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Who: Chelsea vs Benfica
What: FIFA Club World Cup circular of 16
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
When: Saturday, June 28 astatine 4pm (21:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 1pm (18:00 GMT) earlier our unrecorded substance commentary stream.
Chelsea and Benfica conscionable successful the 2nd round of 16 tie astatine the FIFA Club World Cup successful an all-European affair, which could easy person been a fixture consecutive from the UEFA Champions League.
Between them, the clubs person lifted Europe’s premier nine contention connected 9 occasions, with 7 of those titles going to Portuguese giants Benfica.
Al Jazeera Sport looks up to the lucifer that comes with a important headache for the English nine pursuing their precocious slip-up successful the radical stage.
What is Chelsea’s annoyance heading into the Benfica tie?
Chelsea are facing a logistical headache astatine the Club World Cup aft finishing 2nd successful their group, forcing an unexpected travel to Charlotte for their past 16 lucifer alternatively of staying successful Miami, wherever the nine thought they would beryllium based for the knockout stage.
Travel, accommodation and grooming arrangements were, a root told the quality bureau Reuters, each made with the presumption that the West Londoners would apical Group D and play their circular of 16 lucifer astatine Hard Rock Stadium.
View of the 11 big cities staging the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 (Al Jazeera)The detour to Charlotte means reorganising bookings and schedules astatine abbreviated notice, but the nine inactive intends to instrumentality to its Miami basal aft the match, adding much miles to an already hectic itinerary.
What happened to Chelsea successful the radical stage?
The Blue opened their Club World Cup run with a 2-0 triumph against Los Angeles. After a 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Brazil’s Flamengo, Chelsea lone managed 2nd spot contempt a 3-0 triumph implicit Esperance Tunis successful their last radical signifier fixture successful Philadelphia.
Chelsea’s Tyrique George scores their 3rd extremity against Tunis successful the radical signifier [Lee Smith/Reuters]How did Benfica fare successful the radical stage?
Benfica were held to a 2-2 gully successful their opening lucifer astatine the FIFA Club World Cup by Boca Juniors. The Lisbon-based nine past won their last 2 games against New Zealand’s Auckland City (6-0) and Germany’s Bayern Munich (1-0).
Who awaits Chelsea oregon Benfica successful the quarter-finals?
The victor of Saturday’s necktie volition instrumentality to Lincoln Financial Field successful Philadelphia to look the victor of the all-Brazilian clash betwixt Palmeiras and Botafogo.
The #FIFACWC Round of 16 fixtures. 🔢 pic.twitter.com/PSqvYGZW18
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 27, 2025
Chelsea’s Fernandez prepares for Benfica reunion
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has hailed the publication of playmaker Enzo Fernandez arsenic the Argentinian prepares to travel up against his aged squad Benfica.
“I americium precise pleased with Enzo particularly due to the fact that archetypal of each helium is simply a bully and polite boy, and past with america since we started helium has been moving precise good successful each facet connected and disconnected the pitch,” Maresca told reporters successful Charlotte.
Fernandez was a captious cog successful the Chelsea broadside that finished 4th successful the Premier League to suffice for adjacent season’s Champions League, and besides featured successful their tally to the UEFA Conference League title.
The 24-year-old besides scored a 2nd extremity arsenic a sub successful the 2-0 triumph implicit Los Angeles FC successful their opening crippled and has started some matches since, laying connected 2 goals successful the 3-0 triumph against Esperance of Tunisia.
Fernandez was signed from Benfica successful February 2023 for a British transportation grounds interest astatine the clip of 107 cardinal pounds ($147m). In 2025, helium has scored and assisted a full of 14 goals.
“This play helium struggled a spot astatine the opening to recognize the mode we privation to play but (since) past helium is doing fantastic besides successful presumption of numbers, goals and assists,” Maresca added.
“This is what I privation from attacking players – I person said galore times that I similar to person attacking players with 10-12 goals each than conscionable 1 striker with 40 goals.
“His publication has been apical and I americium definite it volition beryllium adjacent amended adjacent season.”
Benfica not to beryllium underestimated aft Bayern win
Maresca has warned his players astir the menace posed by their Portuguese opponents, particularly aft they bushed Bayern Munich to apical their group.
“I deliberation Benfica, not lone successful this competition, person ever shown however large a nine they are successful Europe,” said the coach.
“In the past crippled they bushed Bayern truthful they showed what they tin do. Every crippled is pugnacious and complicated, and thing tin happen.”
Have Chelsea ever won a Club World Cup?
Yes. Chelsea, who person doubly lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy successful Europe, person lifted the Club World Cup once.
The Blues lifted the rubric successful 2021 with a 2-1 triumph against Brazil’s Palmeiras.
Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz scored the Blues’ goals, with the victor netted by the second successful other time.
What happened the past clip betwixt Chelsea and Benfica?
The teams competed for the UEFA Europa League rubric successful 2013, with the Blues securing a 2-1 win.
Fernando Torres opened the scoring connected the changeable of the hr people for the Blues with Oscar Cardozo equalising from the spot successful the 69th minute.
Branislav Ivanovic settled matters with a 90th-minute victor for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s Fernando Torres celebrates with the UEFA Europa League trophy pursuing their triumph against Benfica successful 2013 [File: Paul Childs/Reuters]Chelsea squad news
Wesley Fofana has joined the squad astatine the tournament, but the defender continues to retrieve from a semipermanent thigh wounded and volition miss retired erstwhile again.
Striker Nicolas Jackson serves the 2nd and last crippled of a two-match suspension for a consecutive reddish paper successful the lucifer against Flamengo.
Reece James, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella are each successful enactment for a return.
Benfica squad news
Alexander Bah and Manu Silva stay semipermanent absentees, but midfielder Florentino Luis is successful enactment for a comeback from a enarthrosis injury, having missed the past 2 games.
Forward Andrea Belotti returns from suspension.
Benfica imaginable starting lineup:
Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Sanches; Di Maria, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis
Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap
Head-to-head
This is the 3rd gathering betwixt the sides, with Chelsea winning each of the encounters.
Along with their Europa League occurrence against Benfica, the Blues won some Champions League ties successful 2011-2012.
Form guides
Benfica signifier (all competitions):
D-L-D-W-W
Chelsea signifier (all competitions):
W-W-W-L-W
English (US) ·