English powerhouse Chelsea and Brazilian giants Flamengo have made impressive starts to the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Day three’s matches were littered with bold plays, determined touches and moments of brilliance that lit up the pitch.
Here’s how today’s action unfolded:
Chelsea vs. LAFC
Chelsea kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign with a dominant 2-0 win over LAFC at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pedro Neto opened the scoring after a smart setup by Nicolas Jackson. Despite LAFC’s spirited efforts, Enzo Fernández sealed the victory with a composed finish from a Liam Delap cross on his Chelsea debut. 
CA Boca Juniors vs. SL Benfica
Boca Juniors and Benfica played out a dramatic encounter in their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group stage clash. Boca surged to a 2-0 lead with goals from Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia, but Benfica responded with resilience. Ángel Di María halved the deficit with penalty just before halftime. Despite being reduced to ten men after Andrea Belotti’s red card, Benfica salvaged a draw thanks to a powerful Nicolás Otamendi header in the 84th minute—a fitting conclusion to a fiercely contested match.
CR Flamengo v Espérance de Tunis
Rounding out today’s action was a controlled and clinical 2-0 win for CR Flamengo over Tunisian side Espérance de Tunis in Philadelphia. Giorgian de Arrascaeta opened scoring in the 17th minute, and sealing the result with a superb left-footed strike was Luiz Araújo in the 70th. The Brazilians controlled possession, troubling Espérance’s offensive efforts and securing a comfortable victory. Espérance now sit atop Group D.
Results:
Chelsea FC: 2 (Pedro NETO 34’, Enzo FERNÁNDEZ 79’)
LAFC: 0
CA Boca Juniors: 2 (Miguel MERENTIEL 21’, Rodrigo BATTAGLIA 27’)
SL Benfica: 2 (Ángel DI MARÍA 45+3’, Nicolás OTAMENDI 84’)
CR Flamengo: 2
Espérance de Tunis:
Photo credit: FIFA via Getty Images