After making a swift return to the UEFA Champions League, the Chelsea staff and players will board the plane to the United States of America to participate in the 2025 edition of the FIFA World Cup, where the Blues have been drawn in Group D alongside Flamengo, Los Angeles, and ES Tunis.
Los Angeles FC has replaced Leon in Group D after it was announced by FIFA that two or more clubs from the same ownership group would not be allowed to participate in the 32-team tournament. Leon and CF Pachuca qualified from the CONCACAF confederation, but both clubs belong to the same ownership group, and a failure to sell either club led Leon to be expelled from the tournament. Los Angeles FC then defeated Club America in the play-in match to reserve their place in Group D of the quadrennial tournament.
Enzo Maresca’s men are the clear heavyweights in Group D and would be hoping to make it to the knockout rounds after playing all three opponents in their group, boasting stars like Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandes, and Marc Cucurella. Los Angeles also has a few stars in its ranks, as former Tottenham and France captain Hugo Lloris, along with former Arsenal, Chelsea, and France striker Olivier Giroud, would be hoping to power their side into the knockout rounds.
2019 FIFA Club World Cup runners-up Flamengo also remain a serious contender and would also be aiming to make it out of the group stage, as they also have a strong squad, including many Brazilian internationals like the former Juventus duo of Alex Sandro and Danilo, apart from Italy’s Jorginho and Flamengo skipper Gerson. Here is the full list of odds as per FanDuel:
Chelsea: -190
Flamengo: +230
Los Angeles: +650
ES Tunis: +4200
