The revamped FIFA Club World Cup kicks off this weekend in the USA, with 32 teams from across six football federations vying for the trophy, and the potential £100m jackpot that goes with it.
Chelsea is one of two Premiership teams, along with defending holders Manchester City, who will be competing. And today, they have announced their 28-man squad to play in the tournament.
The squad list includes new signings Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mike Penders, and Mamadou Sarr, as expected. But, perhaps the biggest surprise comes from some of the names that have been left out – Raheem Sterling, João Félix, and Đorđe Petrović. It has been suggested that the decision was made to leave loanees out of the side to retain consistency while entering the tournament, but the selections may still turn heads.
Chelsea’s Chances
Chelsea have been given an outside shot at picking up the trophy, with prices of 11/1 given at high street and non Gamstop betting sites, which, according to gambling expert Matt Bastock, can provide some of the best prices and biggest bonuses of all betting sites.
Chelsea find themselves in a group with Los Angeles, Flamengo, and ES Tunis, representing a relatively easy passage to the round of 16. And, despite winning five of their last six games in the league, helping to cement 4th place and ensure Champions League football, they made the most of this season’s mini-transfer window.
New Signings
The London outfit brought in Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Estevao Willian in deals worth a combined £90m. Considering the mini-transfer window was opened so that Club World Cup participants could bolster their squads ahead of the tournament, it is not surprising that Chelsea have announced all four of their new players as part of their 28-man squad for the tournament.
Notable Exclusions
However, considering the size of the squad, it is surprising that manager Enzo Maresca opted to name only 28 players out of a possible 35. What makes it even more surprising is that the list does not include some big names. Excluded from the list are Raheem Stirling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Đorđe Petrović, and João Félix.
All of those players, along with Andrey Santos, spent at least the latter part of last season out on loan, and Maresca has left them out of the squad to ensure team unity and cohesion.
For some, the decision likely comes down to how well they performed on loan. Sterling endured a torrid loan at Arsenal, but Petrović is perhaps the most surprising exclusion.
The Serbian shot-stopper enjoyed a positive loan spell at partner club Strasbourg last year, and after Chelsea’s approach for French stopper Mike Maignan was rebutted, some had expected Petrović to make the step up and into the club’s goalkeeper rotation.
However, while Chelsea does believe he has a future, both parties have agreed it is time for him to move on. Several teams are believed to be interested in signing him on a permanent deal, although nothing transpired during the mini-transfer window.
Surprised Omissions
Juventus loanee Renato Veiga is said to be surprised at his omission. Juve were understood to be interested in extending his loan until the end of the tournament but because they did not expect Chelsea to agree, they let the player return, only for him not to feature in the announced squad list.
Kendry Paez is another player said to be surprised at the choice to leave him out. Paez only just joined the club from Independiente del Valle but he has not been selected because he, along with Mathis Amougou, are expected to head to Strasbourg for loans.
Chelsea To “Try To Win It”
While the prestige of the tournament has been called into question in the past, the new format and the $1bn prize money on offer to teams have seen clubs take the competition a lot more seriously. What was once contested between 7 teams and played annually now sees 32 teams take part in the tournament, which will be held every four years.
Manager Maresca certainly suggests that he intends to go all out in a bid to win, saying: “When you are at Chelsea, your goal is always to win. Our goal – every single game – will always be to try to win them all. You need to see it as a source of fantastic motivation. When we’re there, that will be one of our goals: to try to win it.”
Previous Winners
Chelsea is one of four English teams to have won the competition, picking up the trophy in 2022. Manchester City are the holders, having won when the tournament was last played in 2023, while Manchester United and Liverpool have also won the competition. However, Real Madrid has won the Club World Cup more often than any other team, having run out winners on five occasions.
