Chelsea's World Club Cup group stage opponents in focus
Having also sealed a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2023 there is a feelgood factor surrounding the Blues that they will be hoping to carry with them to the United States.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the Londoners' group stage opponents and beyond.
With his first-half assist against Sporting Kansas City, @LAFC's Denis Bouanga became the second player in club history to reach 70 career goal contributions, joining Carlos Vela (137). pic.twitter.com/wPexYOOdoF
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) June 9, 2025
The MLS side were a late addition to the tournament and were nearly not involved at all, with an 89th-minute equaliser from Brazilian midfielder Igor Jesus salvaging their preliminary play-off against Club America of Mexico last month before French winger Denis Bouanga won it towards the end of extra time.
The play-off came about after Club Leon, also from Mexico, were disqualified from the tournament over FIFA's rules on dual ownership.
LAFC, who are first up for Chelsea in Atlanta on June 16, are relatively new to MLS having been founded in 2014. They finished top of the Western Conference last season and qualified for the play-offs where they ultimately finished third, with their only national title coming in 2022.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper and France's World Cup-winning captain Hugo Lloris and ex-Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud are standout names, while Odin Holm, on loan from Celtic, will also be familiar. Coach Steve Cherundolo played more than 300 Bundesliga matches for Hannover.
See you in two weeks, @LAFC 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DP036olMc2
— Flamengo (@Flamengo_en) June 10, 2025
A clash with Brazilian giants Flamengo follows in Philadelphia, with the Rio de Janeiro state champions and current leaders of the national championship likely to be the strongest opposition faced by Maresca's side in the group stage. They qualified as Copa Libertadores winners in 2022.
A familiar face awaits in the dugout with former Chelsea full-back Felipe Luis leading the team as head coach, though the former Brazil international made only 15 Premier League appearances in his single season at Stamford Bridge in 2014/15.
Jorginho played more recently for the club, leaving for Arsenal in 2023 and moving to Flamengo earlier this month, while defender David Luiz – a Champions League winner with the Blues in 2012 – departed only last summer.
Flamengo lifted the Intercontinental Cup back in 1981 after a 3-0 win over Bob Paisley's Liverpool in Tokyo, and with seven titles they are the joint-third most successful club in Brazilian football.
𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓘𝓷 𝓐𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓪. ! 🇧🇪😍#TakeItToTheWorld #FIFACWC#ترجي_دولة#للعالمية_يا_مكشخين pic.twitter.com/aeufjoRvnM
— Espérance Sportive De Tunis (@ESTunis1919) June 4, 2025
Tunisian club Esperance qualified by virtue of their Confederation of African Football (CAF) ranking, having last won the African Champions League in 2019 – their fourth title.
The squad is a mixture of domestic players and recruits from further afield including Brazil, Sweden and Belgium.
Captain Yassine Meriah has 85 caps for Tunisia and the defender played against England at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has played in the Champions League for Olympiacos.
The club were given the nickname 'The Beast of Africa' in 1994 to reflect their dominance of football both domestically, where they have been champions 34 times, and on the continent.
7️⃣ DAYS TO GO UNTIL OUR FIRST #FIFACWC MATCH!🆚 Al Hilal 📺 Watch every FIFA Club World Cup 2025 game LIVE, on @DaznFutbol!#TakeItToTheWorld pic.twitter.com/ZsEL3Mb268
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 11, 2025
Should Chelsea progress as group winners it will mean a last-16 meeting with the side that finishes runner-up in Group C, likely to be Benfica or Argentina's Boca Juniors.
Bayern Munich are another possible opponent, as are New Zealand club Auckland City.
Thereafter things become less easy to predict, but topping the group could well set them up for a quarter-final against either Real Madrid, Paris St Germain or Borussia Dortmund.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
44 minutes ago
- Metro
Arsenal deal for Viktor Gyokeres at risk as Sporting issue threat
Arsenal's deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres could be at risk as Sporting CP have threatened to increase the striker's asking price. Earlier this week, Sporting's president, Frederico Varandas, hit out at Gyokeres' agent over suggestions that a transfer fee had already been agreed ahead of the summer transfer window. Gyokeres has a €100 million (£85.1m) release clause in his contract but Sporting have been willing to sell the Sweden international for lower than that amount. Varandas was angered by claims that Sporting have agreed to sell Gyokeres for €60m (£51m) plus a further €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons and warned the striker's representative, Hasan Cetinkaya, that he is 'making the situation worse'. During his negotiations to bring Gyokeres to Sporting in a £20m deal from Coventry City two years ago, Cetinkaya secured an exclusive sales mandate which means that the Portuguese champions will have to pay the agent 10 per cent of the value of any rejected offer above €60m (£51m). Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. It is understood that if Cetinkaya decides to activate that mandate this summer, Sporting will respond by demanding that Gyokeres' €100m (£85.1m) release clause is paid in full. Arsenal's sporting director, Andrea Berta, met with his counterpart at Sporting, Bernardo Palmeiro, in Menorca to discuss a deal for Gyokeres this week. Arsenal's initial proposal worth an €55m (£46.8m) plus a further €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons was rejected but an improved offer is expected. Sporting are believed to be holding out for a deal worth closer to €80m (£68.1m) including add-ons. More Trending Reports in Portugal on Thursday claimed that there is a 'growing optimism' in Gyokeres' camp that a deal can be agreed between Arsenal and Sporting. Manchester United also remain in the race to sign Gyokeres and are hoping his strong relationship with Ruben Amorim can overcome the striker's reservations about the lack of European football at Old Trafford next season. United have indicated to Sporting that they are willing to pay €60m (£51.1m) up front, plus a further €10m (£8.5m) in performance-related bonuses. Gyokeres, who finished the season with 54 goals in 52 games and helped Sporting win the domestic double in Portugal, issued a cryptic message on Instagram on Thursday which read: 'There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Benfica send message to Chelsea over Joao Felix transfer MORE: King's Birthday Honours list: Sir David Beckham knighted and Luke Littler honoured MORE: Bryan Mbeumo makes decision over Manchester United transfer after £70m Spurs bid
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
David Beckham ‘immensely proud' of knighthood in King's Birthday Honours
The sports star, who celebrated his 50th birthday last month, is being honoured for services to sport and charity. Sir David said in a statement to the PA news agency: 'Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. 'To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true. 'Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation. 'I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' Sir David married his wife Victoria in 1999 and the couple share four children together – Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. He had been set on becoming a professional footballer as a child and as a teenager he joined Manchester United as a trainee, forming part of the class of '92 that won the FA Youth Cup, along with Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville. The sports star from north east London made his Premier League debut for United in 1995 and was part of the team that earned a dramatic Champions League final victory in 1999 when they beat Bayern Munich with two late goals. In total he scored 85 goals and collected honours including six Premier League titles and two FA Cups as a footballer, before retiring from the sport in 2013. Alongside his football career Sir David has supported a number of charity causes and launched a fundraising appeal for Unicef in April ahead of his milestone 50th birthday. He has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for humanitarian aid organisation Unicef since 2005 and is a founding member of the charity Malaria No More UK's leadership council. Philip Goodwin, Unicef UK chief executive said: 'We're so thrilled that our Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, David Beckham, has been awarded a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours. 'David Beckham has done an incredible amount to advocate for children's rights over the last 20 years. 'He became a Goodwill Ambassador in 2005 and launched 7: The David Beckham Unicef Fund in 2015 – with the goal of helping children around the world, especially girls, break down barriers including bullying, violence, child marriage and missed education. 'He's travelled extensively to see Unicef's work and used his profile to raise awareness, as well as support our flagship fundraising campaign Soccer Aid for Unicef and launch global fundraising appeals.' Last year the former sports star, who has described himself as a 'huge Royalist', was named an ambassador for the King's Foundation, an educational charity established by the King in 1990. In February Sir David appeared in a video helping to launch the hunt for '35 under 35', a network of influencers who can fly the flag for the charity which reflects Charles' vision. He is also known for his stylish clothing choices, and in 1998 was named most stylish man of the year by GQ magazine and he has modelled for the likes of H&M, Armani and Boss. In 2018 he was appointed Ambassadorial President of the British Fashion Council where he assisted the BFC in its search for young British talent from all backgrounds. His wife, Victoria, turned her hand to fashion designing after her time in the Spice Girls and Sir David and their four children are often spotted at her shows. Sir David is currently a part-owner of MLS side Inter Miami, and is also the co-founder of Studio 99, the production company behind the hit Netflix series Beckham. He was formerly appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
David Beckham's rollercoaster journey from Leyton Orient trial to a knighthood
Telling the aspiring young footballer he would go on to play for Manchester United and Real Madrid, captain England, marry a pop star and become one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, fronting global brands, might well have seemed just as far-fetched. It was, though, not an easy journey for the former midfielder, who turned 50 in May, to achieve all of that success, both on and off the pitch – with the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List showing the estimated combined net worth of Beckham and his wife Victoria at £500million. A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) Born in Leytonstone, east London, Beckham had a trial at local team Leyton Orient and also attended Tottenham's school of excellence – but his father Ted, a staunch Manchester United fan, remained determined he would go on to play at Old Trafford. After coming through the club's academy as part of the famed 'Class of 92', Beckham announced himself to the Premier League on the opening day of the 1996-97 season with a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon. While there were plenty of doubters as to what he could go on to achieve, Beckham answered them and more – claiming six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering side as well as a dramatic 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp. International success, however, proved elusive for Beckham as England's so-called 'golden generation' repeatedly came up short. In a Netflix documentary series, released during October 2023, Beckham revealed he still cannot forgive himself for the abuse his family suffered amid the fallout from his red card at the 1998 World Cup for kicking the back of Diego Simeone's leg during the last-16 clash against Argentina in Saint-Etienne – which left him a 'mess'. A pub hung up an effigy of the midfielder and Beckham received a hostile reception from rival fans around the country when he returned to action for United the following season but, despite the backlash, he went on to become an integral part of the national team. Beckham, possessing an expert dead-ball strike, took on the armband in 2000 for six years through two World Cup tournaments and still stands third on the all-time appearance list with 115 caps. However, the continued glare of the spotlight off the pitch, with Beckham having married Spice Girls singer Victoria in a star-studded ceremony in July 1999, saw his relationship with Ferguson cool – a cut eye from a boot kicked by the Scot in the changing room further fuelling speculation over his future at United. In the summer of 2003, having made almost 400 appearances for United and scoring 85 goals, a £25million switch to Real Madrid followed as Beckham became the latest 'Galactico' signing by club president Florentino Perez. Beckham would go on to win the LaLiga title before he departed for LA Galaxy in 2007 and collected the MLS Cup twice, spending two loan stints at AC Milan along the way. In January 2013, Beckham returned to Europe with Paris St Germain, later announcing his decision to retire at the end of the season, when he signed off with a Ligue 1 winners' medal. Beckham's impact off the pitch, though, had already long been established before eventually hanging up his boots at the age of 38. Already thinking about life after football during his time in the United States, Beckham became a co-owner of the Inter Miami franchise – with the club entering Major League Soccer for the 2020 campaign and now boasting Lionel Messi on the teamsheet. The world is a very tough place for millions of children and a global funding crisis is leaving them more vulnerable. In response, ahead of his 50th birthday, David Beckham is launching a fundraiser for UNICEF, to help children dream and thrive. Donate: — UNICEF (@UNICEF) April 15, 2025 A multi-million-pound lifetime deal with Adidas, signed in 2003, had secured his financial future away from the game. Other lucrative, high-profile endorsements down the years have ranged from fashion designers Calvin Klein, Armani and Hugo Boss to tech giants Samsung, Haig Club whisky and Stella Artois as well as kitchen appliance manufacturer Ninja. Beckham, who was made an OBE for services to football in 2003, has long been involved with children's charity UNICEF, and is a co-owner of film production company Studio 99. In 2024, Beckham was appointed Ambassador for The King's Foundation which works globally to create sustainable communities through placemaking projects and also transform lives through practical education programmes.
