Los Angeles FC or LAFC have a lot of interesting back-stories. The first opponent for Chelsea FC in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, was originally slated to be Liga MX’s Club Léon. LAFC qualified for this tournament after beating Club América 2–1 in a one-match playoff to decide which team would replace Leon. LAFC lost the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup Final to Léon, and hence found themselves in the playoff match.
We could go deeper on all that, with all the other different qualification process details, but seriously, no one wants that.
Chelsea vs LAFC FYIs
Kickoff: Mon June 16, 3pm EST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Competition: 2025 FIFA Club World Grouping D Group Stage Game
Chelsea Preview Material: Tournament Preview Latest Transfer Talk Team News Starting XI Prediction
Watch: stream for free on DAZN. Wait, a sporting event is available to stream for free?!
The managing owners of LAFC are Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, and Bennett Rosenthal. They are obviously very successful businessmen but not household names like some of Los Angeles FC’s part-owners, which includes the likes of Will Ferrell, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm and Magic Johnson.
So this match might end up being a very star-studded affair.
Another storyline here, from the Chelsea perspective, is this could mark the debut of Cole Palmer in the No. 10 shirt. The club gave it to him after stripping it from Mykhailo Mudryk.
They did it in a club announcement that didn’t even bother mentioning Mudryk.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction vs LAFC (Club World Cup)
Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter