Atletico Madrid Membership World Cup preview

Atletico Madrid are in the USA this summer time, with Diego Simeone’s facet bidding for glory in an expanded FIFA Membership World Cup. Los Rojiblancos are one among 12 European golf equipment participating within the event, and our Atletico Madrid Membership World Cup preview assesses their probabilities of going all the best way.

In accordance with the newest betting odds through the Fanatics Sportsbook promo, Atleti rank among the many eight favourites to win the competitors, suggesting they’ve acquired a powerful probability of a minimum of reaching the quarter-finals.

Nevertheless, metropolis rivals Actual Madrid, group-stage opponents PSG and Premier League facet Manchester Metropolis are considered because the groups almost certainly to carry the trophy.

How did Atletico Madrid qualify for the 2025 FIFA Membership World Cup?

Atletico Madrid certified for the Membership World Cup by advantage of the UEFA membership coefficient rating system. Factors had been awarded over a four-year interval (2021-2024), and helped by two Champions League quarter-final appearances over that timeframe, Atleti’s rating was excessive sufficient to safe one of many allotted UEFA slots for the event.

They carried out higher over that interval in European competitions than Barcelona who is not going to be on the Membership World Cup, with Actual Madrid the one different Spanish qualifiers.

Atletico Madrid’s Membership World Cup historical past

This will likely be Atleti’s first look on the FIFA Membership World Cup, though they did play within the 1974 Intercontinental Cup towards Independiente of Argentina, successful a two-legged tie 2-1 on mixture to carry the trophy.

They certified for that competitors having completed as runners-up within the 1973/74 European Cup. Champions Bayern Munich declined to take part, which means Atleti stepped in and have become the primary winners of the competitors to have by no means been topped champions of their very own continent.

Group stage opponents

PSG

Atleti’s chief rivals for high spot in Group B will seemingly be PSG who’ve simply celebrated successful the Champions League for the primary time after hammering Inter Milan 5-0 within the closing. Coached by Luis Enrique, they’ll be on cloud 9 following that, with the previous Spain boss doing a implausible job by way of developing a gifted younger workforce over the previous two years.

Whereas the likes of Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi have stood out, PSG are very a lot a workforce in each sense of the phrase. The one doubt about them could also be fatigue on the finish of a protracted season, with their long-awaited European glory evening not coming till the ultimate day of Might.

Seattle Sounders

MLS facet Seattle Sounders could have dwelling benefit at Lumen Discipline in all three of their group video games, however they nonetheless rank because the outsiders to qualify from Group B which is actually one of many hardest on the event.

Coached by their long-serving boss Brian Schmetzer, Sounders are presently sixth within the Western Convention of MLS within the 2025 season, however lately claimed continental glory by successful the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. They’re nonetheless skippered by their veteran keeper Stefan Frei, however have few genuinely large names of their squad.

Botafogo

Based mostly in Rio de Janeiro, Botafogo will likely be hoping to upset one of many two European groups of their group and probably ship both PSG or Atletico Madrid packing earlier than the knockout stage.

Whereas that will be a shock, they shouldn’t be underestimated as the present champions of each Brazil and South America, after they defeated compatriots Atletico Mineiro within the 2024 closing of the Copa Libertadores to cap an exquisite yr. They’ve conceded simply seven objectives in 11 fixtures to date this time period within the Brazilian Serie A.

Atletico Madrid Membership World Cup fixtures

Group stage

Matchday	Date	Opponent	Venue
1	June fifteenth 2025	PSG	Rose Bowl, Pasadena
2	June nineteenth 2025	Seattle Sounders	Lumen Discipline, Seattle
3	June twenty third 2025	Botafogo	Rose Bowl, Pasadena

Lower than a yr after the collapse of plans to take a LaLiga recreation to Miami, Atletico Madrid will play their first ever aggressive recreation in the USA on June fifteenth 2025 once they tackle PSG within the iconic Rose Bowl in California.

They then journey up the Pacific Coast to Seattle for his or her fixture with Sounders, earlier than returning to the Rose Bowl for a probably decisive closing recreation towards Botafogo. Their first and third group video games will likely be early 12:00 kick-offs native time (21:00 in Madrid), whereas they’ll play Seattle at 15:00 native time (00:00 within the Spanish capital).

Potential knockout path

	1st in Group B	2nd in Group B
Spherical-of-16	June twenty ninth in Atlanta	June twenty eighth in Philadelphia
Quarter-final	July fifth in Atlanta	July 4th in Philadelphia
Semi-final	July ninth in New Jersey	July eighth in New Jersey
Ultimate	July thirteenth in New Jersey	July thirteenth in New Jersey

With the Membership World Cup following the identical format as current 32-team editions of the World Cup, Atletico Madrid followers can plot their workforce’s potential path ought to they advance as one of many high two groups in Group B.

Opposition from Group A (Palmeiras, Inter Miami, Porto, Al Ahly) would await within the round-of-16 ought to they advance. With that group feeling like probably the most evenly-matched ones within the event and never that includes any of the outright favourites, it might not matter an excessive amount of whether or not Atleti find yourself in first or second place.

That can change the place they head subsequent although, with the potential for 2 video games in Atlanta in the event that they win Group B, whereas they’d journey to Lincoln Monetary Discipline in Philadelphia subsequent had been they to complete second.

The semi-finals and closing will all happen at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Who will likely be in Diego Simeone’s squad?

The Atletico Madrid Membership World Cup squad will primarily be the membership’s common senior squad, given there aren’t any notable accidents presently for Simeone to cope with.

That image is barely extra sophisticated on condition that the contracts of 4 gamers had been resulting from expire halfway by way of the event. Thus far, solely Reinildo has agreed to a short lived extension that can see him accessible for the total competitors.

Axel Witsel, Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Musso have contracts that run out on the finish of June, with the extent of their involvement in the USA much less sure.