Chelsea beats LAFC 2-0 in Club World Cup opener with prize money of 1.3593 trillion won

Chelsea decorated its first match in the FIFA Club World Cup with a victory. The 'veteran' Olivier Giroud (39, Los Angeles FC), facing his former team, could not make an impact.

Chelsea defeated Los Angeles FC 2-0 in the first match of Group D of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, held on the 17th at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

Chelsea, led by manager Enzo Maresca, started in a 4-2-1-3 formation. Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, and Pedro Neto started along with Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Moisés Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Reece James, and Robert Sánchez.

Given the significant difference in power, Chelsea aggressively attacked from the beginning. Jackson, Madueke, and Palmer took shots in succession, threatening the LAFC goal. If not for the veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris' saves, it would not have been surprising if the score had been broken early.

Finally, Chelsea scored the opening goal. In the 34th minute, during a counterattack, Jackson passed the ball to Neto in front of him. Neto used his speed to break through the right side, evaded the defense, and scored. The first half ended with Chelsea leading 1-0.

Both teams utilized substitution cards as the second half began. Chelsea brought in James and Lavia while introducing Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernández. LAFC put Giroud in the front line, aiming for an equalizer.

Although LAFC attempted to be more aggressive in the second half, it was not sufficient. Giroud, who faced his former team for the first time in three years, also failed to show his presence. Chelsea’s attacks seeking an additional goal were more threatening.

Eventually, Chelsea extended its lead to 2-0. In the 34th minute of the second half, Liam Delap broke away to the right, creating a crack in the defense before crossing the ball high into the goal area. Enzo arrived to finish it off and found the net. The match ended with Chelsea winning by two goals. Giroud, playing for 45 minutes, was held to zero shots and could not prevent the team's defeat.

Meanwhile, this tournament has been expanded to 32 participating teams, with a total prize pool of $1 billion (approximately 1.3593 trillion won). Unlike in the past, when its status was low, fierce competition among European powerhouses is expected. Chelsea will face Flamengo (Brazil) and Espérance Tunis (Tunisia) in the group stage.

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