Asian football’s spotlight will shine brightest on Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal at the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, as the powerhouse club looks to make a serious statement on the global stage under new head coach Simone Inzaghi.
The Riyadh-based giants, backed heavily by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, boast a star-studded squad featuring international talents like Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo, Aleksandar Mitrović, and Sergej Milinković-Savić. They will be joined by national icon Salem Al-Dawsari as Al-Hilal prepare to face European champions Real Madrid, Mexico’s Pachuca, and Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg in the group stage.
Inzaghi, who previously led Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League final, was brought in after Jorge Jesus failed to guide the club to a record-extending fifth Asian Champions League title. Now, with one of the most talented squads in the tournament, Al-Hilal will carry the region’s hopes of a deep run in the United States.
While Al-Hilal enters the tournament with lofty ambitions, Asia’s three other representatives face more tempered expectations.
Al-Ain (UAE), who qualified by winning the 2024 Asian Champions League, have endured a turbulent spell since their continental triumph. The club has cycled through three head coaches in under a year and exited this season’s ACL without a single win. New boss Vladimir Ivić will lean heavily on Togo striker Kodjo Laba and Moroccan winger Soufiane Rahimi when they meet European giants Manchester City and Juventus, along with African champions Wydad Casablanca.
Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds arrive with some positive momentum. After winning the Asian title in 2023 under Maciej Skorża, the Polish manager returned to the club in late 2024 and has since rebuilt a side that now contends for the J.League crown. Former Japan international Genki Haraguchi, back in Japan after a decade in Germany, leads a squad that also includes experienced winger Takahiro Sekine. Urawa face a daunting group featuring River Plate, Inter Milan, and Mexico’s Monterrey.
South Korea’s Ulsan HD return to the Club World Cup for a third appearance, having qualified based on consistent performances in Asian competition over the past four years. However, their form has been uneven since Kim Pan-gon took over in 2024. A former national team coach with limited club-level experience, Kim’s Ulsan will be tested against Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, and South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Group F. Veterans Jung Woo-young and Jo Hyeon-woo provide key leadership, with the latter famous for his heroics at the 2018 World Cup against Germany.
As the expanded Club World Cup debuts in 2025, Asia’s four representatives carry varying expectations—but all eyes will be on Al-Hilal to see if the continent can finally challenge the traditional powerhouses from Europe and South America.
