The final games of Matchday 1 at the FIFA Club World Cup take place on Wednesday.
The latest: Xabi Alonso makes his managerial debut with Real Madrid against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, and he has no shortage of star power to choose from. After that, two evenly matched teams — one from Austria and one from Mexico — lock horns.
Check out the best FIFA Club World Cup prop picks for Wednesday’s group-stage matches featuring Vinicius Jr. and Petar Ratkov.
FIFA Club World Cup prop picks
Bet on the FIFA Club World Cup now
Best Bet: Vinicius to score or assist (-127)
Alonso has some decisions to make in his starting XI with the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold and the potential departure of Rodrygo to Arsenal.
But two players are pretty much guaranteed to start up front: Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe.
Los Blancos are massive -335 favourites to win this fixture and are -385 to score over 1.5 goals. An offensive outburst is expected against Al Hilal, and that duo should be driving the bus.
Mbappe holds -250 odds to score or give an assist, which is too rich for my blood. Vincicus comes in at a much more palatable -127, though.
The Brazilian national was asked to play second fiddle this season but still had a monster campaign. He posted 19 goal contributions in 30 La Liga fixtures and 10 in 12 Champions League games.
Vinicius closed out the La Liga season with assists in consecutive games, including two against defensively stout Barcelona in a 4-3 losing effort.
Key stat: Vinicius ranks in the 91st percentile in non-penalty xG + xA per 90 (0.67), compared to positional peers in Men’s Big 5 Leagues, UCL, and UEL over the last year, per FBRef.
Full FIFA Club World Cup betting markets
CF Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg best bet
Ratkov over 0.5 shots on target (-125): A competition like this naturally lends itself to some lesser-known players getting shine. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of Ratkov before now.
The Red Bull Salzburg forward has established himself as a super sub in the later days of the season, scoring two goals with three assists in his last four games.
He’s registered a shot on target in four of his last six contests and has at least one shot attempt in all of those games.
The Austrian side is taking on Mexican side CF Pachura, which sits a pedestrian eighth in Liga MX.
FIFA Club World Cup prop picks made at 12:00 p.m. on 06/17/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.