Chelsea have their sights set on the lucrative 2025 FIFA Club World Cup prize pot as they begin their tournament in Atlanta with a group stage match against MLS side LAFC.
The Blues are fresh off a fourth-place finish in the recent Premier League season, qualifying them for a return to next year's UEFA Champions League field. Their European crown back in 2021 was enough to secure a Club World Cup spot, with the revamped competition set to be contested between continental champions across a four-year cycle.
With Enzo Maresca's players only recently finished with their 2024/25 season, it's likely that the head coach will be forced to rotate his squad heavily throughout the summer to keep players from wearing down not only now, but ahead of the coming season which will arrive in short order.
A deep push into the tournament would bring with it a significant financial windfall thanks to the enormous payouts FIFA have earmarked for this revamped competition.
LAFC may be from the host nation, but they have been forced to travel cross-country for this opener, with subsequent games in Nashville and Orlando.
Coast-to-coast travel for professional athletes of all sports in the United States has often proven to be a detriment to performance, and so LAFC's theoretical home-field advantage will essentially be nullified as they contest this match well outside their home market.
The Sporting News runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides as the match draws nearer.
MORE: The entire 2025 Club World Cup match schedule & results | Inter Miami fixture schedule
Chelsea vs. LAFC lineups, starting 11, team news
Without knowing how much Maresca will look to rotate his squad — if at all — it was tough to predict who will get the start, especially with Chelsea sporting such an uncertain pecking order on a week-to-week basis. However today, Maresca has gone with almost his entire best XI, with one exception — Romeo Lavia starts in midfield, while Enzo Fernandez begins on the bench.
New signings Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mike Penders, and Mamadou Sarr are all in the travelling party. Delap is likely to be given a chance to impress at some point in this competition, but Nicolas Jackson starts up front today. Those fresh off international duty were candidates for rest, but Noni Madueke and Marc Cucurella start the match, while the aforementioned Fernandez is given at least the first hour off after trans-Atlantic travel.
Chelsea left returning loanees Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell, Djordje Petrovic, Axel Disasi, and Renato Veiga at home rather than re-integrate them into the squad, although Andrey Santos does appear on the list after making his way back from French side Strasbourg. Omari Kellyman and Wesley Fofana are not with the group as they recover from long-term injuries.
Chelsea starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez (GK) — James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella — Caicedo, Lavia — Neto, Palmer, Madueke — Jackson.
Injured: W. Fofana (muscle), Kellyman (hamstring).
Suspended: None.
MORE: Full list of players, squads for all 32 Club World Cup participants
Full Chelsea squad
Goalkeepers: Filip Jorgensen, Mike Penders, Robert Sanchez, Gaga Slonina
Defenders: Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto, Reece James, Mamadou Sarr
Midfielders: Moises Caicedo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Dario Essugo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Andrey Santos
Forwards: Liam Delap, Marc Guiu, Tyrique George, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer
Knowing they are likely not long for this competition given their exceedingly difficult draw, LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo has deployed his best players in the hopes of springing an unlikely upset, with the knowledge that if they do see themselves eliminated, it won't have put a massive strain on the squad from a long-term perspective.
World Cup winner Hugo Lloris is the team's starting goalkeeper, while his French counterpart and former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has largely come off the bench as he navigates the twilight of his career at 38 years old.
LAFC revamped their roster this offseason in a big way, shedding longtime veterans Carlos Vela, Ilie Sanchez, Mateusz Bogusz, Cristian Olivera, and Jesus Murillo while ushering in new faces like Igor Jesus, Mark Delgado (from rivals LA Galaxy in a rare derby swap), Marlon, Yaw Yeboah, Frankie Amaya, and Jeremy Ebobisse.
LAFC starting lineup (4-3-3): Lloris (GK) — Palencia, Segura, Long, Hollingshead — Delgado, Jesus, T. Tillman — Ordaz, Ebobisse, Bouanga.
Injured: None.
Suspended: None.
Full LAFC squad
Goalkeepers: Cabral Carter, Thomas Hasal, Hugo Lloris, David Ochoa
Defenders: Lorenzo Dellavalle, Maxime Chanot, Ryan Hollingshead, Aaron Long, Marlon, Kenny Nielsen, Sergi Palencia, Ryan Raposo, Eddie Segura, Artem Smoliakov, Nkosi Tafari
Midfielders: Frankie Amaya, Marky Delgado, Matt Evans, Odin Holm, Igor Jesus, Adam Saldana, Jude Terry, Timothy Tillman, Yaw Yeboah
Forwards: Denis Bouanga, Javairo Dilrosun, Jeremy Ebobisse, Olivier Giroud, David Martinez, Nathan Ordaz, Adrian Wibowo
Chelsea vs. LAFC score prediction
LAFC will push Chelsea harder than most expect, as they sport an experienced squad and are extremely well-coached by Steve Cherundolo. It also favors the MLS side that they are in the midst of their regular season, while Chelsea have been forced to navigate an awkward layoff from the end of their recent campaign, which includes the recent international break.
At the end of the day, however, the talent disparity between these two teams is too significant, and LAFC will be forced to sit back and defend for much of the match, something they are not comfortable doing as one of the more dominant clubs in MLS over the past five years.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 LAFC
Chelsea vs. LAFC live stream, TV channel
All matches across the entirety of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be streamed for free on DAZN across the globe. In addition, some matches may be televised in certain regions as per DAZN's deals with local networks and services.
Here's how to watch this 2025 Club World Cup group stage match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Mon, Jun. 16 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT | TBS, truTV, TUDN, UniMas | DAZN, Sling, Fubo USA, TUDN app, Univision NOW |
| Canada | Mon, Jun. 16 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT | — | DAZN |
| UK | Mon, Jun. 16 | 8 p.m. BST | Channel 5 | DAZN |
| Australia | Tue, Jun. 17 | 7 a.m. AEST | — | DAZN, Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now |
| India | Tue, Jun. 17 | 12:30 a.m. IST | — | DAZN, tabii |