- Chelsea reached the Round of 16 at the Club World Cup
- The Blues beat Esperance Tunis 3–0 at Lincoln Financial Field
- Benfica await in the next round after win over Bayern
Key Takeaways:
Chelsea have qualified for the Round of 16 at the Club World Cup. The London side defeated Esperance Tunis 3–0 at Lincoln Financial Field. In their first knockout match, Chelsea will face Benfica, who earlier in the evening beat Bayern Munich. The win marks the Blues’ fifth clean sheet in their last six matches.
Liam opens his Chelsea account in style. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ynwaIRKB2Q
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 25, 2025
On the hottest day in Philadelphia since 1994, a heavily rotated Chelsea side — missing Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto — struggled to find rhythm against a well-organised Esperance defence. The Tunisian side looked sharper in attack early on, but also found it difficult to create clear scoring chances.
The opening goal came in first-half stoppage time, when Tosin Adarabioyo scored with a header. Moments later, new signing Liam Delap doubled the lead to 2–0. He showcased excellent individual skill and ball control to outsmart one defender, dribble past another, and score. Tyrique George sealed the final 3–0 scoreline in added time with a long-range strike that caught goalkeeper Ben Said by surprise.
Chelsea will face Benfica in the Round of 16, while Esperance exit the competition at the group stage, having now suffered six defeats in nine Club World Cup matches.