Bayern Munich at FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Dates, Fixtures, Squad, Stats, Where to Watch and More
Having last featured in FIFA’s premier club competition just over four years ago, Bayern Munich qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup by virtue of UEFA’s co-efficient pathway. Statistically the strongest team in Europe to have not won the UEFA Champions League in any of the previous four seasons, many expect Bayern Munich to reach the latter stages of the tournament.
The newly expanded Club World Cup kicks off in mid-June, less than a month after the conclusion of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign. The Bavarians are amongst 32 teams competing in the US this summer, with the cream of all six FIFA confederations invited to attend. Thanks to a lucrative broadcasting contract and immense sponsorship revenue, all participating clubs will receive at least $50m for their efforts – regardless of how they perform.
In the notes below, we’ll cover every aspect of Bayern Munich’s involvement in this season’s Club World Cup. From schedules to squad lists, prominent players to past performances, and broadcasters to bookmaker odds, we leave no stone unturned in our analysis.
Can Vincent Kompany inspire his troops to international glory, or will another manager hoist the re-designed Club World Cup trophy aloft in July?
Schedule, fixtures and opponents
The Bavarians will play all three group stage fixtures close to the US' eastern seaboard, visiting Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida during the initial stages of the competition. Less than 24 hours after Al Ahly and Inter Miami clash in the tournament opener, Bayern Munich commence their Club World Cup campaign against OFC representatives Auckland City at the TQL Stadium.
Group stage match fixtures
Match 1: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City – Sunday 15th June, 12.00pm (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH)
Match 2: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors – Friday 20th June, 9.00pm (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL)
Match 3: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich – Tuesday 24th June, 3.00pm (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC)
Please note that Group C and Group D have been paired together in two of the eight Round of 16 ties. Match 50 pits the Group C winners against the Group D runner-up, while Match 52 will be contested between the Group D winners and Group C runner-up.
Therefore, should they conclude the group stage in either first or second place, Bayern will face either Flamengo, Espérance de Tunis, Chelsea, or Club León in the next round.
Bayern Munich’s 2025 Club World Cup group stage opponents
Drawn into Group C alongside Auckland City, Boca Juniors, and Benfica, Bayern Munich are expected to comfortably progress to the knockout rounds. Despite being heavy favourites to top the group, Vincent Kompany won’t allow any complacency to seep into his squad. All three opponents possess considerable quality in forward areas and will be desperate to turn over one of the planet’s most successful clubs.
Auckland City
New Zealand’s most decorated club, Auckland City have claimed ten domestic league titles and been crowned OFC Champions League winners on a staggering 12 occasions. No team has made more appearances in FIFA’s most prestigious club competition than the Navy Blues, competing in eleven editions overall.
Auckland City’s strongest performance at a Club World Cup came in 2014, clinching third place in Morocco. After defeating hosts Moghreb Tetuán via a penalty shootout in the preliminary round, City overcame Algerians ES Sétif before being eliminated by reigning Copa Libertadores champions San Lorenzo at the semi-final stage. However, a third/fourth place play-off victory over Cruz Azul ensured the North Islanders left North Africa in high spirits.
Boca Juniors
Assuming one of CONMEBOL’s six qualification slots, Boca Juniors represent South America at a Club World Cup for the second time in their esteemed history. The Argentinian giants were beaten finalists back in 2007, losing out to Carlo Ancelotti’s swashbuckling AC Milan side in Yokohama.
Despite enjoying considerable success over the years, the Buenos Aires-based outfit havn’t won a single piece of continental – or international – silverware since lifting the Recopa Sudamericana trophy in 2008. Therefore, Boca are due another major triumph….
Benfica
Although having never previously featured at a Club World Cup, Benfica are no strangers to the elite stage. After winning back-to-back European Cups in the early 1960s, the Portuguese heavyweights have qualified for a further eight continental finals.
The Eagles are currently performing well under the stewardship of former Wolves boos Bruno Lage, remaining in touching distance of Sporting Lisbon at the summit of Liga Portugal after becoming Taça da Liga champions for a record-extending eighth time earlier this year.
TV coverage: Where to watch Bayern Munich at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
DAZN have purchased exclusive broadcasting rights for the 2025 Club World Cup, and will consequently screen all 63 scheduled fixtures. Therefore, you’ll know exactly where to go to watch Harry Kane and Co. in action this summer!
Having made the welcome decision to allow viewers free access to live coverage of every fixture, the London-based streaming service will enable registered account holders to tune in via smart TVs, web browsers, tablets, smartphones, game consoles, and other compatible electronic devices.
It’s free to join DAZN as a basic user, but you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to watch the platform’s premium content. Please note that commentary will be provided in multiple languages, and DAZN are permitted to sub-license rights to other TV channels.
Expected line-up: Bayern Munich’s potential squad for the 2025 Club World Cup
While FIFA are hopeful that all Club World Cup participants will field their strongest starting XIs, it’s likely some coaches will take an alternate course of action. As the bustling nature of the global footballing calendar continues to intensify, concerns over player welfare have been regularly cited in recent months. After yet another gruelling campaign, few would be surprised if a handful of players are given permission to sit out a potentially draining competition.
With Bayern Munich still competing on domestic and continental fronts as we approach the business end of the season, Vincent Kompany may want to hand some of his beleaguered superstars a well-earned rest. Nevertheless, the Belgian will undoubtedly be eager to add to his personal medal haul and therefore is unlikely to break up the nucleus of his team.
The Bavarians currently have an extensive injury list but are confident this will mostly clear before the final weeks of the season. Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has now almost fully recovered from his calf injury, while promising central defender Tarek Buchmann is expected to return in early April. Senior squad members Jonas Urbig (foot), Min-Jae Kim (Achilles), and Kingsley Coman (ankle) should all be fit by mid-April, but doubts remain over whether Aleksandar Pavlović (mononucleosis) will be ready for action come the summer.
Several players were shipped out on loan during the January transfer window, but may be recalled in time for the competition. Highly-rated teenager Arijon Ibrahimović is enjoying life in the Italian capital with Lazio, while French Under-21 international Mathys Tel is contracted to Spurs for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign. Youngsters Nestory Irankunda and Adam Aznou are currently navigating temporary spells with Swiss outfit Grasshoppers and Spanish side Real Valladolid respectively.
Expected full line-up:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (captain), Daniel Peretz, Sven Ulreich, Jonas Urbig
Defenders: Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, Eric Dier, Hiroki Ito, Raphaël Guerreiro, Sacha Boey, Adam Aznou, Tarek Buchmann, Josip Stanišić
Midfielders: Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sané, João Palhinha, Michael Olise, Alphonso Davies, Konrad Laimer, Adin Ličina, Javier Fernández, Jamal Musiala, Arijon Ibrahimović, Jonathan Asp Jensen, Aleksandar Pavlović
Attackers: Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, Kingsley Coman, Gabriel Vidović, Thomas Müller, Mathys Tel, Nestory Irankunda
Players to watch
Vincent Kompany has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, with a selection of Europe’s brightest stars currently plying their trade in Bavaria. We’ve completed the unenviable task of pinpointing Bayern Munich’s three key players, highlighting how they contribute to their team’s success.
Capable of operating as a box-to-box midfielder, deep-lying playmaker, or marauding full-back, Joshua Kimmich offers Vincent Kompany a wealth of positional versatility. One of the first names on the team sheet each week, the experienced German international could make his 450th appearance for Bayern Munich ahead of the Club World Cup.
Since arriving from Crystal Palace last summer, Michael Olise has enchanted Bayern Munich fans with his dazzling footwork, creative ingenuity, and killer instinct in the final third. The English-born French international has recorded eight goals and assists in the Bundesliga this term, helping to propel Bayern Munich to the summit of the table.
A constant attacking threat, the skilful midfielder has also netted five times in the UEFA Champions League, recording braces in emphatic victories over Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk along the way.
Arguably the deadliest marksman in Europe, Harry Kane is able to produce the required finish in any given situation. Although he’s never previously appeared at a Club World Cup, the 31-year-old Englishman has netted in all three major European club competitions.
By the conclusion of a memorable debut season in Bavaria, Kane sat at the summit of the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League scoring charts after registering a staggering 44 goals in 45 competitive outings.
Winner odds: What are Bayern Munich’s chances of winning this year?
Having endured an underwhelming 2023/24 campaign, Vincent Kompany has managed to reinvigorate Bayern Munich this season. After missing out on a 12th consecutive Bundesliga title last term, it seems the Bavarians have now re-established their hegemony on the domestic front. No team in Germany’s top flight has scored more or conceded less than Bayern this season, emphasising the scale of their dominance.
After suffering a disappointing exit in the DFB-Pokal at the hands of familiar foes Bayer Leverkusen, Kompany’s men ironically defeated the reigning Bundesliga champions to progress to the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Therefore, on the evidence of current form, it appears Bayern have a reasonable chance of success. The bookmakers seem to agree, installing them as third favourites ahead of the tournament.
Bayern Munich to win Club World Cup: 7/1
So, who else is expected to compete for silverware on American soil this summer?
Pep Guardiola may have endured his toughest-ever season as City boss, but his team are still favourites to retain their Club World Cup title. Although unceremoniously dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by fellow participants Real Madrid, the bookies believe the Citizens have enough to edge out the competition in the US.
To win: 7/2
Real Madrid
Currently in the hunt to win an eye-watering 15th UEFA Champions League title, Real Madrid is a club that demands success at every turn. The only team to secure five Club World Cup crowns, few would be surprised if Los Blancos returned to the Spanish capital with further silverware in July.
To win: 4/1
Chelsea
Having entered the 2024/25 campaign with limited expectations following a series of disappointments last season, Chelsea fans will be delighted about the progress made under Italian boss Enzo Maresca. In addition to being well-placed to secure a European berth, the West Londoners have cruised through the opening rounds of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
To win: 9/1
How did Bayern Munich qualify for the 2025 tournament?
In advance of last December’s Club World Cup draw in Miami, each confederation were allocated a specific number of tournament slots. UEFA will be the best-represented confederation, with 12 European outfits involved this summer.
FIFA rules dictate that any team that has won a premier continental championship in one or more of the last four seasons automatically qualifies for the 2025 Club World Cup. As Real Madrid earned their 14th and 15th UEFA Champions League titles within this timeframe, only two other teams from Europe – 2020/21 winners Chelsea and 2022/23 victors Manchester City – could qualify via this pathway. Bayern Munich secured their last UEFA Champions League crown in 2020, and therefore narrowly missed out on direct qualification.
The remaining nine European participants were determined by UEFA’s coefficient model. Points were allocated based on each club’s UEFA Champions League results, with performances over the past three seasons and group phase of the 2024/25 campaign taken into account.
Bayern Munich received more coefficient points than all teams except for Manchester City and Real Madrid, and therefore qualified via the ‘ranking’ pathway. The Bavarians were eliminated at the quarter-final stage in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, having won all six of their group fixtures on both occasions. A semi-final elimination at the hands of eventual winners Real Madrid followed last season, before five victories from eight ensured Bayern’s place in the knockout rounds.
Bayern Munich’s 2025 Club World Cup kit
With millions of fans expected to watch events unfold in the US this summer, releasing a dedicated Club World Cup kit presents a major commercial opportunity for participating teams. It’s currently unclear as to whether Bayern Munich players will adorn a bespoke jersey for the tournament, but design may already be underway.
Have Bayern Munich ever won the Club World Cup before?
The Bavarians have enjoyed each of their two appearances at the Club World Cup, emerging triumphant on both occasions. Thanks to the heavily seeded structure of previous editions, the Germans entered the 2013 and 2020 competitions at the semi-final stage.
Bayern Munich’s first Club World Cup entry came in 2013, qualifying courtesy of a dramatic UEFA Champions League final victory over Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund seven months prior. Pep Guardiola’s men swept aside Chinese newcomers Guangzhou Evergrande to set up a showdown with Raja Casablanca. Thanks to first-half goals from Brazilian defender Dante and recently retired midfielder Thiago Alcântara, Bayern would comfortably defeat the Moroccan hosts at a packed Stade de Marrakech.
After beating Paris Saint-Germain in the preceding UEFA Champions League final, Bayern Munich arrived in Qatar to participate in the delayed 2020 Club World Cup. A brace from Robert Lewandowski was enough to ease past Al Ahly, as the Egyptians departed at the semi-final stage for the third time in 14 years. The Bavarians narrowly defeated reigning CONCACAF Champions League titleholders Tigres UANL in the final, with Benjamin Pavard’s second-half strike separating the two teams.
As a result, Bayern have won all four of their previous Club World Cup fixtures without conceding a single goal. Although this remarkable defensive record is unlikely to remain intact come mid-July, a third ‘consecutive’ title is undoubtedly within reach. Can Germany’s most successful club add yet another piece of silverware to an already bustling trophy cabinet? We won’t have to wait long to find out.