Club World Cup daily rankings: Brazilian powers, Miami make their move

For nearly two decades, no FIFA tournament has been complete without a star turn from Lionel Messi. That was the bet the global body made upon awarding Inter Miami “host team” honors — an addition it hoped could ensure the first expanded Club World Cup would have a sense of stakes, star power and an undeniable reason for neutrals to watch. On Thursday, they got their moment of magic, and Miami suddenly has a path toward the knockout stage.

Welcome to the second edition of The Athletic’s Club World Cup daily power rankings, our look at who’s hot, who’s not, and how the struggle for global club supremacy is shaking out. Share your comments below and don’t be shy to disagree. We’ll run the rankings up to before the semifinals.

We will update these rankings at the end of each day’s play. Unlike our pre-tournament rankings that focused on the historical might of each team, this series is designed to live very much in the present. Simply, we’ll use the results of this competition alone to project who has the best chance to win the trophy — as well as teams who appear doomed to an early ticket home.

Capped by a Messi free kick, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium witnessed the first competitive win by an MLS team against an opponent from UEFA. Beyond that history, Thursday treated us to Atlético Madrid’s bounceback and a pair of Brazilian triumphs — including a famous win against the recently crowned champions of Europe.

Only teams that played on Thursday will see serious changes to their ranking, while everyone around them will shuffle to accommodate until they play a second fixture. Onto the good stuff.

(Teams that played on Thursday are italicized in the rankings.)

The Athletic Club World Cup Power Rankings – June 20

1. Bayern Munich (-): Smashed 10 past Auckland but bigger tests await.

2. Manchester City (up 1): Cherki, Reijnders, and Foden all impressive. Field, beware.

3. Chelsea (up 1): Creative and controlled opener. Palmer: 1g/2a in last 1,529 minutes.

4. Botafogo (up 5): “Igor Jesus plus strong defensive shape” can beat anybody. It’s canon.

5. Flamengo (-): Played like a favorite. Chelsea clash immediately must-watch.

6. Paris Saint-Germain (down 4): Uncharacteristically sluggish in second game. Aberration or worrying sign?

7. Juventus (down 1): Day one’s biggest xG overperformers. Still, showed more intent than throughout 2024-25.

8. River Plate (down 1): Physicality set a strong tone against Urawa.

9. Inter Milan (down 1): Only Bayern out-generated their 2.68 xG. Still fell victim to Sergio Ramos.

10. Real Madrid (-): Still learning Alonsoball. Defense looked shaky. Trust the process?

11. Palmeiras (up 2): Still Group A’s favorite. Can they contain Messi?

12. Al Hilal (-): Bounou’s heroics preserve point against Madrid. May have won with Mitrović.

13. Boca Juniors (down 2): The field’s best-supported team in Miami. Could rue blown 2-0 lead.

14. Benfica (-): Gutsy comeback to spare early blushes. Concerning lack of creativity.

15. Atlético Madrid (up 5): Composed breakthrough led by midfield. Botafogo could thwart great escape.

16. Inter Miami (up 9): Messi’s magic still invaluable. Another point will see them through.

17. Fluminense (down 2): Resilient start, but clearly left two more points on table against Dortmund.

18. Mamelodi Sundowns (down 2): “The Sky is the Limit” after statement win

19. RB Salzburg (down 2): Like the crops, their performance sure needed the rain.

20. Borussia Dortmund (down 1): Sleepwalked through opener. In Jobe We Trust.

21.  Pachuca (up 1): Could hardly get going against a limited Salzburg.

22. FC Porto (down 4): Buckled under duress. May get time off sooner than expected.

23. Los Angeles FC (up 1): A credible showing against a top Premier League side at full strength.

24. Urawa Red Diamonds (up 2): Created great looks – just couldn’t convert.

25. Monterrey (up 2): Fought for a draw, but wildly outplayed by Inter.

26. Al Ahly (down 3): Another poor second half. Must catch Porto by surprise.

27. Seattle Sounders (down 6): Another “moral victory” without points. A cruel draw, indeed.

28. Ulsan HD (-): Gave Mamelodi a game, but couldn’t turn good build-up into threats.

29. Wydad Casablanca (-): 2-0 against City a fair scoreline – and validation of quality.

30. Espérance de Tunis (-): Scrapped with Flamengo for tournament-high 39-foul contest.

31. Al-Ain (-): Rui Patricio sure has fallen off, hasn’t he?

32. Auckland City (-): It can only get better after shipping 10.

(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; NurPhoto / Getty, Dylan Buell / Getty, Carl Recine / Getty, Angela Weiss / Getty)