The team with the highest number of points shall be ranked highest.

g) finally, drawing of lots by FIFA

State of play in each group

Group A

How they stand:

Results: Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami, Palmeiras 0-0 Porto, Palmeiras 2-0 Al Ahly, Inter Miami 2-1 Porto.

Remaining fixtures: Inter Miami vs Palmeiras, Porto vs Al Ahly; both on June 23 (9pm ET; 2am on June 24 UK time).

Palmeiras: The Brazilian club will advance to the knockout stage if they avoid defeat against Inter Miami. If they lose, they will still go through if Porto fail to win. If they do lose and Porto win, however, then whoever out of Palmeiras and the Portuguese side has the better overall goal difference in all group matches will advance.

Inter Miami: Lionel Messi’s side will advance to the knockout stage if they get at least a point against Palmeiras. If they lose, Inter Miami will still go through if Al Ahly fail to beat Porto. If Inter Miami do lose and Al Ahly win, then overall goal difference comes into play again.

Porto: The Portuguese side must beat Al Ahly and hope Inter Miami win to have any chance. Porto would also need an overall superior goal difference to Palmeiras.

Al Ahly: The team from Egypt must beat Porto and hope Palmeiras defeat Inter Miami. If these two results do materialise, then whoever out of Al Ahly and Inter Miami has the better goal difference from their three group games will advance.

Group B

How they stand:

Results: Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Atletico Madrid, Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders, Seattle Sounders 1-3 Atletico, PSG 0-1 Botafogo, Atletico Madrid 1-0 Botafogo, Seattle Sounders 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain.

Paris Saint-Germain: Won the group and qualified for the last 16.

Botafogo: Finished second and qualified for the last 16.

Atletico Madrid: Eliminated.

Seattle Sounders: Eliminated.

Group C

How they stand:

Results: Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City, Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica, Benfica 6-0 Auckland, Bayern 2-1 Boca.

Remaining fixtures: Auckland vs Boca, Benfica vs Bayern; both on June 24 (3pm ET; 8pm UK time).

Bayern Munich: The German champions have advanced to the last 16.

Benfica: Will advance if they avoid losing to Bayern or if Boca Juniors fail to beat Auckland City. If Benfica lose and Boca win, then overall goal difference in all group matches will determine which of the two teams goes through.

Boca Juniors: Must beat Auckland City and hope Bayern win, then rack up a superior overall goal difference to Benfica.

Auckland City: The club from New Zealand have been eliminated.

Bayern can relax as they are already through to the last 16 (Chandan Khanna / AFP)

Group D

How they stand:

Results: Chelsea 2-0 Los Angeles FC, Flamengo 2-0 Esperance Tunis, Flamengo 3-1 Chelsea, LAFC 0-1 Tunis.

Remaining fixtures: LAFC vs Flamengo, Tunis vs Chelsea; both on June 24 (9pm ET; 2am on June 25 UK time).

Flamengo: The Brazilian side have qualified for the last 16.

Chelsea: Simple: avoid defeat against Tunis and the London club will go through. Lose, and Enzo Maresca’s side will be eliminated.

Esperance Tunis: Anything other than a win against Chelsea will see them knocked out.

Los Angeles FC: The side from California have been eliminated.

Group E

How they stand:

Results: River Plate 3-1 Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey 1-1 Inter, Inter 2-1 Urawa Reds, River 0-0 Monterrey.

Remaining fixtures: Inter v River, Urawa Reds vs Monterrey; both on June 25 (9pm ET; 2am on June 26 UK time).

River Plate: The Argentine club will go through if they beat Inter. If they draw, they will advance if Monterrey fail to beat Urawa Red Diamonds. If Monterrey do win, and River draw, the Argentinians will go through if they draw by a scoreline of 2-2 or higher. If it is 0-0 they will be eliminated and if it is 1-1 then whoever has the better overall goal difference in all group matches out of River and Monterrey will advance alongside Inter. If River lose they will be knocked out only if Monterrey win.

Inter: Will go through if they avoid defeat against River. If they lose, they will still advance providing Monterrey fail to beat Urawa Reds. If Monterrey win, and Inter lose, then the Italian club will be eliminated.

Monterrey: The Mexican side must beat Urawa Reds to have any chance of going through. If Monterrey do win and the game between Inter and River isn’t a draw, then they will advance. If they pick up three points but the Inter-River match finishes level, then whichever of Monterrey and River Plate scored more goals in matches between themselves and Inter will advance alongside the Italian club. This means that if it is 0-0 in the Inter-River match, then Monterrey will advance. If it is 2-2 or higher, River Plate will go through. If it is 1-1, then whoever out of River and Monterrey has the higher overall goal difference in all group matches will advance alongside Inter.

Urawa Red Diamonds: The club from Japan have been eliminated.

Group F

How they stand:

Results: Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns, Sundowns 3-4 Dortmund, Fluminense 4-2 Ulsan.

Remaining fixtures: Dortmund vs Ulsan, Sundowns vs Fluminense; both on June 25 (3pm ET; 8pm UK time).

Fluminense: Will go through if they avoid defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns. If they lose, they will be knocked out if Borussia Dortmund avoid defeat against Ulsan HD. If Dortmund also lose, then Fluminense will have to hope their overall goal difference in all group matches is better than Dortmund’s.

Borussia Dortmund: Draw or win against Ulsan HD and the German side will advance. If they lose, they will still go through providing Sundowns don’t beat Fluminense. If the South African side win, and Dortmund lose, then whoever has the better overall goal difference in all group matches between the German club and Fluminense will advance alongside the South African side.

Mamelodi Sundowns: If they win they go through. Fail to pick up three points and they will be knocked out.

Ulsan HD: The South Korean side have been eliminated.

Ulsan HD are out already (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

Group G

How they stand:

Results: Manchester City 2-0 Wydad AC, Al Ain 0-5 Juventus, Juventus 4-1 Wydad, City 6-0 Al Ain.

Remaining fixtures: Juventus v Manchester City & Wydad AC v Al Ain; both on June 26 (3pm ET; 8pm UK time).

Juventus: The Italian side have qualified for the last 16. Avoid defeat to City and they will finish top of the group.

Manchester City: The English club have qualified for the last 16.

Wydad AC: The Moroccan side have been eliminated.

Al Ain: The club from the United Arab Emirates have been eliminated.

Group H

How they stand:

Results: Real Madrid 1-1 Al Hilal, Pachuca 1-2 Red Bull Salzburg, Madrid 3-1 Pachuca, Salzburg 0-0 Al Hilal.

Remaining fixtures: Al Hilal vs Pachuca, Salzburg vs Madrid; both on June 26 (9pm ET; 2am on June 27 UK time).

Real Madrid: If the Spanish club avoid defeat, they will qualify for the knockout stage. If they lose, they will still go through if Al Hilal fail to win, but would be eliminated if the Saudi Arabian club beat Pachuca.

Red Bull Salzburg: Will go through if they beat Madrid. If they draw, they will advance if Al Hilal fail to win. If Al Hilal do win, and Salzburg draw, the Austrians will go through if they draw by a scoreline of 2-2 or higher. If it is 0-0, and Al Hilal win, they will be eliminated but if it is 1-1, whoever out of Salzburg and Al Hilal has the better overall goal difference in all group matches will advance alongside Madrid. This means that if Al Hilal were to win by two goals or more, and Salzburg-Madrid finishes 1-1, then Salzburg will be eliminated. If the Saudi Arabian win by one goal, and Salzburg-Madrid finishes 1-1, then whoever out of Salzburg and Al Hilal has scored more goals in all group matches will advance alongside Madrid. If Red Bull Salzburg lose they will be knocked out only if Al Hilal win.

Al Hilal: Must beat Pachuca to have any chance of going through. If Al Hilal win and the game between Salzburg and Madrid isn’t a draw, then they will advance. If they pick up three points and Salzburg-Madrid finishes level, then whichever of Al Hilal and Salzburg scored more goals in matches between themselves and Madrid will advance alongside the Spanish club. This means that if it is 0-0 in the Salzburg-Madrid match, then Al Hilal will go through and if it is 2-2 or higher, Salzburg will advance. If it is 1-1, then whoever out of Al Hilal and Salzburg has the higher overall goal difference in all group matches will advance alongside Madrid, meaning a two-goal win would send the Saudi Arabian side through. A one-goal win for Al Hilal, in the event of Salzburg-Madrid being 1-1, would mean that whoever out of Al Hilal and Salzburg has scored more goals in all group matches will advance alongside Madrid.

Pachuca: The club from Mexico have been eliminated.