Club World Cup Profile: Palmeiras

South America has a large presence in this year’s Club World Cup with six teams participating. Brazilian football giant SE Palmeiras is one of the South American participants. Palmeiras has won 73 trophies in its history as a club. The Série A side will be competing in Group A of the 2025 FIFA World Cup alongside Al Ahly, FC Porto, and Inter Miami. They open their CWC campaign against Porto on June 15th at MetLife Stadium at 6:00 PM ET.

Route to Qualification:

Palmeiras’s 2-1 win over Flamengo in the 2021 Copa Libertadores final earned them a spot in this year’s Club World Cup. Raphael Veiga and Deyverson were the goalscorers.

Historical Facts:

1914- The club was founded by Italian immigrants in Sao Paulo. It was known as Palestra Italia in its early club years and won many state titles in the following years.

1942- Club changed its name to Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras because of Brazil’s support for the Allies during World War II. They won the state title of Sao Paulo that year.

1951- Won their first ever Copa Rio title after a 3-2 win over Italian powerhouse Juventus. The Copa Rio was considered to be the first ever club world championship.

1960- Became known as Academia de Futbol and won their first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title with players such as talented playmaker Ademir da Guia. They would win 11 more Serie A titles, their most recent league title was in 2023. Their 12 league titles is the most of any team in Brazilian football history.

1988- First ever Copa Do Brasil win after a 2-0 victory over Cruzeiro. The club has five Copa do Brasil titles. Their most recent Copa do Brasil title was in 2015 with influential attacking midfielder Dudu.

1998- First ever Copa Mercosur win. The Copa Mercosur was a competition that took place from 1998-2001 that involved clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

1999- Palmeiras were Copa Libertadores winners for the first time after a 4-3 win (2-2 aggregate) on penalties against Colombian side Deportivo Cali in the final. Their second and third Copa Libertadores titles came in 2020 and 2021. They are one of only a couple clubs to win consecutive Libertadores titles.

2003- Suffered relegation and played in Série B. They had another relegation period in 2013.

2020- Made their Club World Cup debut and finished in fourth place.

2021- The Brazilian side made an impressive run in the Club World Cup final as they reached the final and honorably battled against English Premier League side Chelsea in a 2-1 loss.

2022- Palmeiras won the 2022 Recopa Sudamericana (COMMNEBOL competition that has the winners of the Copa Libertadores and Sudaamericana battle in a two legged final) after a 4-2 aggregate win over Athletico Paranaense in the final. Jailson, Raphael Veiga, Zé Rafael, and Danilo were the goalscorers.

2022-2023- Two Sao Paulo state titles were clinched by Palmeiras. The Brazilian powerhouse has won 26 state titles in club history.

(courtesy of FIFA)

Most Important Player: Estêvão Willian

At just 17 years old, Estêvão Willian has been Palmeiras’s most important player this season. He has 10 goals and four assists in 30 appearances in all competitions so far for Palmeiras. Estêvão will play at the Club World Cup for Palmeiras before joining Chelsea in an initial $36M deal that could be $71M with add-ons. He is a creative threat who can break through defences with his strong dribbling ability. He is a direct player who is not afraid to shoot from distance.

"It’s a great feeling to be playing in a tournament like this and to know that Palmeiras is among the best clubs in the world. It’s great not only for me, but for everyone playing. Expectations are high, and the tournament will also be a great learning experience since we’ll be facing not just South American clubs, but also European ones," Estêvão said. When asked about playing Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, he said, "I’ll be playing against one of the greatest football players in history. So, being on the pitch with him will be an incredible and unforgettable experience for me."

Potential Breakout Player: Thalys Araújo

Thalys Araújo is a potential breakout player to watch for Palmeiras during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The 20 year old Brazilian international forward has two goals in 12 matches in all competitions so far for Palmeiras this season. Araújo is a player who makes intelligent runs and is also a creative player with great footwork who can make an impact in the final third.

Season Outlook:

The national league season has just begun for Palmeiras as they started league play at the end of March. They are currently in second place in Série A with 22 points and 7W-1D-2L out of 10 matches played so far. Red Bull Bragantino has played one more match and is currently in first place with 23 points, but Palmeiras plays this afternoon against Cruzeiro at 6:30pm.

Prior to the national league, Palmeiras finished as the runner-up in the Campeonato Paulista, losing on aggregate in the final to Corinthians. They have also advanced into the Round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, with the draw being held tomorrow and the matches to be played in late July and early August.

They won their group with a perfect record in the Copa Libertadores, outscoring their opponents 17-4 and will be waiting for the knockout round draw on June 4. Brazilian teams face a very busy calendar every year, and Palmeiras will be ready for the challenges in the Club World Cup.