Chelsea FC at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Squad, Fixtures & The Staggering Prize Money at Stake
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to be a game-changer for club football, and Chelsea FC is right at the heart of the action. As one of 32 elite clubs vying for global supremacy in the United States, the Blues are prepared with a strong squad and a clear objective: to lift the trophy and claim a record-breaking financial windfall.
Chelsea's Power-Packed Squad for the Club World Cup
Manager Enzo Maresca has assembled a robust 28-man squad, blending established stars with exciting new signings and promising academy talents. The depth and versatility of this roster will be crucial as Chelsea navigates a demanding schedule in pursuit of the title.
Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Mike Penders, Gabriel Slonina. (A strong quartet, with new signing Penders adding to the competition in goal.)
Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Mamadou Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Aaron Anselmino, Josh Acheampong. (The inclusion of new defensive additions like Adarabioyo, Sarr, and Anselmino provides Maresca with ample options and resilience at the back.)
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo, Andrey Santos, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia. (A dynamic and highly talented midfield, boosted by new arrival Dario Essugo and the return of Andrey Santos, ready to control games and dictate tempo.)
Forwards: Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Tyrique George, Marc Guiu. (The attacking line features a mix of pace, creativity, and goal-scoring prowess, with new signings Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, and Marc Guiu adding significant firepower.)
Notably, key players like Reece James and Christopher Nkunku, who have faced injury challenges, are part of the squad, indicating their readiness to contribute to Chelsea's campaign. The inclusion of young talents like Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong also highlights the club's commitment to nurturing its academy prospects on the biggest stage.
Chelsea's Group Stage Fixtures
Chelsea finds itself in a competitive Group D, facing opponents from different confederations. Their journey begins on Monday, June 16, 2025, with a challenging set of matches:
Chelsea vs LAFC
- Date: Monday, June 16
- Kick-off: 8pm UK time
- Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Flamengo vs Chelsea
- Date: Friday, June 20
- Kick-off: 7pm UK time
- Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ES Tunis vs Chelsea
- Date: Wednesday, June 25
- Kick-off: 2am UK time (early morning)
- Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
To progress, Chelsea must aim for a top-two finish in their group, setting the stage for the highly anticipated knockout rounds.
The Staggering Prize Money: A Major Incentive
Beyond the prestige of being crowned world champions, the financial rewards for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 are unprecedented. FIFA has allocated a massive $1 billion (£774 million) prize pot to be shared among the 32 participating clubs.
- Total Prize Pot: $1 billion (£774 million)
- Participation Fee: $525 million (£406 million) shared based on sporting and commercial criteria. European clubs, like Chelsea and Manchester City, are expected to receive a minimum participation fee in the range of $12.81 million to $38.19 million.
- Sporting Performance Pool: $475 million (£368 million) distributed based on results.
Breakdown of Performance-Based Prize Money (per club):
- Group Stage Win: $2 million (£1.47 million)
- Group Stage Draw: $1 million (£0.74 million)
- Round of 16: +$7.5 million (£5.5 million)
- Quarter-final: +$13.125 million (£9.67 million)
- Semi-final: +$21 million (£15.46 million)
- Finalist: +$30 million (£22.1 million)
- Winner: +$40 million (£29.46 million)
As Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol highlighted, the potential earnings are colossal for what amounts to "just all four weeks' work, it's just for seven games." If Chelsea were to win all their group games and go on to lift the trophy, they could realistically pocket around $64 million (£47 million) from sporting performance alone, in addition to their participation fee. This means the overall winners could receive up to $125 million (£97 million), a sum that eclipses prize money from other major competitions like the FA Cup (£3.9 million) and even significantly contributes to Premier League (£176 million for winners) or Champions League earnings (up to £135 million for winners over more games).
FIFA has stated that it will not keep any revenue from the tournament, with all proceeds being redistributed to participating clubs and an additional $250 million (£200 million) allocated for global solidarity payments to clubs worldwide.
For Chelsea, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is more than just a pre-season tournament; it's a golden opportunity to add a prestigious new trophy to their cabinet, assert their global standing, and significantly boost their financial resources ahead of the new season. All eyes will be on the Blues as they embark on this exciting new chapter in club football history.
