Since Chelsea booked their place in the inaugural edition of this summer's Club World Cup by winning the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, there has been plenty of change at the west London outfit.
The Blues have cycled through six different head coaches, spent £1.2bn on transfers and finished 12th in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Chelsea will be one of 32 teams involved in this week's draw to decide the eight groups of four for the global jamboree in Miami. Based upon FIFA's convoluted - and entirely arbitrary - seeding system, Enzo Maresca's side are in Pot 2, leaving themselves open to a daunting slate of potential opponents.
Estevao
Future Chelsea forward Estevao Willian could face off with the west London club / Miguel Schincariol/GettyImages
No group can feature two clubs from the same association, so Chelsea would never be able to come up against Pot 1's Manchester City. However, FIFA have split the European and South American top seeds to keep the big names apart until the semi-final.
That finger on the scale ensures that Chelsea can only come up against three Brazilian Copa Libertadores champions or Argentine giants River Plate, the highest-ranked South American club which haven't won a continental title in the last four years.
While Flamengo and Fluminense have their qualities, the prospect of a clash with Palmeiras is particularly enticing. The Brazilian giants are spearheaded by the record-breaking talents of Estevao Willian - the 17-year-old forward who will join Chelsea after the competition's conclusion in July 2025.
Potential opponent Path
Palmeiras (BRA) 2021 Copa Libertadores winners
Flamengo (BRA) 2022 Copa Libertadores winners
Fluminense (BRA) 2023 Copa Libertadores winners
River Plate (ARG) CONMEBOL four-year ranking
Neymar
Chelsea could be drawn against Neymar's Al Hilal / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages
Freshly crowned Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo find themselves skulking around lowly Pot 3. Chelsea can only be drawn in the same group as the in-form outfit if they pull Argentine side River Plate from Pot 1, as the other three options are also from Brazil.
Alternatively, the Blues could be lumbered with a difficult clash against Al Hilal. The reigning Saudi champions scored more than 100 goals and dropped just six points in 34 games en route to last season's league title. Whether Neymar will be fit for this summer's competition is in the lap of the fates, but the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ruben Neves will ensure that Al Hilal are a tricky opponent for any club.
Potential opponent Path
Botafogo (BRA) 2024 Copa Libertadores winner
Monterrey (MEX) 2021 CONCACAF Champions League winner
Leon (MEX) 2023 CONCACAF Champions League winner
Al Hilal (KSA) 2021 AFC Champions League winner
Al Ahly (EGY) 2020/21 CAF Champions League winner
Wydad AC (MOR) 2021/22 CAF Champions League winner
Boca Juniors (ARG) CONMEBOL four-year ranking
Ulsan HD (KOR) AFC four-year ranking
TOPSHOT-FBL-USA-MLS-MIAMI-ATLANTA
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami were the last club to sneak into the competition / CHRIS ARJOON/GettyImages
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami - as they are contractually known - are the standout member of Pot 4. They may have fudged their way into the competition as the host nation's representative, but Javier Mascherano's new side did finish with the best record across the entire regular 2024 MLS season.
The most recent continental champions of North and Central America (Pachuca) as well as Asia (Al Ain) also fill out an eclectic selection of Pot 4 clubs, which also includes clubs scattered from South Korea to South Africa.
Potential opponent Path
Seattle Sounders FC (USA) 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winner
Pachuca (MEX) 2024 CONCACAF Champions League winner
Urawa Red Diamonds (KOR) 2022 AFC Champions League winner
Al Ain (UAE) 2023/24 AFC Champions League winner
Esperance de Tunis (TUN) CAF four-year ranking
Mamelodi Sundowns (ZAF) CAF four-year ranking
Auckland City (NZL) OFC four-year ranking
Inter Miami CF (USA) Hosts
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