Salzburg's path to the Club World Cup: anticipation and a new goalkeeper in focus!

Salzburg's path to the Club World Cup: anticipation and a new goalkeeper in focus!

The anticipation for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is growing: Austrian representative Red Bull Salzburg has made its way to the USA, where the tournament will take place from June 15th to July 13th, 2025. Coach Thomas Letsch expressed optimism about the upcoming competition and emphasized that the anticipation for the tournament is increasing every day. The team has been overseas since Friday and will fly from New Jersey to Ohio on Tuesday. In the opening game, Salzburg will face Mexican club Pachuca, who won the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League, which makes the game particularly exciting. crown reports that Pachuca is the oldest football club still in existence in Mexico and has won seven league titles.

Alexander Schlager, Salzburg's injured goalkeeper, is in the squad despite his wrist injury, but his role remains uncertain. In the event that Schlager cannot play, the two young goalkeepers Jonas Krumrey (21 years old) and Christian Zawieschitzky (18 years old) are available. Another notable detail is that the full-back duo could consist of Stefan Lainer and Frans Krätzig. “We have high goals for this tournament,” said Krätzig, emphasizing the optimism in the team.

Opponents and group placement

While the first game against Pachuca is approaching, Salzburg has also prepared for the next opponent: Real Madrid and Al Hilal are also in the group. The competition is strong and analyzing the opponents will be of great importance for the team. In the run-up to the tournament, Pachuca already won the friendly against Al Ahly on penalties, which underlines the high quality of the team.

The group draw took place on December 5, 2024 and the tournament is held every four years, which adds to the excitement. The participation of 32 teams from different continents shows the international relevance of the tournament. The best teams will be divided into eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the round of 16. Sky Sports explains that this format increases the attractiveness of the competition.

Squad overview and personnel situation

Coach Thomas Letsch has nominated a 28-man squad that includes some new faces. In addition to the goalkeepers Krumrey, Zawieschitzky and the injured Schlager, the squad also includes newcomers such as Lainer, Krätzig, Jacob Rasmussen and Sota Kitano. However, there are also some notable absences: Amar Dedic is not in the squad, although he is officially a Salzburg player again, and Hendry Blank, Bobby Clark, Nicolas Capaldo and Aleksa Terzic are missing due to injuries.

The tournament takes place at various venues across the United States, including the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, which has a capacity of 26,000 spectators. Bookmakers see Salzburg as slight favorites in the game against Pachuca. The first games of the Club World Cup promise exciting encounters and fans can look forward to a great football festival.