Chelsea vs. Palmeiras odds, picks: FIFA Club World Cup best bets, predictions Friday
Sometimes a draw just breaks your way.
That's exactly what's happened with Chelsea at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are all on the bottom half of the bracket, but Chelsea is on the top with Palmeiras, Al-Hilal, and Fluminense.
The path is wide open for the Blues to get into the FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea vs. Palmeiras preview
The FIFA Club World Cup featured plenty of cannon fodder, but Chelsea were in a difficult group with Flamengo, LAFC, and ES Tunis.
The Blues slipped up against Flamengo in a 3-1 defeat, but they took care of business on either side of that match to qualify for the Round of 16.
The defeat to Flamengo was a bit of a shock to the system, but it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it put Chelsea in the top half of the bracket, pitting them against Benfica in the Round of 16.
Chelsea's 4-1 win over Benfica was strange.
The match went to extra time tied 1-1, and the two clubs were forced off the pitch for a two-hour weather delay, but the Blues were deserving winners.
Chelsea created 2.7 expected goals and four big scoring chances in the contest, while holding Benfica to just 1.2 xG and one big chance.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates a goal for Chelsea.
FIFA via Getty Images
It was a weird match, but it was the most impressive display from the Blues in this tournament.
They'll need to bring that form with them on Friday night as they take on Palmeiras, one of the tournament's surprise packages.
Like a lot of South American teams, Palmeiras prefer to play a physical, low-event style of soccer and make life difficult for their opponents.
They played a snoozer against Botafogo in the Round of 16, winning 1-0 in extra time. That match featured just 2.43 expected goals and two big scoring chances combined, which is exactly what Palmeiras will want Friday night.
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FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea vs. Palmeiras pick
Chelsea will want this game to open up, but the last thing the Blues can afford is to get caught and fall behind early. That would allow Palmeiras to sit back and do their thing.
The Blues likely have too much talent for Palmeiras and get through, but this one should get off to a sluggish start.
The Play: Same-Game Parlay: 1H Under 0.5 goals/Chelsea ML (+525, BetMGM)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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Miami Herald
10 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Was the 2025 Club World Cup a success? Depends whom you ask. Here are some takeaways
And so, after 63 games over 30 days in 12 stadiums across the United States, FIFA's expanded (and controversial) $1 billion Club World Cup came to an end on Sunday with Chelsea's stunning 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the championship game. A crowd of 81,118, including President Trump, packed Met Life Stadium in New Jersey for the occasion. The night before, a light show featuring 1,500 drones filled the sky over the Hudson River as a prelude to the finale, an advertisement befitting the event's glitzy marketing campaign. The tournament was the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a man not known for understatement, who declared the 32-team competition 'a huge, huge, huge success' and hailed it as the start of 'the golden era for global club football.' Four weeks ago, the cup kicked off at Hard Rock Stadium with Inter Miami against Egyptian club Al Ahly amid skepticism (especially from the UK and Europe) about whether fans would show up, whether players would care, and whether the tournament was anything more than a money grab that clogged an already crowded international soccer calendar. Many European journalists and fans derided the idea from its inception, predicting the tournament would either never happen or be a big flop. Former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp called the revamped competition 'the worst idea ever implemented in football.' Much of the mocking continued from overseas throughout the competition. Although the tournament was imperfect and exposed a few issues that need to be addressed before the 2026 World Cup (more on that later), the harsh criticism from naysayers proved exaggerated and unwarranted. Let's review… ATTENDANCE Despite a handful of group stage games played in front of small crowds, the total attendance over the month was 2.49 million and the average attendance was 39,547. There were 16 crowds of more than 60,000 (six of them at Hard Rock Stadium), and five exceeded 70,000. Fans from 168 countries bought tickets. In addition to fans who traveled to the United States to see their favorite teams, the passionate support of each club's U.S. diaspora community was on full display. Although we call it 'soccer' and call the pitch a 'field', the notion that Americans don't know or care about the sport has been outdated for quite some time. This tournament offered a chance for fans all over the country to connect with their favorite clubs, the clubs whose jerseys they proudly wear year-round, the clubs whose matches they watch on T.V. and whose stars they idolize. Every time Real Madrid played, a sea of white followed. Tens of thousands of Egyptian Americans showed up for Al Ahly games. Fans of Argentine clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate injected the tournament with huge beach parties, 'banderazo' pep rallies, and never-ending singing and jumping. Flamengo fans partied on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with Brazilian flags and decorated the Rocky statue with their team colors. Thousands of fans of Tunisian club Esperance rallied in Times Square and South African fans brought their bright yellow parties to Mamelodi Sundowns games. As for the games that drew small crowds, one way to fix that for next time is to avoid mid-week, midday games (that also would help with the oppressive heat) and not host as many group-stage matches in giant NFL stadiums. Infantino said he'd prefer having 30,000 people in an 80,000-seat stadium than limit potentially large crowds to 20,000 in a 20,000-seat stadium. But smaller venues would have created better atmospheres for the lower-profile matchups. 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Meanwhile, all four Brazilian teams reached the Round of 16, as did MLS club Inter Miami, Liga MX team Monterrey, and Saudi team Al Hilal. Even the MLS teams that did not advance, LAFC and Seattle Sounders, played like they belonged. 'I think the Club World Cup has been an incredible success and a proud moment for everyone involved in soccer across North America,' said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. 'The beauty of the Club World Cup is that our teams had the chance to go head-to-head with some of the best clubs in the world – and they held their own. Research tells us that our fans measure MLS by how our teams perform against top clubs. These matches raise the profile of MLS and show that our teams belong in the global soccer conversation.' Brazil's Botafogo shocked PSG in a group game. Monterrey tied Inter Milan. Lionel Messi produced magic moments and his Inter Miami teammates exceeded expectations, as the MLS club went undefeated through three group games. Miami wound up losing 4-0 to PSG in the Round-of-16, the same scoreline as PSG's victories over Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Non-European teams were highly motivated to prove they could compete at an elite level and showcase themselves on a global stage. There was legitimate concern that Europe-based players would not have the energy to play their best on the heels of long club seasons with an ever-more crowded schedule, but once the competition began and the whistles blew, the players' passion took over. Of course, the prize money was a big motivator. Each group win was worth $2 million, $1 million for each draw. Teams that reached the Round of 16 earned an additional $7.5 million, $13.125 million for quarterfinalists, $21 million for semifinalists, $30 million for finalists, and $40 million for the winner. Chelsea took home more than $110 million. Inter Miami went home $21 million richer. THE WEATHER It can be oppressively hot and humid in the summer in some American cities. 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J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems and Coldplay performed on a giant stage. None of that was necessary. It all felt out of place. Next time, let the soccer and the fans provide the show.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump Steals Soccer Champions' Spotlight, Gets Booed by Fans
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NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
UEFA Champions League: 2025-26 format, qualifying round fixtures, draw dates, league phase
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What are the draw dates for the UEFA Champions League? First qualifying round: June 17 Second qualifying round: June 18 Third qualifying round: July 21 Playoff round: August 4 League phase: August 28 Knockout playoff round: January 30 Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final: February 27 What are the match dates for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League? Qualifying rounds First qualifying round (two legs): July 8-9 and July 15-16 Second qualifying round (two legs): July 22-23 and July 29-30 Third qualifying round (two legs): August 5-6 and August 12 Playoff round: August 19-20 and August 26-27 League phase Matchday 1: September 16-18 Matchday 2: September 30-October 1 Matchday 3: October 21-22 Matchday 4: November 4-5 Matchday 5: November 25-26 Matchday 6: December 9-10 Matchday 7: January 20-21 Matchday 8: January 28 Knockout playoff round: February 17-18, February 24-25 Round of 16: March 10-11, March 17-18 Quarterfinals: April 7-8, April 14-15 Semifinals: April 28-29, May 5-6 Final: May 30 at Puskas Arena in Budapest Who have qualified for the UEFA Champions League league phase? 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Second legs July 29-30. Champions Path Match 5 winner v Match 4 winner Match 1 winner vs Dynamo Kiev Pafos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Match 7 winner vs Red Star Belgrade Match 13 winner vs Ferencvaros Lech Poznan vs Match 8 winner Copenhagen vs Match 6 winner Rijeka vs Match 14 winner Match 3 winner vs Match 10 winner Slovan Bratislava vs Match 11 winner Match 9 winner vs Qarabag Match 2 winner vs Match 12 winner Brann vs Red Bull Salzburg Viktoria Plzen vs Servette Glasgow Rangers vs Panathinaikos Draw: July 21 First legs to be played August 5-6. Second legs August 12. Second qualifying round winners Winners of second qualifying round plus Benfica, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Fenerbahce, Nice Draw: August 4 First legs to be played August 19-20. Second legs August 26-27. Six winners of third qualifying round plus Celtic, Bodo/Glimt, Basel, and Sturm Graz. Four winners from the third qualifying round
