2025 is set to become a landmark year for club football globally.
While 2024 was marked by three major national team tournaments (Euro, Africa Cup of Nations, and Copa America), 2025 is set to become a landmark year for club football globally. For the first time in history, the FIFA Club World Cup will determine the world’s best team through a tournament format with 32 participants.
The new Brazilian champions
Among the participants in the FIFA Club World Cup will be the new Brazilian champions, Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, who claimed their title in December 2024. A month earlier, the team known as „Estrela Solitária” (Lonely Star) also secured the Copa Libertadores. Botafogo’s success story, having played in Brazil’s second division (Campeonato Brasileiro Série B) as recently as 2021, can be viewed as an „institutional laboratory” – a fascinating case study in the realm of social sciences, particularly relevant given that three economists were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize for their work on institutional economics.
The Brazilian Football Revolution
In 2021, Brazil implemented its third major football legislation since the turn of the century, following the „Zico Law” (1993) and the „Pelé Law” (1998). This new legislation was inspired by the Moreira Salles brothers, João and Walter, intellectual and business elite supporters of Botafogo. Their commission of an Ernst & Young restructuring program in 2018 led to the creation of the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) – a new category of football corporation.
The SAF framework offers more favorable tax regulations and attractive debt restructuring options, allowing clubs to spread their obligations over up to 10 years. Crucially, these football corporations are overseen by the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (Brazilian Securities Commission), attracting credible investors like John Charles Textor, who acquired 90% of Botafogo’s shares in early 2022.
Premier League Dynamics
The 2024/25 Premier League season has already made history in football analytics due to the unprecedented decline of Manchester City’s supremacy. Despite their seemingly unlimited financial resources, the „Citizens” have experienced a notable regression, potentially linked to ongoing financial investigations and, more significantly, psychological factors affecting team performance.
As noted by Polish coach Jacek Gmoch, a pioneer in scientific football analysis from the early 1970s, approximately 90% of success or failure in modern football is determined by psychological factors. This psychological aspect will likely be crucial in the upcoming Champions League clash between Paris St. Germain and Manchester City on January 22.
Notable Developments
A particularly interesting story is emerging from Nottingham Forest, who are showing potential to qualify for next season’s Champions League – a competition they won twice as the European Cup in 1978/79 and 1979/80.
Our analytical focus continues to cover not only the 'Big Five’ leagues but also emerging competitions like the Turkish Süper Lig, Belgian Jupiler Pro League, Danish Superliga, and Polish Ekstraklasa. We remain committed to identifying unexpected outcomes and providing insights that enhance our readers’ appreciation of the Beautiful Game.