Chelsea to face familiar foe when they kick off their FIFA Club Cup World Cup campaign

Today, the spotlight falls on the Premier League sides for the first time as Chelsea opens Group D in Atlanta when they take on Los Angeles FC. 

The MLS side only confirmed their place in the tournament at the end of last month, as they were added as a late replacement to join the Blues, along with Flamengo and Esperance de Tunis. 

Leading the line at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for LAFC will be a player Chelsea and Premier League fans will be all too familiar with in France's all-time leading goal-scorer, Olivier Giroud. 

A name often overlooked during his time in England, but hugely appreciated in his homeland and now as LAFC's most famous current face, who is relishing the chance to put one over his former side. 

Giroud moved to Stamford Bridge in 2018, following a six-year stint on the other side of the capital with Arsenal. During his time in North London, he won three FA Cups, three Community Shields, and a Puskas award for his audacious scorpion kick goal against Crystal Palace—a goal that epitomized the style of the charismatic Frenchman. 

The striker would taste more silverware at Chelsea, too, winning the FA Cup in 2018 before finally tasting European glory. He'd score 11 goals in the club's run to the 2019 Europa League Final - a record for a Frenchman in European competition - and even net in the finale against his old team, Arsenal. 

In his final year at Stamford Bridge, he'd go one better and finally land the Champions League as the Blues saw off Manchester City, even if Giroud was an unused sub. 



The Frenchman left that summer, moving to AC Milan before embarking on his adventure in the US in 2024, but he looks back on his time in West London with great fondness. 

Telling the BBC, "I had an amazing time at Chelsea and played with amazing players. With Eden [Hazard], Willian, and Pedro around me, it was so easy.

"I knew signing for Chelsea back then was an improvement. They were one of the best teams in the league, winning the most trophies with [Manchester] City.

"It surprised a lot of people, but I had to leave Arsenal, and it went really well for me."

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Giroud scored 39 goals in 119 games during his time at the club, and Chelsea has been searching for a new number nine ever since. Nicolas Jackson has proved to be a shrewd buy and improved in the two seasons he's been at the club, but they go into the Club World Cup with a brand new striker wearing the fabled number in Liam Delap. 

Delap moved to the club earlier this month following a season where he scored twelve goals for relegated Ipswich and will be the latest name to try and make a success of the number nine shirt following a glittering array of players such as Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku, Fernando Torres and Radamel Falcao who all failed to produce wearing the number - and fill a void that Giroud left when he moved on. 

Giroud escaped wearing Chelsea's 'cursed' shirt, and he recalled the pressure he felt from the number and playing up front for the Blues. 

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Adding, "When I signed for Milan, Paolo Maldini told me on the first Zoom I had with him, 'Are you sure about No.9? It's kind of cursed’.

“I said it’s not about the number I have on my back which will make me be good and score goals. No, I want the nine. And then I've showed him there was no curse, I was doing well.

“It’s not about the number nine, it’s about the position on the field, and being a striker is very, very demanding. You can be under the spotlight when things go really well, but you are the first also on the front line when you are not scoring goals.

“You have to show some character and strength mentality-wise. You need to be strong in your head, even in the tough moments, stay confident, and keep working hard.

“There’s a lot of pressure when you play striker, but for me, it’s the best in football. There’s up and downs, you need to be ready for that.”

He'll be looking for another 'up' in LAFC's opening exchanges tonight, and Chelsea should already be aware that Giroud has form for scoring against former clubs in major competitions. 

Another winner against Enzo Maresca's men, and it will be the former Blues striker everyone will be talking about come the final whistle, rather than the latest frontman to try and follow in their former French star's footsteps. 

Watch all 63 matches of the 2025 Club World Cup live on DAZN.  More information and to sign up for a free account here