Club World Cup Scouting Report: Can Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson lead Chelsea to their first trophy since 2021?

Can the one-time champions of the tournament find success in its revamped format?

When Chelsea lifted the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in 2021, they briefly stood atop the world. But since then, the English giants have failed to add another continental or intercontinental title to their collection. This summer in the United States, they’ll aim to change that.

Under new manager Enzo Maresca and the leadership of captain Reece James, the Blues are eyeing a strong run through Group D and into the knockout rounds. Chelsea have a long history of contending for trophies, and the revamped Club World Cup will be no exception. The Blues will be expected to make their presence felt as one of the tournament's favorites.

Domestically, the club has hovered in and out of the Premier League’s top four and is battling to secure a return to the UEFA Champions League for the 2025-26 season. They’re also juggling a deep UEFA Conference League campaign, with a quarterfinal berth already secured.

This summer, backed by a star-studded squad featuring EURO 2024 champion Marc Cucurella among others, Chelsea will look to reclaim their place at the summit of world football.

Chelsea will open against in the group stage against LAFC, which replaced Club Leon - expelled from the tournament because of multi-club ownership rules - after stunning Club America, 2-1, in extra time in a special play-in match.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.

Next up is Chelsea, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Premier League giants ahead of this summer's tournament.

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The Basics
DOMESTIC LEAGUE: English Premier League
CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: 2021 Champions
GROUP: D (Esperance de Tunis, Flamengo & TBD)
OPENING MATCH:LAFC - June 16, 3 p.m. ET, Atlanta

How they got here
Chelsea qualified by winning the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League title.
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The player to watch
Chelsea's talisman Cole Palmer will undoubtedly be one of the players to watch this summer. The England international is a star in the final third of the pitch, and has a wand of a left foot that - if given space - will guarantee you a threatening chance near the net. During their 2024-25 campaign so far, he's led the club in goal contributions in the Premier League, and in the Summer 2024, was a member of England's EURO team that made it to the finals of the competition.
Ahead of him is Senegal international Nicolas Jackson, who, on his best day, is one of the Premier League's fiercest strikers. The 23-year-old can also play off of the left side of the pitch and excels in hold-up play and on the counterattack. His most dangerous asset, however, might be his brute physicality. Jackson is not afraid of engaging in physical contact on the pitch or going up for 50-50 challenges.

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Realistic expectation
The Blues should be looking at the tournament as a semifinal appearance or bust. They are a club with high ambitions, and expectations to be competing for a trophy this summer in the U.S. - and anything else will be deemed not good enough for Maresca and his men.
With the likes of Palmer and Jackson, along with a midfield pairing of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, the Blues will look to storm the field as they compete with the world's finest throughout the competition. Realistically, they should top Group D by a wide margin, and proceed to be viewed as one of the most likely teams to compete for the trophy itself come the knockout rounds.
The Premier League side have already claimed the tournament trophy once, and they'll look to do it again this summer.

Official tickets

The Basics

How they got here

The player to watch

Realistic expectation