Chelsea will play in the first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup in 2025 and afford Blues players a chance to repeat a record Cesar Azpilicueta set with their title in 2021.
The Stamford Bridge side are one of only two Premier League sides to qualify for the maiden expanded edition of the Club World Cup. FIFA has reformatted its club competition ahead of the 21st running of the tournament, with the number of teams competing rising from seven.
Chelsea and Manchester City will represent the English top-flight in the United States during June and July 2025 at the first 32-side Club World Cup. The Blues and Citizens qualified due to winning the Champions League in the four-year qualifying period from 2020/21 to ‘23/24.
Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea lifts the trophy after the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Final match between Chelsea v Palmeiras at Mohammed Bin Zayed...
Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images
Cesar Azpilicueta became the first Chelsea player to win every major title at the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
Only two squads per country could qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, unless another also won their top continental tournament in the qualifying period. Chelsea will now look to win a second Club World Cup title after theirs in 2021, while Manchester City won it in 2023.
Chelsea’s 2-1 victory after extra-time against Palmeiras in the 2021 Club World Cup final was extra special for Azpilicueta, too. The Spaniard set an incredible new record for the Blues by captaining the west London club to glory in the United Arab Emirates under Thomas Tuchel.
Azpilicueta was vital to the Chelsea side which also saw off Al-Hilal 1-0 in the semi-finals via a sole goal from Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian striker also opened the scoring in the final with Palmeiras, before Kai Havertz scored their winner in the 117th minute from the penalty spot.
Thomas Tuchel (R), Manager of Chelsea and Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea pose with the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the dressing room following vic...
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
The 2021 FIFA Club World Cup fell amid what proved to be Azpilicueta’s penultimate term at Stamford Bridge and amid a campaign in which the defender also captained Chelsea to a 6-5 win on penalties over Villarreal after a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Super Cup to start the season.
Adding FIFA Club World Cup honours to Chelsea’s trophy cabinet for the first time then even made Azpilicueta the first and only Blues player to ever win every major trophy for the club. The right-back completed a clean sweep of major honours playing with the Blues in the UAE.
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Cesar Azpilicueta won nine trophies after a £6.5m transfer to Chelsea
Azpilicueta joined Chelsea from Marseille for an initial fee of £6.5m rising to £7m in August 2012 under Roberto Di Matteo. It proved to be a bargain fee for the Stamford Bridge squad, who reaped 11 years of service from the Spaniard before he joined Atletico Madrid for free.
The defender still had a year left on his contract in west London, but Chelsea agreed to end Azpilicueta’s deal early. He departed the Bridge after playing 508 games in all competitions, whilst scoring 17 goals and assisting a further 51 from either as a full-back or a centre-back.
Antonio Conte also named Azpilicueta as Chelsea’s vice-captain in 2017 before he took over the armband permanently after Gary Cahill’s release under Frank Lampard in 2019. Titles at Stamford Bridge even started to arrive for Azpilicueta as early as the 2012/13 season, too.
SEASON CESAR AZPILICUETA’S TROPHIES WITH CHELSEA
2012/13 Europa League (beat SL Benfica 2-1 in the final)
2014/15 EFL Cup (beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final)
2014/15 Premier League
2016/17 Premier League
2017/18 FA Cup (beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final)
2018/19 Europa League (beat Arsenal 4-1 in the final)
2020/21 Champions League (beat Manchester City 1-0 in the final)
2021/22 UEFA Super Cup (beat Villarreal 6-5 on penalties in the final)
2021/22 FIFA Club World Cup (beat Palmeiras 2-1 in the final)
A list of every trophy Cesar Azpilicueta won with Chelsea
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