GOAL's bold predictions for 2025: Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph, Alexia Putellas' move to NWSL, Christian Pulisic's Ballon d'Or nomination, Neymar's arrival in MLS

Ever since Jonatan Giraldez arrived in the NWSL with the Washington Spirit last year, there have been rumors that the Spaniard has wanted to bring former Barcelona Femeni stars with him. Come 2025, that will finally happen, with two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexis Putellas arriving, where she will sign with the Spirit - forming a stupendous attacking partnership with U.S. international Trinity Rodman.

The 30-year-old signed a two-year extension with the Spanish club in May 2024, keeping her in Barcelona through 2026. However, Giraldez and owner Michelle Kang will force the hand of the club, and she will be the league's blockbuster signing of 2025 - and perhaps the final piece of the puzzle that takes the Spirit to the next level.

The Spirit and Rodman featured in NWSL's Championship game in 2024, but fell just short in the final to Marta and the Orlando Pride. They know they need to elevate their squad to climb higher, and Putellas would be the perfect fit.

Gio Reyna's uptick in form in December arrived at the perfect time, considering the start of the winter transfer window. And it's time for the 21-year-old to depart Borussia Dortmund. The U.S. international plied his trade there as a teenager, broke into the first-team, and announced himself as a footballing prospect with the German club. However, the past year has been miserable for him, and regardless of what Nuri Sahin says, he will leave the Black and Yellow in 2025.

In January 2024, he departed on loan to Premier League side Nottingham Forest - but the move was a disaster, and he struggled to even find minutes off the bench.

As he looks to take the next steps in his young career, both he and his agent will see that it's in his best interest to move on from Signal Iduna Park and test new waters - whether that be a different Bundesliga club or moving abroad to England, Spain, Italy, France or even the Netherlands.

The Brazil superstar has had a rough time since moving from France to Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal, sustaining a gruesome ACL injury while on international duty with the Selecao early on in his time with the Middle Eastern club. And upon his return in 2024-25, he encountered yet another setback with the club.

His contract expires in June 2025, and he'll be a free agent seeking his next venture. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the 32-year-old recently purchased a $26M waterfront property in Miami, only adding fuel to transfer talk.

What makes the move most likely, though, is that David Beckham and and Inter Miami will want to reunite the Brazilian with ex-Barcelona teammates Sergio busquets, Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi and now, manager Javier Mascherano.

If the Herons can make it happen financially, it's a no-brainer of a move.

After taking over the USWNT program just two months ahead of the Paris Olympics, Hayes delivered with precision. The U.S. claimed a gold medal at the Paris Games, and followed it up with a series of victories - making Hayes unbeaten in 15 games in charge of the USWNT.

Heading into 2025, that zero in the loss column isn't set to change, either. The Englishwoman and the U.S. will remain undefeated, going an entire calendar year without losing - including winning the SheBelieves Cup.

And as a reward, Hayes will once again be named Women's Coach of the Year at the prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony, claiming it for the second straight year after her 2024 accolade.

The 2025 Club World Cup is only six months away, and the excitement for the tournament could not be higher. With the Group Stage draw now complete, too, fans, players and teams alike are all starting to look ahead to FIFA's marquee 2025 competition.

In particular, though, there is immense hype around Enzo Maresca's Chelsea. In his first year at the helm, the Blues manager has taken the club to new heights after three-straight years of inconsistent and underwhelming performances. At the end of the 2024 calendar year, the North London club are near the top of the table in the Premier League, and are well in the fight for the title.

Spearheaded by the brilliance of England international Cole Palmer, the Blues will lift the Club World Cup trophy for the second time in - the first coming in 2021. In the Group Stage, they will take on Club Leon, Flamengo and Esperance Sportive de Tunis, which will be the start of their tournament run.

There is no denying how disappointing Inter Miami's 2024 postseason run was. The Herons crashed out in embarrassing fashion, falling to Atlanta United in Round 1 of the playoffs in a best-of-3 series.

However, it was a wakeup call for MLS' biggest and boldest franchise at the moment. They cannot risk another error like 2024, especially with Lionel Messi on their roster.

Offseason changes, including on the touchline with Tata Martino out and Javier Mascherano in, are well underway to prepare them for the upcoming campaign - including the Club World Cup.

Eventually, though, it will lead to Messi and Co. lifting MLS Cup 2025. Their roster is being built for moments like those, and the Argentine is too talented not to lead his club to that triumph.

The U.S. international had a spectacular 2024 season for club and country, netting 12 times for the Portland Thorns across the regular season while bagging nine times and recording four assists for the USWNT.

However, her club form slipped after the Paris Games, and it was later revealed that she was playing with a foot injury. She scored just two goals after the Olympics, a complete contrast to the start of her campaign. She recorded 14 goal-contributions in the first nine matches of the regular season, beginning on a blistering tear.

Heading into 2025, the Thorns star will be back to full fitness, and if she can complete a campaign without injury interruption, there's a chance she could eclipse Temwa Chawinga's 2024 record-setting season of 20 goals in 25 matches.

He's had an incredible first 18 months with AC Milan, and based off his current trajectory, he's not done climbing yet. Despite missing time recently due to injury, the American's performances in Italy with the Rossoneri will surely see him nominated for a plethora of awards - including Serie A Player of the Year. But those will be minimal in comparison of what's to come for the American.

Pulisic will finish 2024-25 as one of the top goal-contributors in Italy, while likely playing key roles internationally with the USMNT, and as a result, will be a finalist for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award. The 2024 accolade was handed to Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri, with the 28-year-old beating out Real Madrid and Brazil superstar Vinicius Jr.

The top-30 finishers in voting are all considered finalists, and no U.S. men's national team player has ever finished inside the top 30. Pulisic will be the first.

Since the Nations League's founding, the USMNT are the only CONCACAF nation to win the title - and that isn't set to change in 2025. Come March, Pochettino's squad will claim their fourth straight title in the competition, first defeating Panama in the semifinals, and then beating Canada in the final. It will be vengeance for the U.S. after Los Canaleros defeated them at Copa America 2024, and it will mark Pochettino's first competitive title with the program.

The U.S. will follow it up with a CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph - even if they are missing some of their top players due to the Club World Cup, which will be held simultaneously. The Americans will lift the title for the first time since 2021, avenging their disappointing showing at the 2023 tournament, where they took fourth place behind Mexico, Panama and Jamaica.

Pochettino will go two-for-two in his first competitive competitions.

The U.S. international, and a famed member of the USWNT's Triple Espresso, Swanson will be on the trading block come 2025. The 26-year-old had a brilliant return to the pitch in 2024 with the Chicago Red Stars after returning from an ACL injury. She followed it by winning gold at the Paris Olympics with the USWNT, but at the club level, her heroics were not enough to elevate a stagnating Red Stars side.

They finished eighth in the league standings, bowing out of the playoffs in the first round. Swanson, meanwhile, ended the regular season goalless in nine matches - earning just one assist during that span. As a result, it's become clear that the Red Stars don't have the setup to get the most out of her, and moving on will be the best solution for both parties.

Swanson's husband, Dansby Swanson, is a shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, so the Chicago connection is strong. Still, with fellow U.S. international Yazmeen Ryan and Lynn Williams already being dealt this offseason, Swanson will be the next - and her fee would be astronomical in comparison to Ryan's $400,000 interleague record price tag.