Ambitious Porto enter Club World Cup with nothing to lose

One of the 32 teams taking part in the new Club World Cup is Porto. The Portuguese side, one of UEFA's twelve representatives, booked their place in the tournament by finishing fifth in the confederation's ranking between 2021 and 2024.

Their confirmed spot was largely down to reaching the quarter-finals in 2020/21 and consecutive last-16 appearances in 2022/23 and 2023/24.

So, how do the Dragons arrive at this summer's tournament? Porto's only piece of silverware in 2024/25 came in the Portuguese Super Cup, where they beat Sporting Lisbon 4-3.

Beyond that, the season has been disappointing. They finished third in the league and were knocked out of the Portuguese Cup, the League Cup, and the Europa League. To make matters worse, two coaches have already taken charge this term: Vitor Bruno and Martin Anselmi.

Free of pressure and motivated by the prestige – and prize money – of the tournament, Porto will be looking to punch above their weight in a tough group. They face stern opposition in the form of Al Ahly (Egypt), Palmeiras (Brazil) and Inter Miami (USA).

Squad list

Players to watch

To help with the challenge, the club brought in the gifted Gabri Veiga, who has ended his spell in Saudi Arabia and returned to European football with the most decorated side in Portuguese history.

One of Porto's standout names is Samu Omorodion. The Spanish international has been a prolific presence up front, finishing as the club's top scorer with 25 goals in 42 appearances.

He was the top scorer among the 'non-Gyokeres' in the Portuguese league and has the Club World Cup firmly in his sights as a chance to add more goals to his tally.

Another name worth highlighting is Rodrigo Mora. The young Portuguese talent has been one of the revelations of the season, jumping from the youth setup into the first team.

With 10 goals and four assists in his debut campaign, the Matosinhos-born midfielder has become a key figure and is among the Portugal senior squad for the Nations League. Gabri Veiga, too, is expected to bring quality, vision and a goal threat to the midfield after returning from the Saudi Pro League.

Coach

Martin Anselmi will lead Porto into the Club World Cup. The Argentinian coach, who replaced Vitor Bruno in late January, has yet to fully steady a side that has been inconsistent from the start of the season.

Anselmi prefers possession-based football but is flexible enough to adapt to different match contexts. He has also given more playing time to Rodrigo Mora, encouraging his emergence as one of the domestic season's biggest surprises.

Anselmi boasts a strong CV from his time at Independiente del Valle, where he won the Copa Sudamericana (2022), the Recopa Sudamericana (2023), the Ecuadorian Cup (2022) and the Ecuadorian Super Cup (2023).

He had also lifted the 2019 Copa Sudamericana as assistant coach. His spell at Cruz Azul in Mexico didn't bring silverware, but he did break the club's short-tournament points record (42 from 17 matches).

Group stage fixtures

Matchday 1

Porto kick off their campaign on Monday, 16 June, at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey) against Palmeiras, who qualified as 2021 Copa Libertadores champions. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Dragons and Verdao, Brazil's most successful club.

Matchday 2

Next up, the Portuguese side face Inter Miami on Thursday, 19 June, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta). The MLS club, led by Lionel Messi and invited to the tournament as Supporters' Shield winners, will meet Porto for the first time.

Matchday 3

Porto conclude the group stage on Tuesday, 24 June, at MetLife Stadium with a clash against Al Ahly, the 2024 AFC Champions League winners. Another first-time meeting between the two clubs.

Possible starting XI