5 reasons Dortmund will win Club World Cup

>>> FIFA Club World Cup 2025 explained!

1) A striker in top form

After hitting 28 top-flight goals last term, Serhou Guirassy registered another prolific campaign - his first as a Dortmund player. After Niko Kovač took charge in February, Guirassy scored 14 goals in 17 games in all competitions, while no other player scored more than his 13 in the UEFA Champions League, despite BVB's exit at the quarter-final stage. In the league, Guirassy bagged 21 goals, with just Harry Kane (26) scoring more. 

After 101 Bundesliga appearances, Guirassy has managed 64 goals, a feat that equals the great Gerd Müller’s total across the same number of games. The Guinean striker already has three goals at this tournament, with his brace in the round of 16 victory over Monterrey firing his side into the last eight. You expect the former Stuttgart man to relish facing Real Madrid, having scored a hat-trick against Barcelona earlier this year.

Watch: Serhou Guirassy hitting new heights

>>> Who are BVB's Club World Cup Group F opponents?

2) Back to their best

Kovač has brought renewed energy to BVB. The Ruhr-district outfit climbed the table from 11th to fourth on the Croatian tactician's watch, securing Champions League qualification next season despite looking out of the running for the majority of the season. The club’s end of season form was emphatic as they won seven out of their final eight games, with the only blemish being an impressive draw at the Allianz Arena against champions - and Club World Cup rivals - Bayern. 

Supplementing Guirassy's purple patch, Julian Brandt looks back to his best, scoring twice and providing four assists in his last four league games. Daniel Svensson - now a permanent fixture at the club - has also been a revelation at wing-back since joining on an initial loan from Nordsjælland and scored the winning goal of their final group game against Ulsan HD, while forward Karim Adeyemi looks to be in the finest form of his career.

Kovač appears to know how to get the best out of his talented squad, something that he continues to demonstrate out in the States, with BVB currently unbeaten ahead of the Real clash.

Watch: Celebration time in Dortmund as top-four spot delivered

3) Tournament pedigree

Although Dortmund may have fallen short in the Bundesliga in recent years, they have made a real habit of going far in cup competitions. That is particularly true in the Champions League, where Die Schwarzgelben reached the final as recently as 2023/24. This year again, BVB made it to the quarter-finals, where they lost narrowly to Barcelona after a superb fightback in the second leg. 

Although the format may have changed in 2024/25, that hasn't bothered Dortmund who have now successfully made it out of the group stage in 11 of the last 13 seasons in which they have competed. That run includes making the final twice, so they certainly have pedigree when it comes to competing against the world’s best. The Black-Yellows also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1997, one of the predecessors to the new Club World Cup.

4) Americans on home soil

With the tournament taking place in the US, Dortmund have the added bonus of having a couple of Americans in their ranks who would love to pick up a trophy on home soil.

Despite some difficult domestic campaigns, Gio Reyna is a fully-fledged US international with his best years still ahead of him, at 22. While he hasn't started for Dortmund yet on the return to his homeland, he'll be desperate to make more of an impact in the remaining games of the tournament and rediscover the sort of form that enabled him to break all manner of Bundesliga records after bursting onto the scene in January 2020. His eye for a pass and ability to find space in the opposition box could come in very handy against the stubborn defence of Monterrey in the last-16, for example. 

Cole Campbell is perhaps a lesser-known US name, albeit another with bags of potential. The 19-year-old has made four appearances for the senior side this season, and with Dortmund having extended their stay at the Club World Cup for the time being, he could yet be given another opportunity to strut his stuff in black and yellow.

Emulating Christian Pulisic is arguably the inspiration for both men, the US talisman having produced 19 goals and 26 assists in 127 games during a breakout spell with Dortmund from 2016 to 2019.

5) The Yellow Wall on tour

There’s no question that Dortmund have some of the best fans in the world. The Yellow Wall of the Signal Iduna Park is iconic and creates an incredible atmosphere for every game. With that strong American representation and some of the most passionate fans in the world, expect to see the yellow wall on tour come the summer.

Watch: The Yellow Wall fills up for Der Klassiker

During 2024/25, the Ruhr club had the best attendance in Europe with an average of 81,000 fans packing out the Signal Iduna Park for every home game. Dortmund have been one of the best-represented clubs at every fixture of the tournament so far, making every match feel like a home game. 

They have been well supported so far despite the change in continent and even had the opportunity to engage with their Brooklyn fan club, Brooklyn Borussen, ahead of their opening game against Fluminense.

There are several Dortmund fan groups in and around New Jersey, where they will face Madrid at the MetLife stadium, so they should enjoy plenty of support against the Spanish giants once more.