Serhou Guirassy finished as the top scorer in this season`s UEFA Champions League, but he is certainly not the only Borussia Dortmund player to keep an eye on when the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in the United States in June.
Guirassy scored 13 goals during Dortmund`s journey to the Champions League quarter-finals this season. BVB has a rich history in the competition, having won it in 1997 and been runners-up in 2013 and 2024. Maintaining this form could help the club pursue another international trophy this summer.
BVB has been drawn into Group F for the revamped tournament, alongside Fluminense (Brazil), Ulsan (South Korea), and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa). They will begin their campaign against Fluminense in New Jersey on June 17.
Here are five key Dortmund players to keep an eye on…
Serhou Guirassy
In addition to his 13 goals in European competition, Guirassy scored another 21 in the Bundesliga this season, finishing as the joint-second top domestic goalscorer, only behind Harry Kane (26 goals). Including his six assists, Guirassy has a direct goal involvement every 92 minutes across both competitions.
He might have taken a less direct route to the top – playing for clubs like Laval, Lille, Auxerre, Cologne, Amiens, Rennes, and Stuttgart – but the French-born Guinea international is improving with age. His pace, power, hold-up play, and keen eye for goal make him a difficult opponent for anyone in the USA.
Daniel Svensson
Arguably Dortmund`s next most significant player in the second half of the season (Rückrunde), Daniel Svensson`s performances since his February loan arrival from Nordsjælland prompted BVB to make his transfer permanent over a month ahead of schedule.
A versatile player on the left side, Svensson has helped Dortmund secure a Champions League spot this season, contributing a goal and two assists from left wing-back in what has become head coach Niko Kovač`s preferred 3-4-2-1 setup. The Swedish international, who debuted for his national team last October, is still expected to reach his full potential.
Pascal Groß
Pascal Groß functions as Dortmund`s midfield metronome. The former long-serving Brighton midfielder, who played various roles from right-back to left wing for the Seagulls, has become a key figure in BVB`s central midfield since his arrival in summer 2024 and is now a regular in Julian Nagelsmann`s Germany squad.
He will turn 34 as the Club World Cup commences, but his team-leading 10 assists in the Bundesliga this season (shared with Julian Brandt), and 14 across all competitions, show that Groß still has significant influence in midfield.
Karim Adeyemi
Known as one of the fastest players in football (having set a Bundesliga speed record against Freiburg in February 2023), Karim Adeyemi`s pace constantly challenges full-backs and he has recently re-emerged as a key player.
Adeyemi began the season as second choice behind Jamie Gittens in his position playing off Guirassy. However, he has regained his place in the starting eleven since Kovač replaced Nuri Şahin in February, with five of his seven Bundesliga goals scored since the start of the year. His recall to the Germany squad in March for the UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Italy was well deserved.
Cole Campbell
A left-footed winger who might be considered a less obvious choice, Cole Campbell has impressed within Dortmund`s youth setups since arriving from Breiðablik in summer 2022. This season, he made his senior debuts for the first team in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Born in Texas, Campbell`s previous club hints at his eligibility for Iceland through his mother, former footballer Rakel Karvelsson, though he committed to representing the USA last March. He could potentially be a surprise standout player on home soil this summer, especially as the Club World Cup format demands utilizing the full squad depth.
