The Opta supercomputer ranked the Bianconeri as the ninth most likely team to lift the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Igor Tudor’s first match as permanent Juventus head coach, having been interim boss for nine Serie A games, was a dream first-half against Al-Ain FC.
Juve were insipid for the next 45 minutes against the UAE Pro League side, but managed a comfortable 5-0 win to top Group G.
With Morocco giants Wydad AC next, who fell 2-0 to Manchester City in their opener, Juventus are anticipating another triumph.
The Bianconeri stuttered through their Serie A season, initially under Thiago Motta and followed by Tudor’s arrival in late March. Yet at the Club World Cup the squad is brimming with confidence.
There are familiar faces, including the return of loanees, and Juventus Next Gen among the 35-player contingent.
Surprisingly Juve’s squad is the tallest at the Club World Cup, despite the inclusion of FC Porto loanee Francisco Conceicao who stands at a diminutive 1.66m.
The Portuguese international proved that size doesn’t matter as he was a handful against Al-Ain FC, scoring twice albeit courtesy of deflections.
Juventus beat Chelsea
Juve’s average height is 185.9cm, with money-bags Chelsea boasting the second tallest squad at the tournament at an average of 184.9cm. German Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund lie third at 183.7cm.
Juventus have at least one player 1.9m or taller in every position across their squad, and there are a pair of extremely tall forwards on the club’s summer wishlist.
Reserve keeper Carlo Pinsoglio and U19 Italy shotstopper Giovanni Daffara stand at 1.94m, along with Next Gen versatile 22-year-old midfielder Alessandro Pietrelli.
Nicolo Turco is the next tallest at 1.93m. He has played as center-forward, right winger and as a second striker for Juventus U19.
Next Gen hit new heights
Right-back Nicolo Savona and midfielder Khephen Thuram are Juve’s joint fifth tallest players in the squad at 1.92m.
The Next Gen duo of defender Javier Gil and striker Tommaso Mancini are the next tallest at 1.91m.
They are followed by a plethora of pivotal players who all stand 1.90m, which comprises center-forward Dusan Vlahovic as well as the defensive trio of Federico Gatti, Lloyd Kelly and Daniele Rugani.
Juve are currently looking for an understudy to Vlahovic, should he remain at the club next term, or whoever leads the front line next season. There are two giant forwards being monitored, Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha who stands 1.96m and Udinese’s 2.01m Lorenzo Lucca.
It was probably no coincidence that midfield was the club’s weakest position last season, so maybe Tudor’s summer revamp will include adding height throughout the squad.
JUVENTUS CLUB WORLD CUP SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS
Giovanni Daffara (1.94m), Michele Di Gregorio (1.87m), Giovanni Garofani (1.88m) and Carlo Pinsoglio (1.94m).
DEFENDERS
Bremer (1.88m), Andrea Cambiaso (1.82m), Alberto Costa (1.86m), Federico Gatti (1.90m), Javier Gil (1.91m), Pierre Kalulu (1.82m), Lloyd Kelly (1.90m), Jonas Rouhi (1.83m), Daniele Rugani (1.90m) and Nicolo Savona (1.92m).
MIDFIELDERS
Vasilije Adzic (1.85m), Francisco Conceicao (1.66m), Manuel Locatelli (1.80m), Douglas Luiz (1.75m), Weston McKennie (1.85m), Khephren Thuram (1.92m), Teun Koopmeiners (1.84m), Filip Kostic (1.84m), Augusto Owusu (1.83m), Nicolo Turco (1.93m) and Timothy Weah (1.82m).
STRIKERS
Lorenzo Anghele (1.86m), Nicolo Cudrig (1.83m), Nico Gonzalez (1.8m), Tommaso Mancini (1.91m), Samuel Mbangula (1.79m), Arkadiusz Milik (1.86m), Kolo Muani (1.87m), Alessandro Pietrelli (1.94m), Dusan Vlahovic (1.90m) and Kenan Yildiz (1.87m).