Chelsea at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: All you need to know
Having last featured at a Club World Cup as a consequence of their 2020/21 UEFA Champions League triumph, Chelsea qualify for the 21st edition of the tournament via the exact same pathway. All continental champions from the previous four seasons automatically gain qualification, and therefore Premier League rivals Manchester City have also received an invite to FIFA’s marquee club-level event.
The 2025 Club World Cup adopts a new and expanded format, with 32 teams descending on American soil this June. Participants will now be required to navigate an initial group phase, before the strongest two teams in each pool progress to the knockout rounds. In each of their previous two appearances at the Club World Cup, Chelsea have entered at the semi-final stage thanks to the competition’s limited size and aggressive seeding structure.
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We’ve pulled together a comprehensive review of Chelsea’s imminent Club World Cup campaign, providing fixture details, squad information, historic performance, and the key players hoping to propel the Blues to stateside success. We’ve also taken a look at the pre-tournament favourites and their accompanying betting odds, and conducted a useful analysis of Chelsea’s group-stage opponents. Furthermore, find out where to watch all 63 scheduled Club World Cup matches for free this summer by reading our informative television guide.
Fixtures, Group Stage Opponents, and Tournament Schedule
To achieve a reasonable ‘competitive balance’ and ‘geographical diversity’ amongst the eight prospective groups, FIFA seeded all 32 participating teams ahead of last December’s Club World Cup draw.
As the fifth-highest-ranked European side, Chelsea were placed in pot two alongside fellow UEFA representatives Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, and RB Salzburg. Therefore, the Blues would not face any of the aforementioned teams in the initial group phase.
Chelsea were drawn into Group D, and will therefore face CONMEBOL’s Flamengo (pot one), CONCACAF’s Club León (pot three), and CAF’s Espérance Tunis (pot four) this June. Enzo Maresca’s men will travel to Atlanta’s Mercedez-Benz Stadium for their opening fixture, before heading north to Pennsylvania to play their remaining two group games at the 69,000-capacity Lincoln Financial Field.
The tournament commences on Saturday 14th June, with hosts Inter Miami welcoming reigning CAF Champions League titleholders Al Ahly to the Hard Rock Stadium. Group D gets underway less than 48 hours later, as Chelsea meet Mexican outfit Club León in Georgia. After the original 32 participants have been whittled down to just two remaining teams, the finalists will clash at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday,13th July.
Group Stage Fixtures
The initial phase of the Club World Cup utilises a round-robin format, so Chelsea will face each of their group-stage opponents on one occasion. Please see fixture schedule below.
Match 1: Chelsea vs. TBC
Date: Monday 16th June
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Stadium: Mercedez-Benz Stadium, Atalanta (GA)
Match 2: Chelsea vs. Flamengo
Date: Friday 20th June
Kick-off: 2.00pm
Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (PA)
Match 3: Chelsea vs. Espérance Tunis
Date: Tuesday 24th June
Kick-off: 9.00pm
Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (PA)
*All dates/kick-off times relate to local time zones.
Knockout stage match fixtures
The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockout stage, subsequently competing in eight Round of 16 matches. The winners of these contests advance to the quarter-finals before the semi-finals and final take place in New Jersey during week commencing Monday 6th July. All knockout stage fixtures are one-legged ties and will be determined by extra-time or penalties if required.
As the full match schedule has already been mapped out, Chelsea are able to plot their potential routes to the final. There are two possible pathways the Stamford Bridge outfit may navigate, with each dependent on their group stage performance.
If they conclude the opening phase of the tournament as Group D winners, the West Londoners will play the runners-up of Group C in the Round of 16. Conversely, advancing to the knockout rounds as Group D runners-up will see Chelsea clash with the Group C winners. Therefore, the Blues may face New Zealand underdogs Auckland City, Argentinian giants Boca Juniors, familiar foes Bayern Munich, or two-time European Cup winners Benfica.
Should they occupy third or fourth position at the end of the group stage campaign, Enzo Maresca’s side will automatically be eliminated from the competition – this is not something the bookmakers expect to happen.
Chelsea's two potential Round of 16 ties
R16 Match 2: Group C winners vs. Group D runners-up
Date: Saturday 28th June
Kick-off: 4.00pm
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte (NC)
R16 Match 4: Group D winners vs. Group C runners-up
Date: Sunday 29th June
Kick-off: 4.00pm
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami (FL)
What do we know about Chelsea's Group D opponents?
With limited coverage of the Brazilian, Mexican, or Tunisian top flights available in the United Kingdom, Chelsea fans may not be overly familiar with the exploits of Flamengo, Club León, or Espérance Tunis. So, what is there to know about the West Londoners’ three Group D opponents?
Flamengo (Full name: Clube de Regatas do Flamengo) – Brazil
One of Brazil’s most iconic clubs, Flamengo have claimed a colossal number of domestic trophies throughout a highly-decorated 130-year history. Although the Samba outfit haven’t been crowned Série A champions since 2020, influential captain Gerson has lifted the Copa do Brasil and Supercopa do Brasil within the last six months.
Flamengo qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup by virtue of their 2022 Copa Libertadores triumph, narrowly beating fellow Brazilians Athletico Paranaense in a tense encounter in Guayaquil. After fighting back from a goal down to overcome Al Hilal in the last four, the ‘Rubro-Negro’ succumbed to a Roberto Firmino goal in the final of the 2019 Club World Cup.
Three years after their painful defeat to Liverpool at the Khalifa International Stadium, Flamengo would conclude the 2022 edition of FIFA’s flagship intercontinental club competition in third place following a convincing play-off victory over Al Ahly. Talismanic centre-forward Pedro would net a brace in the tie, enabling him to conclude the competition at the summit of the scoring charts. A native of Rio de Janeiro, the former Fiorentina frontman is held in high esteem amongst the Flamengo faithful.
Club León – Mexico
After squeezing past Mexican compatriots Tigres UANL in the semi-finals and impressively defeating fellow finalists Los Angeles FC on home and Californian soil, Club León were deservedly crowned 2023 CONCACAF Champions League winners.
As well as earning them a ticket to this year’s tournament in the U.S., the club’s first and only continental title secured safe passage to the last Club World Cup. Unfortunately, ‘Los Panzas Verdes’ would suffer an early elimination in Saudi Arabia at the hands of J1 League outfit Urawa Red Diamonds.
Although Club León have struggled in recent seasons, the 2021 League Cup champions will have been buoyed by the recent arrival of Colombian star James Rodríguez. The talented attacking midfielder enjoyed fruitful spells with European heavyweights Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Everton, and is a two-time UEFA Champions League winner. Having amassed a colossal 482 senior club appearances before securing a switch to Guanajuato at the beginning of the year, the 33-year-old may make his 500th career outing at the 2025 Club World Cup.
Espérance Tunis (Full name: Espérance Sportive de Tunis) – Tunisia
By far the most successful club in Tunisia, Espérance Tunis hold national records for the most league titles and domestic cups won. Despite having won the CAF Champions League on four separate occasions, the ‘Beast of Africa’ earned a spot at the 2025 Club World Cup as a consequence of being ranked the third-best club side in Africa.
The Tunisians have fallen at the first hurdle in each of their previous three Club World Cup appearances, ironically being knocked out by Middle Eastern opposition on every occasion. After being ousted by Qataris Al Sadd in the quarter-finals of the 2011 tournament, double AFC Champions League winners Al Ain and Saudi giants Al Hilal defeated Espérance Tunis in the second-round in 2018 and 2019 respectively. However, the 33-time Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions did win the fifth/sixth play-off match after their last two eliminations, overcoming Guadalajara on penalties before exacting revenge on previous vanquishers Al Sadd at the Khalifa International Stadium.
TV coverage: Where to watch Chelsea at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?
All 63 of this year’s Club World Cup matches will be shown exclusively live on DAZN, with viewers able to tune into the action by downloading the DAZN App onto their smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, or game consoles. Account holders can also watch events in America unfold by logging in to their personal DAZN portal via a standard web browser.
Remarkably, DAZN has decided to air every single 2025 Club World Cup fixture for free. Chelsea fans should simply register for a non-subscription DAZN account to access comprehensive coverage of every Blues match-up, and keep an eye on the performances of their tournament rivals.
As DAZN holds full broadcasting rights, the London-based entertainment platform is able to sub-license matches to free-to-air TV channels. Therefore, there may be more ways to follow this summer’s festival of football come the tournament opener between Inter Miami and Al Ahly.
Expected line-up: How will Chelsea's Club World Cup squad shape up?
After a season of intense exertion fighting on domestic and European fronts, Enzo Maresca may be tempted to rest some of his big stars for the month-long competition. However, FIFA have implemented several measures to encourage clubs to take their strongest squads to North America this summer.
In a somewhat controversial move, football’s world governing body has given special dispensation for participants to conduct transfer activity a fortnight in advance of the Club World Cup. Although the ‘off-season’ transfer window will open on the 12th of June for all UEFA-affiliated clubs, the 12 European qualifiers can purchase players from the beginning of the same month. Therefore, both Chelsea and Manchester may opt to make additional signings before heading to the United States.
FIFA is also allowing clubs to trade players while the tournament’s Round of 16 ties take place, enabling those that have advanced beyond the group phase to bolster their line-ups ahead of the latter stages. Furthermore, any player with a contract set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign – a timeframe that falls slap bang in the middle of the 2025 Club World Cup – is able to extend their current deals until the end of the competition. This means skilful winger Jadon Sancho and Finnish goalkeeper Lucas Bergström will not be forced to make a swift exit when their respective contracts expire on 30th June.
Despite a gruelling recent schedule, Enzo Maresca is expected to select an experienced squad. However, don’t be surprised if the Italian integrates several youngsters as he attempts to keep his starting line-up fresh.
Chelsea’s potential Club World Cup squad
Goalkeepers
Robert Sánchez, Filip Jörgensen, Lucas Bergström
Defenders
Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Malo Gusto, Reece James, Josh Acheampong
Midfielders
Moisés Caicedo, Roméo Lavia, Enzo Fernández, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Mathis Amougou, Samuel Rak-Sakyi
Forwards
Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, Tyrique George
Key performers
Chelsea may have a star-studded squad, but several players will undoubtedly burden additional responsibility as the West Londoners seek to clinch a second Club World Cup crown. We cast an eye on the men empowered by Enzo Maresca to do the business this summer….
Cole Palmer
After leaving boyhood club Manchester City, Cole Palmer struck 27 goals in 48 appearances throughout a glittering debut season at Stamford Bridge. The gifted Englishman has already netted 14 times in the Premier League this term, helping to propel Chelsea to the upper echelons of the table.
Having been added to the Blues’ UEFA Conference League squad for the knockout rounds of the competition, the acquisition of a second European winners medal seems a realistic target for the 22-year-old attacker.
Christopher Nkunku
Although he experienced a challenging first campaign in the English capital, Christopher Nkunku is now demonstrating his extensive suite of attacking capabilities in the famous blue jersey. Having registered eight direct goal involvements during the initial phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League, the pacey Frenchman is hoping to build on his positive recent performances in the second half of the season.
Nkunku is one of only a handful of players to score in each of the three major UEFA Club Competitions, can the former RB Leipzig ace add a Club World Cup goal or two to his ever-increasing tally?
Reece James
Having graduated through the club’s highly-respected academy and been handed the captain’s armband almost two years ago, Reece James is a commanding figure in the Chelsea dressing room. The cultured full-back featured in ten of the Blues’ 13 UEFA Champions League fixtures en route to their 2021 continental triumph, and delivered a solid performance on that historic night at the Estádio do Dragão.
Although he’s wrestled with a persistent hamstring injury of late, the English international appears to be approaching full fitness as the season enters its climatic stage; James will need to be at his free-flowing best if Chelsea are to emerge triumphant in America.
Winner odds: How likely are Chelsea to win the 2025 Club World Cup?
Although most were expecting a period of transition under newly-appointed Italian boss Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have looked a cohesive unit throughout most of the 2024/25 season. Despite two early domestic cup exits, the Blues remain firmly in the hunt for a top-four place after an extremely positive Premier League campaign.
Furthermore, the eight-time FA Cup winners advanced to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Conference League at a canter, winning all six group phase fixtures and racking up 26 goals in the process. The acquisition of Chelsea’s ninth European trophy could potentially be the perfect pre-cursor to a successful assault on the re-formatted Club World Cup.
The bookmakers have placed Chelsea as fourth favourites to win the competition, assuming shorter odds than the likes of Serie A leaders Inter Milan, recent UEFA Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, and 2021 Club World Cup final opponents Palmeiras. So, who is expected to challenge for silverware in the U.S.?
To win: 17/2
Manchester City (England)
The reigning Club World Cup champions are currently a shadow of the team that built a trophy-laden empire under the stewardship of master tactician Pep Guardiola, but are still fancied to go the distance this summer.
Last time out, the Citizens overcame Urawa Red Diamonds and Fluminense to secure a historic first piece of international silverware less than seven months after clinching a long-awaited UEFA Champions League title. Having already lost any hope of retaining their Premier League crown and been punted out of Europe by a rampant Real Madrid side, City fans will be desperate to end a turbulent season on a high – can the bookies’ favourites come good one last time before a major re-build commences?
To win: 7/2 (favourites)
Real Madrid (Spain)
The most successful team in Club World Cup history, Carlo Ancelotti’s men seem almost guaranteed to progress to the latter stages of the competition.
Nine months after clinching a record-extending fourteenth UEFA Champions League crown, Real Madrid were confirmed as the best club team on the planet following two sensational displays in Morocco. Brazilian superstar Vinícius Júnior and industrious midfielder Federico Valverde were the heroes in white, as each player scored in the semi-final before bagging a brace apiece against Saudi Arabians Al Hilal in the decider.
Who would bet against them adding further silverware to an already bustling trophy cabinet?
To win: 4/1
Bayern Munich (Germany)
A year after Didier Drogba’s penalty broke Bayern Munich hearts on Bavarian soil, the Germans secured their first invite to a Club World Cup following their 2013 UEFA Champions League triumph.
It would turn out to be a successful maiden appearance, as Bayern swept aside Guangzhou Evergrande and Raja Casablanca to emerge victorious in Morocco. The 33-time Bundesliga champions were at it again seven years later, comfortably defeating Egyptian outfit Al Ahly in the semi-finals before edging Liga MX’s Tigres UANL in a tightly contested final in Al Rayyan.
All of this means that Bayern Munich are yet to concede a single goal at a Club World Cup, having netted on eight occasions without reply. Although this statistic may well change in the summer, Vincent Kompany’s men will certainly head into the tournament with lofty aspirations.
To win: 7/1
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
How did Chelsea qualify for the 2025 tournament?
As FIFA has invited all clubs that have acquired a premier continental title within the last four seasons, Chelsea qualified for this summer's tournament by virtue of winning the 2020/21 Champions League. The Blues defeated fellow Premier League outfit Manchester City in a tense encounter at the Estádio do Dragão, with Kai Havertz's well-taken first-half goal the only difference between the two sides.
Chelsea's 2025 Club World Cup kit
Chelsea are yet to release a dedicated Club World Cup kit for this year's exertions in the U.S, but don't be surprised if we later see some development on this front. Given the increased prestige and purpose surrounding this year's edition of FIFA's interncontinental tournament (and of course the potential finanical opportunity on offer), it's likely a decent percentage of teams will launch a dedicated strip for the occasion.
History, highlights, and statistics
Having defeated Bayern Munich in a nerve-shredding penalty shootout at the Allianz Arena to claim a maiden UEFA Champions League title, Chelsea qualified for the Japanese-hosted 2012 Club World Cup.
Entering at the semi-final stage, the Blues put three past CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey thanks to strikes from Spanish pair Juan Mata and Fernando Torres and an own goal from Mexican full-back Dárvin Chávez.
The Blues suffered a narrow defeat in the showpiece, with Paolo Guerrero's second-half header enough to hand Corinthians a second Club World Cup crown.
Has Chelsea ever previously won the Club World Cup?
Following their slender victory over Manchester City in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, Chelsea travelled to the United Arab Emirates to compete in the 18th instalment of FIFA’s pan-continental tournament. Three days after netting the only goal in a tense semi-final encounter with Al Hilal, powerful Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku grabbed the opener in the final. Although Raphael Veiga equalized from the spot just after the hour mark, Kai Havertz’s coolly converted penalty in the closing stages of extra time would hand the West Londoners a famous win in Abu Dhabi.
All set for the States....
Finalists in each of their first two Club World Cup campaigns, what will the summer hold for Enzo Maresca’s new-look side? With 32 teams vying for glory this time around, things may be a little tougher for the current Chelsea boss than it was for his managerial predecessors…