Club World Cup Team Betting Predictions: Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid finished third in La Liga this term, 12 points behind champions Barcelona - but unlike the club from Catalonia, they will be at this year’s Club World Cup. 

That’s because they have outranked them in European competitions over the last three years, and given each nation is only allowed two representatives - Barca are the ones to miss out in favour of the Madrid clubs. Below you can find my Atletico Madrid Fifa Club World Cup 2025 predictions ahead of the summer tournament.

Group B: Atletico Madrid, PSG, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders

Fixtures: PSG vs Atletico Madrid (20:00 BST, June 15), Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid (23:00, June 19), Atletico Madrid vs Botafogo (20:00 BST, June 23).

Atleti sat top of La Liga at the halfway stage, having only lost one of their first 19 league fixtures - so it does feel somewhat disappointing that they have finished below the giants of Barcelona and Real Madrid again. 

We must give Diego Simeone constant praise for getting them to compete with the two biggest clubs on the planet, but silly away defeats to the likes of Osasuna, Real Betis, Las Palmas and Getafe stopped this being a truly iconic domestic campaign. 

Club World Cup 2025 Odds

Still, they have one of the best teams in Europe and would have gone further in the Champions League had it not been for another agonising defeat to their fiercest rivals - this time on penalties. They had the better of that tie but just don’t seem able to get past Real Madrid in these big moments - as Simone repeatedly tries to crack Los Blancos’ resolve. 

That defeat in the last 16 still stings, and they will be desperate to put things right here after a trophyless campaign to date. The semi-final defeat in the Copa del Rey also felt like a missed opportunity after they drew 4-4 away at Barcelona only to lose 1-0 at home in the second leg. How many times must Atleti be the bridesmaids under Simeone?

And yet. I think they’ve got a chance of doing something special this summer. This is an unbelievably talented squad with a top manager that have just been unfortunate this season in the big moments. Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez, Koke, Rodrigo De Paul and Marcos Llorente are all top talents while former Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Conor Gallagher offer experience and energy.

You know what you are going to get from this lot. We’ve known it for a decade. They are going to work extremely hard and hope that their unity can overhaul one of the big boys in the latter stages. One thing is for sure, they should certainly feature in the final reckoning. 

Player to watch: Alexander Sorloth 

I know you expected me to name one of the usual suspects in Griezmann or Llorente, but no. I’m looking for a point of difference for Atleti to go far in this competition, and I think Alexander Sorloth could be that man.

He’s now scored 24 goals this term, 20 of those coming in 35 La Liga appearances and I think his physical presence could change the game for Atleti. He’s 6ft 4in, and can provide an outlet for his teammates when under pressure, but his goalscoring ability makes him far more than a target man. 

You may remember his failed spell at Crystal Palace as a youngster, but in the last two seasons he has really kicked on. He almost won the Golden Boot for Villarreal last term in his first season in Spain, which saw Atleti pay £30m for his signature. He’s been worth the money too, continuing that decent goalscoring form, even cracking in a 28-minute hat-trick off the bench against Girona on the final day. He should have a good tournament and could see Atleti ruffle a few feathers along the way.

Football Odds

Prediction: Atletico Madrid to reach the quarter-finals @ 5/4

This is brilliant value in my eyes. Their group should be a straight shootout between themselves and European champions PSG for top spot, and given they play the side from the French capital first, I think they can get something. That should work in their favour given the recent celebrations we have seen from PSG after their Champions League triumph - and their motivation to perform from the get-go may not be as high as the other teams in this competition. 

That means Atleti could win the group, but even if they don’t, they will only face the winner of a weak Group A on paper to reach the quarter-finals. Porto, Palmeiras, Al Ahly or Inter Miami will be their last 16 opponents and they would be heavy favourites against any of those teams. I see this as a fairly safe selection given the quality on show and the opposition they will face along the way. 

They could go an awful lot further however, with the 14/1 on them to win the competition also generous in my eyes.

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