Palmeiras vs Porto Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage

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Palmeiras have been one of the very best sides in South America in recent years as they begin the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a clash against a transitioning Porto side in New Jersey.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN & Channel 5 / US – DAZN

Palmeiras team news: Veiga to play

Raphael Veiga has returned from injury for Palmeiras and played 45 minutes of their match against Cruzeiro at the start of June, so the signs are good that he will be fit enough to start this match. Assuming Veiga is in the XI, 18-year-old wonderkid Estevao will likely play on the right-side of an attacking midfield three behind either Vitor Roque or Jose Manuel Lopez.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Lomba; Rocha, Fuchs, Micael, Vanderlan; Rios, Moreno; Estevao, Veiga, Mauricio; Roque 

Unavailable: 

Questionable: Veiga (Fitness)

Porto team news: Vieira eligible

Midfielder Fabio Vieira has been confirmed as eligible to feature for Porto after spending the season back with the Portuguese giants on loan from Arsenal.

Predicted XI (3-4-3): Ramos; Perez, Ze Pedro, Marcano; Mario, Eustaquio, Vieira, Moura; Pepe, Aghehowa, Mora

Unavailable: 

Questionable:

Key stats

• Palmeiras are the most successful club in the history of the Brazilian league with a record 12 titles – four more than any other club.
• Palmeiras secured a spot at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ by way of their victory in the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores when an extra-time goal from Deyverson gave them a 2-1 victory over Flamengo. That was their second successive title in the competition and third overall.
• Palmeiras have made a very impressive start to their 2025 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores campaign, finishing the group stage with the best overall record with six wins from six matches. They are the number one seeded team in the knockout rounds which start in August 2025.
• The prodigiously talented Estêvão, still just 18, is the top scorer for Palmeiras in all competitions this season with 11 goals, this includes four goals in five appearances in the 2025 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores. Estêvão signed a deal last year to join Chelsea and will link up with his new club after this competition.
• Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira had six matches in charge of Braga against Porto in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons and failed to win any, losing all four Primeira Liga matches and going down 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup (0-3 a, 1-1 h). As a player, Abel Ferreira was on the winning side with Sporting CP against Porto in the 2008 Portuguese Cup final (2-0).
• As well as winning Portugal’s championship 30 times, Porto have been crowned as champions of Europe twice (1986/87 and 2003/04). Their UEFA Champions League success in 2003/04 is the most recent occasion that a Portuguese has won the confederation’s top club prize.
• Porto earned their place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ via the UEFA ranking pathway with some excellent showings over the qualifying period from 2021 to 2024 in the UEFA Champions League.
• Porto competed in the UEFA Europa League in 2024/25, losing out 3-4 on aggregate in the knockout play-off round against Roma.
• Porto have won seven of their last nine competitive matches (L2).
• Samu Aghehowa is Porto’s top scorer in all competitions this season with 25 goals in 42 appearances. This is his debut campaign at the club having joined from Atlético Madrid in August 2024.
• Porto captain Diogo Costa saved all three penalties in Portugal’s round of 16 shoot-out victory against Slovenia at UEFA EURO 2024, becoming the first goalkeeper to achieve the feat in a European Championship finals match.
• Porto defender Otávio made his senior debut in club football for the Brazilian club Flamengo in a 1–1 draw in a Série A match away at Palmeiras on 27 September 2020.
• Porto’s Brazilian winger Pepê came off the bench to score an added-time winner for Grêmio against Palmeiras in a 2-1 victory in Brazil’s Série A in November 2019.
• Porto’s Nehuén Pérez and Aníbal Moreno of Palmeiras were both in Argentina’s squad at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
• Porto’s Danny Namaso (now Cameroon) won the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017 with England. 

Palmeiras vs Porto prediction

Coached by Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras have been trophy-laden in the last four years or so with the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, as well as a couple of Brazilian Serie A titles. They head into the tournament on the back of an excellent 2025 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores group stage campaign, too, winning all six of their matches. 

The first season of the Andre Vilas-Boas presidency at Porto, which ended the 42-year rein of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, has not been a positive one. They sort of steadied themselves with Martin Anselmi at the helm but the Dragons had to fend off Braga for a top three spot in the Portuguese Primeira Liga right until the very end of the campaign.

European sides will often be favourites against any opposition in this tournament but this is one whereby siding with the South Americans would seem the way to go at the MetLife Stadium.

Palmeiras vs Porto tip: Palmeiras to win