Five breakout stars to come out of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

The Club World Cup may be coming to a conclusion on Sunday, when Chelsea and PSG compete in the competition's showpiece, but the tournament has left a lasting impression.

The revamped format has excited fans across the world and has been the platform for several stars to make a name for themselves on the global stage. 

Here are five breakout names from this summer's festivities, whose performances have propelled them into the footballing spotlight. 

Joao Pedro - Chelsea 

It would generally be a hard sell to suggest a player would be a breakout star after playing just a game and a bit during a tournament, but Joao Pedro's impact has been instant. 

Premier League fans have already seen the talent that the Brazilian has to offer during his spells with Watford and Brighton, but he has already upped that talent a notch and announced himself on a global stage.

With the Blues without Liam Delap for their crucial semi-final against Fluminense, Enzo Maresca put his faith in Pedro to lead the line, and boy was he rewarded. 

The 23-year-old netted two screamers against his old club to signal his arrival at the club and get fans very excited about what's to come from their latest attacking addition. 

Gonzalo Garcia - Real Madrid 

Real Madrid's attack was already a frightening prospect for any opponent, but the Club World Cup has allowed them to unearth a secret weapon to their frontline in the shape of Garcia. 

It's not too often we see a product of the Real youth academy in such a prominent position, but after biding his team this season, the striker grabbed the opportunity in the States with both hands. Outshining the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and even Kylian Mbappe as Madrid's standout star. 

His four goals across the tournament could still land him the Golden Boot and in just a few short weeks, he's already drawing comparisons with club legend Raul. 

Getty Images

Igor Jesus - Botafogo 

Nottingham Forest fans would have had a keen eye on Botafogo matches during the tournament and would have liked what they saw from their shiny new signing. 

The striker led the line for the Brazilian striker and showed all the hallmarks of a forward with the potential to be a real menace in the Premier League and a leap Chris Wood would be proud of. 

He notched twice during the tournament, including the memorable winner against PSG in the group phase, showing he has the big game mentality that he'll need next season. 

Marcos Leonardo - Al-Hilal 

Al-Hilal came into the tournament with names such as Aleksandr Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic expected to carry the key to their success at the Club World Cup, but it proved to be Leonardo who found the right strokes to impress.

The Brazilian striker moved to Saudi Arabia from Benfica at the start of the season and scored 17 league goals for Jorge Jesus' team last season, yet he remained in the shadow of the club's Serbian star. 

Not in the States, here it was the 22-year-old's moment to shine, and shine he did. Scoring four goals in the tournament, including the winner against Manchester City in what was one of the biggest moments of the competition. 

Al Hilal

Jhon Arias - Fluminense 

Fluminense's run to the last four at the Club World Cup was built on a steely defence led by their forty-plus warriors Thiago Silva and Fabio.

However, the creative spark in attack came from the boots of Jhon Arias. 

Throughout the Brazilian's Club World Cup, Arias won three Superior Player of the Match awards, most notably for his performance in the win over Inter, where he set up the opener for German Cano. 

The Colombian may have just put his name in this summer's shop window.

Watch the 2025 Club World Cup Final live on DAZN on Sunday. More information and to sign up for a free account here.