CHELSEA
Monday, June 16 | 12:00 p.m. PT | Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Atlanta, GA
Named after the West London neighborhood where it was founded in 1905, Chelsea FC has played 36 straight seasons in the English Premier League, the top flight in England.
This season the Blues finished fourth in the EPL with a record of 20W-9L-9D, scoring 64 goals and allowing 43 GA (plus-21 goal differential). Their top-five finish secured a place in next year’s UEFA Champions League.
Key players include captain and right back Reece James, attacking midfielder and leading goal scorer Cole Palmer, multi-purpose midfielder Enzo Fernández (team-high 14 assists in all competitions), and 22-year-old centerback Levi Colwill, who has been part of Chelsea since he was eight.
Head coach Enzo Maresca took over Chelsea on July 1, 2024, and has benefited from the attacking trio of Palmer (15 goals in all competitions in 2024-25), Christopher Nkunku (14), and Nicolas Jackson (13). Goalie Robert Sánchez started 32 league games in 2024-25 and allowed just 1.08 goals per game (34 goals).
The last few days have been big for Chelsea in terms of roster moves. Chelsea reached an agreement with 22-year-old striker Liam Delap, who joins the Blues from Ipswich Town after that club was relegated from the EPL. Forward Jadon Sancho has returned to Manchester United after a one-season loan to Chelsea in which he contributed three goals and four assists for the Blues in EPL play.
TROPHY TESTED
On May 28, Chelsea defeated Real Betis 4–1 in the UEFA Conference League Final, becoming the first club in history to win each of the five major European competitions. Palmer was named Man of the Match in the final after providing two assists, and was also named to the team of the tournament along with teammates Filip Jörgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Fernández.
DID YOU KNOW?
LAFC forward Olivier Giroud led Chelsea to this year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
In the 2020-21 season, Giroud’s final season at Chelsea, he scored a team-high six goals in the UEFA Champions League, helping Chelsea win the European crown for the second time in its history— a title that qualified the Blues for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. In two-and-a-half seasons with Chelsea, Giroud tallied 38 goals and 14 assists in all competitions before joining AC Milan in July 2021. (Giroud played with U.S. Men’s National Team captain Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, and at Milan as well.)
After Giroud departed for Milan, Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup 2021, defeating Brazilian club Palmeiras (and former LAFC Original and current Orlando City midfielder Eduard Atuesta) in the final, 2-1.
ES TUNIS
Friday, June 20 | 3:00 p.m. PT | GEODIS Park; Nashville, TN
Founded in 1919, Espérance Sportive de Tunis (ES Tunis) is one of four African clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, having just won its record-extending 34th title in Tunisia’s top division Ligue Professionnelle 1. (ES Tunis finished level on points with US Monastirienne, but clinched the title based on head-to-head results.)
ES Tunis played 25 matches in league play, achieving a record of 15W-2L-8D, while scoring 47 goals and conceding just 21 (plus-26 goal differential). The team’s attacking efforts were spearheaded by Brazilian midfielder Yan Sasse and Algerian winger Youcef Belaïli, who contributed 10 and nine goals respectively.
In April, ES Tunis was eliminated in the quarterfinal stage of CAF Champions League, falling 1-0 on aggregate to South African side Mamelodi Sundowns over two legs. Sundowns eventually lost by a single goal in the final.
QUALIFICATION
ES Tunis received its FIFA Club World Cup berth based on its ranking in the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The club was runners-up to Al Ahly in the 2024 Champions League final and have been part of that competition for 14 straight years, placing them atop the continental rankings and into the FIFA Club World Cup.
DID YOU KNOW?
Several ES Tunis players also play for the Tunisian Men’s National Team, which will compete with Denis Bouanga and Gabon (and 22 other African countries) at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in December 2025 and January 2026.
FLAMENGO
Tuesday, June 24 | 6:00 p.m. PT | Camping World Stadium; Orlando, FL
Go anywhere in the world and mention Brazil’s top professional league, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, and CR Flamengo (Clube de Regatas do Flamengo) will likely be the first club that comes to mind. With an estimated fanbase of nearly 50 million, the Rio de Janeiro-based powerhouse stands as one of the planet’s most popular clubs. Founded in 1895, the Rubro-Negro (Scarlet and Black) is one of two clubs (São Paulo is the other) to have never been relegated from Brazil’s top division.
Flamengo is one of six CONMEBOL representatives in this FIFA Club World Cup, having qualified for the competition by winning its third Copa Libertadores crown, in 2022.
Coached by former Brazil international Filipe Luís, Flamengo's current roster includes Brazilian national team regulars Gerson and Danilo, as well as 27-year-old striker Pedro, who has also featured for the Brazil’s national team and has scored 59 league goals for the Rubro-Negro over the last five years. In the current Campeonato Brasileiro Série A regular season, Uruguayan playmaker Giorgian De Arrascaeta has scored a team-high nine goals for Flamengo.
On June 6, Flamengo announced the signing of veteran English Premier League midfielder Jorginho, 33, from Arsenal. Jorginho was born in Brazil but plays internationally for Italy.
PART OF THEIR HISTORY
A long list of legendary players from Brazil’s National Team have also worn Flamengo’s colors. Among them:
Player (years at Flamengo)
Vinicius Jr. (2017)
Lucas Paquetá (2016-2019)
Ronaldinho (2011)
Adriano (2000-2001, 2009-2010, 2012)
Romário (1995-1999)
Bebeto (1983-1989, 1996)
Zico (1971-1983, 1985-1989)
PLENTY OF ROOM
This match will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, which has a capacity of more than 60,000 and was the setting for a record crowd (including a large contingent of Brazilians) when the U.S. Men’s National Team hosted Brazil there on June 12, 2024.
DID YOU KNOW?
LAFC midfielder Igor Jesus, whose tying goal against Club América on May 31 helped LAFC reach the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, began his professional career with Flamengo. He played in 10 matches for the Rubro-Negro after signing with the club at age 18.
