A lot happened during Chelsea’s 4-1 victory over Benfica in the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
To add to the five goals scored between Chelsea and Benfica at the Bank of America Stadium, there was also a red card, penalty and two-hour delay because of the bad weather.
Enzo Maresca did a bit of arguing with the Benfica bench as well, so it really was a match that had everything.
As a result, Chelsea supporters may have missed one small thing that happened during the Club World Cup affair.
Chelsea FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC - Premier League
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Levi Colwill handed captain’s armband during Benfica tie
Reece James started Chelsea’s latest game in the US and led his side out against Bruno Lage’s men.
Around the 80th minute both James and Chelsea’s vice-captain Enzo Fernandez were withdrawn, being replaced by Malo Gusto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall respectively.
However, instead of going to Moises Caicedo as it normally does when James and Fernandez are not on the pitch, the captain’s armband was handed to Levi Colwill.
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Competing in the knockout round of a major tournament with the game being extremely tight, that was a big statement by Maresca.
Simply put, it shows that the Chelsea head coach trusts his 22-year-old defender, who he has backed to become club captain one day.
When Maresca spoke about Colwill in January, he said: “I can see the leader day by day, since we started in pre-season, something that he can improve in terms of leadership. He is improving a lot.
“Levi, even if he is not wearing the armband, he is one of the captains and in the future, he could be a captain of this club. Since we started, he is improving a lot.”
Enzo Maresca speaks to the media during Chelsea FC Training Session And Press Conference - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
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Jason Cundy labels Levi Colwill as Chelsea’s ‘unsung hero’
Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy has noticed the leadership skills that Colwill has been displaying, too. He has also described the England international as Chelsea’s “unsung hero”.
Cundy discussed Colwill at the end of last season, saying: “There is a leadership quality that I’m watching. He stepped up with a huge goal against Nottingham Forest. There is something about him now where he demands a first-team place. If Reece isn’t skipper, Enzo is; then Caicedo is the next one, and I think probably Levi is the one after that. He’s got that kind of quality about him.
“Developed as a young player, so much more to come. He hasn’t quite got the plaudits outside of Chelsea that I feel he deserves. He’s developed as a player, and he’s our unsung hero.”
Cundy believes in him, Maresca believes in him and so do many Chelsea supporters. There were some games during the 2024/25 Premier League campaign where Colwill was not always dominant, but he is a young defender who is still growing and improving.
Chelsea can be very pleased with what they have now and the potential that Colwill is showing.