It is hard to be optimistic about 2025, both in and outside football. Football, like the world in general, is becoming more tribal, hateful, since hate and tribalism mobilises more money. Fewer and fewer fans watch because they want to watch good football, but rather because they want to belong to their tribe and hate the other tribe.
It is sad, but with that out of the way I have my predictions for 2025 (I am notably bad at predicting though):
- Liverpool will win the Premier League, and I think that Manchester City will squeeze into the top 4 instead of Nottingham Forest. Amorin will fail to qualify Manchester United to Europe.
- Real Madrid or Liverpool will win the Champions League, whose current format will favour all the traditional top teams as the surprises in the league will all be eliminated in the first round of knock-outs. FC Barcelona will suffer from its financial mess and not get far.
- Brazilian teams will be even more dominant in South America, and all four semifinalists of the Libertadores will be Brazilian
- The Club World Cup will be a big economic success for FIFA as they get the European teams on board, who will completely dominate the tournament with some VAR and referee assistance
- Real Madrid will win La Liga after a lucky streak ahead of Atletico Madrid. Valencia will be relegated and will have a hard time returning to the top flight.
- France will win the UEFA Nations League.
- FC Copenhagen will win the Danish League, Bayern Munich the German, Napoli the Italian, PSG the French.
- Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Europe to finish his career.
