Overview
Chelsea will kick off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the US with a match against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta.
After finishing the Premier League campaign with high results and then winning the UEFA Conference League, The Blues entered the tournament with a lot of aspiration and desire to win.
It is still unclear who will be in coach Enzo Maresca's starting lineup. However, the Blues' squad includes many stars, most notably Cole Palmer.
Since his club's debut in September 2023, only Mohamed Salah (72) has been involved in more goals than the 23-year-old in the Premier League (56 - 37 goals, 19 assists).
And more recently, Palmer was a star in Chelsea's UEFA Conference League final win over Real Betis. Palmer became the first player to assist two goals for an English club in a major European final, after Chelsea's Juan Mata in 2013.
The former Manchester City player will be supported by a series of other stars. Enzo Fernandez was a key part of Argentina's 2022 World Cup title and was named FIFA's Best Young Player of the tournament. Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League last season, leading all players in terms of re-els (229).
Los Angeles FC is the last team to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. They beat Club America in the play-off on 31 May, winning 2-1 in extra time.
LAFC may be a little-known team, but they will bring some familiar faces to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Their goalkeeper is none other than Hugo Lloris, the 2018 World Cup winner with the French team and the all-time record holder for Les Bleus (145). Premier League fans will also remember him as Tottenham's former first-choice goalkeeper.
The most recognizable player - especially for Chelsea fans - will of course be Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman spent four seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2017 and 2021, scoring 39 goals and winning three major trophies (FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Europa League).
Los Angeles FC's current star striker, Denis Bouanga, has scored 18 goals in 22 appearances in all competitions this season. However, Chelsea fans will be well aware of Giroud's threat in the box, both as a starts and coming off the bench.
Predicting the result
Chelsea are a strong candidate to start their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a victory. The Blues are rated with a 72.0% chance of winning, much higher than LAFC's 11.6%.
A draw would be a good result for the MLS side, with a 16.4% chance of happening.
Chelsea are also expected to advance to the knockout round through Group D, with a 93.3% chance of doing so.
Score prediction: Chelsea 4-1 LAFC
The match between Chelsea and LAFC takes place at 2:00 am on June 17 (Vietnam time).
