Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund are aiming to outshine the likes of Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé and Manchester City's Erling Haaland at this summer's FIFA Club World Cup. bundesliga.com introduces you to the stars to look out for in the USA...
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Stats correct as of 9 June 2025
Lionel Messi
Club: Inter MiamiAge: 37 (born 24 June 1987)
Country: Argentina (192 caps, 112 goals)
If there is anyone in football who requires no introduction, it might be the Inter Miami legend. A glittering career with over 500 club goals and eight Ballon d'Ors was crowned by leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.
Messi has continued his sensational scoring record at Inter Miami, firing 31 goals in his first 38 MLS appearances. - IMAGO/Matias J. Ocner
Messi's current club side, which also features stars like Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, will have the advantage of playing two of their Group A encounters in their hometown at the Hard Rock Stadium. The Argentine magician will hope to show he still has the ability to bamboozle defenders when Inter Miami face Al Ahly in the tournament's opening game on the evening of Saturday 14 June.
Harry Kane
Club:Bayern MunichAge: 31 (born 28 July 1993)Country: England (106 caps, 72 goals)
Despite all the massive names in the tournament, the Bundesliga's top scorer for the past two seasons, who boasts 62 goals in 63 German top-flight appearances, has every hope of outscoring the lot in the USA.
Watch: Kane's remarkable 2024/25 season
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The Bundesliga champions are favourites to win Group C, featuring Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica. With Jamal Musiala fit again to join the likes of Michael Olise and the retiring Thomas Müller by supplying Kane in a dazzling attack, Bayern will be hoping to go all the way and claim their second piece of silverware under Vincent Kompany. The honour of top scorer at the Club World Cup, should Kane claim it, would nestle nicely alongside the 2018 World Cup golden boot, Euro 2024 top scorer and 2023/24 Bundesliga Player of the Season award in his bustling personal trophy cabinet.
Kylian Mbappé
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 26 (born 20 December 1988)
Country: France (89 caps, 50 goals)
The French phenomenon has seamlessly taken his goalscoring prowess to Spain, with 31 goals in 34 matches in his first La Liga campaign.
Kylian Mbappé became just the third man to score 50 goals for France in their 2-0 win over Germany in the UEFA Nations League third-place play-off in June. - IMAGO/Gokhan Taner
With former Dortmund star Jude Bellingham pulling the strings behind the Frenchman in midfield, the 15-time European champions will be confident of topping Group H featuring Al-Hilal, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg. Mbappé has shown he can deliver when it gets down to the wire with an astonishing four goals in two World Cup finals, and is a major asset for Real's bid for a sixth FIFA Club World Cup.
Erling Haaland
Club: Manchester City
Age: 24 (born 21 July 2000)
Country: Norway (42 caps, 41 goals)
Haaland arrived at Dortmund just months before Bellingham in 2020, and like the Englishman, rose to the very top of the game with an explosive spell for the Black and Yellows.
Watch: Haaland's best Bundesliga goals for Dortmund
Some 62 goals in 65 Bundesliga appearances have been followed by an equally remarkable 85 strikes in 97 English Premier League matches in his first three seasons for Manchester City. Having helped the club to their first UEFA Champions League title in 2022/23, Haaland will be eager to lift former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola's side in the big summer tournament after an underwhelming domestic season. Navigating Group G with Wydad, Al-Ain and Juventus will be their first challenge.
Serhou Guirassy
Club:Borussia Dortmund
Age: 29 (born 12 March 1996)
Country: Guinea (23 caps, 9 goals)
While he may not always be mentioned in the same breath as some of the players in this article, the Dortmund strike sensation has shown he deserves to be counted among them.
Watch: All of Guirassy's Bundesliga goals for Dortmund
His 49 Bundesliga goals over the past two seasons for VfB Stuttgart and Dortmund tells its own compelling story, as does the fact he finished 2024/25 as joint top scorer of the Champions League with a whopping 13 goals. With Dortmund surging at the end of the season under Niko Kovač, they have every hope of topping Group F with Fluminense. Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns - and after that, anything is possible!
Désiré Doué
Club: Paris Saint-GermainAge: 20 (born 3 June 2005)
Country: France (3 caps)
There is huge excitement around the French youngster, whose star has rocketed just in time for the Club World Cup.
Having joined Paris Saint-Germain from Rennes at the start of the 2024/25 season, Doué began to dazzle towards the end of the campaign - netting the goal that secured the Ligue 1 title with a 1-0 win over Angers. Player of the Match honours followed with a phenomenal showing in the 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final at Bayern's Allianz Arena (featuring two goals and an assist). The youngster will want to show his artistry and confidence in the USA, with the holders of Europe's biggest prize facing Atlético Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders in Group B.
Cole Palmer
Club: Chelsea
Age: 23 (born 6 May 2002)
Country: England (11 caps, 2 goals)
The English talent is making similar waves across the Channel to Doué. Known for his ice-cold mannerism and knack for producing magic moments between the lines, Palmer showed in a superb performance in Chelsea's recent UEFA Conference League triumph against Real Betis that he can step up and seize the limelight.
Cole Palmer scored in the UEFA Euro 2024 final at Berlin's Olympiastadion, although England were beaten 2-1 by Spain. - JAVIER SORIANO
Palmer's 37 goals in 70 English Premier League appearances marks an excellent output for a player who counts his creative mastery as his main weapon. Chelsea go into the Club World Cup somewhat as dark horses, although they surely stand a good chance of topping Group D against Flamengo, Esperance and Los Angeles FC.
Olivier Giroud
Club: Los Angeles FC
Age: 38 (born 30 September 1986)
Country: France (137 caps, 57 goals)
Giroud is one of the big names some European fans might be surprised to see at the tournament - along with Sergio Ramos at Monterrey. The 2018 World Cup winner and France's all-time leading international goalscorer made the switch from AC Milan to Los Angeles in May 2024.
Olivier Giroud's 57 goals for France make him the nation's greatest international goalscorer of all time. - IMAGO/Horacio Zamora Rios
Giroud scored his first two MLS goals this year and was a substitute in the 2-1 play-off win over Club America that saw LAFC claim the final berth at the Club World Cup. The French centre-forward has a chance to show the value of his experience in Group D against his former club Chelsea along with Flamengo and Espérance.
Thiago Silva
Club: FluminenseAge: 40 (22 September 1984)Country: Brazil (113 caps, 7 goals)
Silva is another big name packing vast experience and previously won the Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2021. Turning 40 last year has not stopped him from captaining Fluminese in his second spell there and marshalling the Rio-based outfit's defence.
Thiago Silva has been in the Brazil squad at four World Cups. - IMAGO/Ruano Carneiro
He might need all his experience to get a handle on Guirassy and an in-form Karim Adeyemi when Fluminense face Dortmund in their opening match on Tuesday 17 June in East Rutherford.
Edinson Cavani
Club: Boca Juniors
Age: 38 (14 February 1987)
Country: Uruguay (136 caps, 58 goals)
Another elder statesman of the game back in the international limelight this summer, the stylish striker has been plying his trade in Buenos Aires since the summer of 2023. With Boca Juniors in Group C, Cavani will use all of his footballing wisdom to probe the Bayern backline when the teams clash on Friday 19 June in Miami.