Japtej Ghura: My Club World Cup reflections – and what it could mean for the future of this Chelsea side | OneFootball

Chelsea are the 2025 Club World Cup champions, winning the competition after four long weeks in tough conditions at the end of what had been an already exhausting regular season.

Enzo Maresca’s side faced LAFC, Flamengo, Esperance, Benfica, Palmeiras, Fluminense and PSG on their way to lifting the trophy.

The tournament was eventful to say the least. From low attendances and controversial dynamic ticket pricing, to the 115-minute weather delay against Benfica and the President of the United States joining in the trophy celebrations after the final, there was no shortage of talking points.

This was FIFA’s first edition of the revamped and expanded Club World Cup. Previously the tournament was held every year and featured six to eight teams, whereas this edition featured 32 teams and will be held every four years.

Our reporter Japtej Ghura was out in the USA for the entirety of the tournament covering Chelsea. Here are his reflections on the Blues’ campaign and the tournament as a whole.

Group stage

Chelsea’s campaign got off to a straightforward start with a comfortable 2-0 win over LAFC, but their second group game against Flamengo was a shock 3-1 loss. Filipe Luis’ team stunned the Blues, firstly with the brilliant show of support in the stands, but mostly because of the strong performance they put in on the pitch.

The loss was a blow to Chelsea’s desires of finishing top of the group, but retrospectively it was a blessing in disguise for the Blues.

They beat Esperance 3-0 in the last game and finished second in the group, but due to circumstances including Benfica beating Bayern Munich, Maresca’s men missed out on the side of the draw that included PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Another big talking point in the group stage was the disappointingly low fan attendance for the first game against LAFC. Videos and images went viral of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta just minutes before kick-off. The arena can hold 75,000 but there was just a measly 22,000 in attendance.

There were several reasons for the low turnout, but the fact that the game was held at 3pm local time on a Monday was a significant one, and raised questions as to why FIFA were not prioritising local fans ahead of international TV viewers.

From speaking to dozens of general Americans over the duration of the tournament, many did not even know it was taking place, or what it was.

Weather delay against Benfica

The last 16 threw up what was undoubtedly the craziest game of Chelsea’s tournament, as well as the craziest game I have ever watched live.

By the 85th minute, Chelsea were cruising towards a 1-0 victory over Benfica courtesy of a fantastic Reece James free-kick, before the game was suspended due to a severe weather warning.

The initial feeling was that play might be paused for five to ten minutes, but protocol in America is that the game has to be paused for a minimum of 30 minutes, and during that period if there are any lightning within an eight-mile radius of the stadium, the clock is reset.

Due to that rule, the delay ran on and on, and lasted 115 minutes in total. The wait was excruciatingly long and made worse by the lack of updates and information.

This might have seemed strange for the travelling European fans but having spoken to many Americans, these incidents are regular and they are used to them.

The problem is that at the World Cup next year many of the spectators will not be American and likely will not be so accommodating.

There was just five minutes left on the clock when the game was suspended, and it eventually ran for over four hours in total. When play resumed, Benfica were awarded a penalty in the 95th minute, which they converted, taking the game to extra time.

Chelsea eventually won 4-1, but it was far from as straightforward as the score-line on its own suggests.

It is not just the delays the weather caused at the tournament that were an issue either. Several players, including Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, spoke out about the difficulty of playing in high temperatures, with the Chelsea midfielder suggesting kick-off times should be changed at the World Cup 2026 so games can be played in cooler conditions.

“The other day I got a little dizzy in the game,” he said, speaking before the final. “I had to throw myself to the ground because I was really dizzy.

“The truth is, playing in that temperature is very dangerous. It’s very dangerous. And, obviously, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, and for the people who watch at home, the speed of the game isn’t the same. Everything feels very slow.”

Estevao’s impact and the run to the final

Compared to the game against Benfica, anything would have had less drama, but Chelsea did progress past Palmeiras and Fluminense without too many problems.

At this stage the bracket had revealed itself to give the Blues a very appealing run to the final, and they took full advantage.

There was a fascinating storyline involving Palmeiras’ Estevao against his future club, and the Brazilian offered the Blues a glimpse of what they had bought when he scored a superb equaliser.

He also went on to win player of the match, despite Chelsea winning 2-1. There was plenty of hype around Estevao leading into the game but he more than delivered and offered Blues fans plenty of excitement for the future – a bonus on top of the victory.

He is quick and aggressive in his style of play and clearly possesses a fearlessness which should help him settle in to the Premier League. He had a brilliant battle throughout the game with Marc Cucurella, one of the best full-backs in the Premier League.

The two were exchanging words for the full 90 minutes, and though it seemed hostile from their body language, there is no doubt when the teenager joins up with the squad in west London those battles with Cucurella will be a lot less fiery on the training pitch.

The semi-final against Fluminense was a straightforward 2-0 win for Chelsea and a dream full debut for new signing Joao Pedro, who had come off the bench in the previous round after signing from Brighton. The Brazilian had been on a beach at the start of the tournament but told us how he had kept himself active in preparation for joining Chelsea.

“Imagine if I didn’t train and Chelsea called me to come, then it would be more difficult for me,” he said. “I was on holiday with friends and family but I made sure I was ready.”

That preparation would pay off immediately with the striker bagging both goals and sending his side through to the final.

Final against PSG

Chelsea might not have been tested too much in the semi-final, but were faced with the biggest test in world football in the form of PSG.

The Parisians looked unbeatable after humiliating Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-final, and of course the 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan in the Champions League final was still fresh in the mind.

Chelsea had also been rocked by the departure of Noni Madueke in the build up to the game, who headed back to London ahead of signing for Arsenal.

Few gave Maresca and his side any chance, so it was shocking to say the least to see them 3-0 up at half-time, and take that lead all the way to the end of the game.

It was the game which re-established Cole Palmer as one of the top young talents in world football. The Englishman has had a quiet six months, but his two goals and assist for Joao Pedro, who continued to impress, saw him well and truly back to his best.

The final was a fascinating spectacle, very ‘Americanised’, and hinted at the direction in which football is moving. Famous boxing announcer Michael Buffer read out the line-ups before the game, and Coldplay, Tems and Doja Cat entertained the fans at half-time.

The concert at the interval did however last 24 minutes, rather than the usual 15, which is not something that will go down as popular with more of the traditional football fans.

Donald Trump was also in attendance and could not resist getting involved. Perhaps too involved. He handed over the trophy to Reece James for the presentation, but did not move away from the squad for the trophy lift, and was front and centre for the celebrations and pictures much to the confusion of some of the players.

It was probably a sign of things to come at the World Cup next year. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump have gotten very close in recent months and there is no doubt Trump will want his moment on world sport’s grandest stage.

For Chelsea, though, the win will give them massive confidence going forward. Dismantling the best team in the world will give Maresca and his side the belief that they can challenge in the Premier League and Champions League next season.

It is hard to gauge the achievement of winning this competition given this was the first edition of the revamped tournament, though Maresca certainly did not play down his side’s success, claiming the Club World Cup could be even bigger than the Champions League in the future.

Levi Colwill, meanwhile, said after the game: “Before the tournament started, I said we were here to win. People looked at me like I was mad. But now I’ll say the same again – we’re going for the Premier League title and the Champions League.”

Colwill and his team-mates rightfully have every confidence that this can be the start of a prolific period for the Blues, after a few years away from the top.