Chelsea beat LAFC 2–0 in Club World Cup opener

Atlanta

Chelsea began their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 journey with a 2–0 win over Los Angeles FC in their Group D opener, held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez secured the victory.

In the first half, Chelsea dominated possession. After early attempts from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, the breakthrough came when Jackson passed to Neto, who beat LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a fine left-footed finish.

LAFC tried to respond after halftime by bringing on striker Olivier Giroud against his former club. Substitute David Martinez threatened with two close shots, and Ryan Hollingshead fired one over the bar. But Chelsea maintained control.

A crucial moment came when LAFC’s Timothy Tillman cleared a Jackson header off the line. However, Chelsea soon doubled the lead when Enzo Fernandez scored from a cross delivered by debutant Liam Delap.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca praised the result, saying, “At this stage of the season, it’s normal to manage such games. The performance was good, and we won.”

The win marks Chelsea’s third consecutive victory in three different competitions — one for Champions League qualification, another in the UEFA Conference League, and now a strong start in the Club World Cup.

LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo admitted Chelsea were the better team, saying, “We clawed back in the second half and had a few chances, but Chelsea deserved the win.”

Chelsea now top Group D, while LAFC will need a strong showing in their next match to stay in contention.