Chelsea joined the Club World Cup with marque signings such as Liam Delap and Dario Essugo. With a strong team from top to bottom, the English side were a favorite to top their group and make a strong push in the tournament. The loss to Flamengo halted their momentum but a win versus Benfica could set them up nicely for the remainder of the CWC.

An opening round victory over Los Angeles FC set them on the right path but a hugely disappointing and fiery 3–1 defeat to Flamengo in their subsequent outing threatened their place in the last 16. Fortunately, ES Tunis posed little resistance in Chelsea’s final Group D outing, with a 3–0 victory confirming their progression.

Despite scorching conditions in Philadelphia, the Premier League side locked up advancing to the knockout stage