Matchday 5 of FIFA Club World Cup Fantasy is nearing, so it’s time to once again look at some players with Scouting Bonus potential.

As was the case in Matchday 4, it’s now very difficult to find real quality differentials. We’ve now got a smaller pool of players to choose from, with the group of teams we’re targeting much narrower, too.

Again, it’s questionable whether you’d want too many differentials at all at this point. In the group stage, it was very possible to put together a Fantasy team and have eight, nine or more players eligible for Scouting Bonus without sacrificing the overall quality of the squad. That wouldn’t be the case now.

But with that in mind, here are some of the better low-owned names remaining in the competition.

WHAT IS THE SCOUTING BONUS?

Low-owned picks can be beneficial in Club World Cup Fantasy.

The scoring system encourages the selection of differentials, with additional Scouting Bonus points (+2) on offer if any player scores more than four points and is owned by fewer than 5% of all teams.

MATCHDAY 5 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST DEFENDERS

With all eight predicted starting goalkeepers owned by more than 5% of bosses, we move swiftly on to the defence!

Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are favourites for their respective ties but none of their dependable/predicted starters at the back are under 5%.

So, we move on to the other two clubs who the bookies fancy.

The 3.8%-owned Levi Colwill ($5.3m) is Chelsea’s first-choice left-sided centre-back and should start again. His only breather came in Matchday 3, when a number of the Blues’ regulars were rested.

As we discussed in our Scout Picks, Enzo Maresca’s side have the best clean sheet odds of the round.

As for Al Hilal, Renan Lodi ($4.5m) sits in just 3.6% of squads and doesn’t set you back much. While not as gung-ho as teammate Joao Cancelo ($5.5m), and indeed operating more as a centre-half last time out, he hit double figures for attacking returns from just 24 starts in 2024/25.

Al-Hilal v Fluminense is, of course, a tight-to-call affair.

If you fancy the Brazilian side after their run of three clean sheets in four, wing-back Samuel Xavier ($4.2m) sits in just 2.5% of Fantasy teams. He’s chipped in with three key passes in as many starts.

MATCHDAY 5 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST MIDFIELDERS

PSG’s differential midfielders unexpectedly came up trumps in Matchday 4.

Fabian Ruiz ($6.5m) claimed an assist against Inter Miami but Joao Neves ($6.5m) went considerably better than that, scoring twice en route to a 17-point haul.

You’ll be lucky to catch such a return again, of course: defensive midfielder Neves only scored three goals in 29 Ligue I appearances last season!

It’s worth pointing out that Ruiz missed training with a “mild virus” on Thursday, but there is apparently no serious cause for concern.

Both midfielders are currently still eligible for Scouting Bonus (2.8% and 3.7% respectively).

Bar Jhon Arias ($6.3m) and Ruben Neves ($6.2m), all of the midfielders in the Al Hilal v Fluminense game qualify for Scouting Bonus.

The 2.4%-owned Sergej Milinkovic-Savic ($6.2m) hit a dozen league goals for the Saudi side last season and has racked up seven shots and four key passes at the tournament so far. He popped up with an assist last time out against Man City.

He’s also completed all 390 minutes for Al Hilal to date, so he has reliability of minutes on his side.

That’s not something you can say about Fluminense’s midfielders (bar Arias), who tend to get hooked on the hour or just after.

Anyone in Chelsea v Palmeiras would be a bit of a punt, too.

Noni Madueke ($6.5m) is a big gamble, and it might only be for one game even if he does start. Pedro Neto ($6.5m) could be absent on compassionate grounds for the clash with Palmeiras, and that may dictate whether Madueke starts or not. One to keep an eye on closer to the deadline.

Palmeiras’ Maurício ($5.4m) meanwhile has a goal and an assist to his name already. He’s also the Brazilian side’s leading shot-taker. However, he was a substitute twice in the group stage, so his minutes are volatile.

MATCHDAY 5 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST FORWARDS

There’s slim pickings in attack, too.

Estevao ($5.5m) should at least start against his future employers, who have the 1.4%-owned Nicolas Jackson ($7.4m) back from a ban. Again, like Madueke, are we even confident of a start?

So the two stand-out differential forwards probably come in the Al Hilal v Fluminense game.

Germán Cano ($5.9m) has delivered a goal and an assist in the last three Matchdays, and is second only to Arias for shots in this Fluminense side.

Malcolm ($7.0m), meanwhile, was superb against Manchester City, emerging with a 12-point haul. You might only get an hour or so out of him, however, as he’s often subbed off.