Atlanta – Chelsea began their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Major League Soccer’s LAFC at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The English giants took control of the match early and broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Portuguese forward Pedro Neto calmly slotted the ball past the LAFC goalkeeper after being set up by striker Nicolas Jackson. The goal marked a strong start for Chelsea in Group D.
LAFC struggled to gain momentum in the first half but improved slightly after the break. However, their push for an equalizer was halted in the 79th minute when Enzo Fernández doubled Chelsea’s lead. The goal came after a clever assist from 21-year-old Liam Delap, who made his Chelsea debut after a summer move from Ipswich Town.
Chelsea dominated possession throughout the match, finishing with over 65% of the ball and 17 shots, compared to LAFC’s 7. Despite a solid defensive effort from the MLS side, Chelsea’s quality and depth ultimately proved too strong.
A light-hearted moment occurred at the start of the second half when veteran striker Olivier Giroud entered the pitch without his jersey, causing a short delay. The issue was quickly resolved, and play resumed.
Surprisingly, the match was played in front of a sparse crowd of just over 22,000 fans in a stadium that seats more than 70,000. The low turnout has sparked discussions about fan interest in the expanded Club World Cup format being hosted in the United States.
Chelsea now sit at the top of Group D with three points and a +2 goal difference. They will face Brazilian side Flamengo in their next match on June 20 in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, LAFC will look to bounce back when they take on Tunisia’s Espérance de Tunis on the same day in Nashville.
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Stay tuned for more Club World Cup updates and post-match analysis.
