Pep Guardiola's side may be the new favourites to take home the trophy but they don't have any representatives in our all-star selection
The group stage of the 2025 Club World Cup is done and dusted, with Manchester City the only side to progress to the last 16 with a 100 percent record.
Interestingly, though, when it came to picking our team of the opening round, we could find no room in our XI for any of Pep Guardiola's players – which is perhaps testament to the collective quality at the disposal of the Catalan coach, who has been able to rotate his stellar squad without seeing his side suffer any dip in efficacy.
However, there was also intense competition for places in our all-star selection, as underlined by the fact that the likes of Estevao and Vitinha failed to make the cut. So, who did earn inclusion? GOAL reveals all below…
Getty Images SportGK: Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal)
Al-Hilal's presence in the last 16 is no fluke. They've proven they can play and have quality in every area of the pitch.
However, there's no getting away from the fact that they would not have reached the knockout stage were it not for Yassine Bounou, who showed that he remains one of the finest shot-stoppers in world football by frustrating Real Madrid on matchday one before keeping consecutive clean sheets against Red Bull Salzburg and Pachuca.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRB: Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
We're honestly not sure if there's a more complete defender in the game today than Achraf Hakimi, who is outstanding going forward and solid as a rock in defence.
The Moroccan right-back really can do it all and, after playing a pivotal role in Paris Saint-Germain's treble triumph, he helped Luis Enrique's side secure top spot in Group B at the Club World Cup with the killer second goal in the 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders.
AFPCB: Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica)
There was a legitimate fear that Benfica might struggle to get out of Group C – but they ended up beating Bayern Munich to top spot thanks in no small part to a magnificent rearguard action led by Nicolas Otamendi.
The Argentine may be 37 but he's clearly lost none of his aggression or positional awareness and has been one of the most dominant defenders on show in the United States.
Getty Images SportCB: Sergio Ramos (Monterrey)
Love him or loathe him, Sergio Ramos is some player.
The Real Madrid legend is still going strong at 39 years of age and with his goal in Monterrey's 1-1 draw Inter, he became the oldest player ever to score at the Club World Cup.
Furthermore, the Mexicans ended up with the best defensive record in the group stage and their veteran captain was the main reason why.
