The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 presents a compelling matchup between Portugal's Benfica and England's Chelsea. The game is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at 4:00 PM ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Benfica enters the match after topping Group C with an impressive showing. They started with a 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors, followed by a 6-0 victory over Auckland City, and a 1-0 win against Bayern Munich. This secured their place as Group C leaders. Their performance demonstrates both defensive stability and tactical flexibility. Águias pulled off a major shock, beating the Bundesliga champions 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium, thanks to Andreas Schjelderup's early strike.
Chelsea, on the other hand, finished as runners-up in Group D. Their journey included a 2-0 win over LAFC, a 3-1 loss to Flamengo, and a 3-0 victory against Esperance de Tunis. Despite some inconsistency, Chelsea has displayed flashes of quality and offensive versatility. Their coaching staff emphasizes quick transitions and a compact defense. They bounced back strongly, closing out the group stage with a solid 3-0 win over Esperance de Tunis, sealing their spot in the knockout round. By ending up as group runners-up, Chelsea have actually inadvertently ended up on the easier side of the draw, and are favorites here.
Team News
Benfica has a fully fit squad, including Alvaro Carreras, who was suspended for the Bayern Munich match. Renato Sanches is also ready to start in midfield after recovering from a fitness issue. Angel Di Maria is a key player to watch, currently the tournament's top scorer with three goals.
Chelsea will be missing Nicolas Jackson due to suspension. Liam Delap is expected to lead the attack, especially after scoring his first goal for the club in the previous match. Enzo Maresca rested several first-team players in the win over ES Tunis, so players like Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Reece James, and Marc Cucurella are likely to return to the starting lineup.
Prediction
Although Chelsea has won all three of their previous head-to-head encounters with Benfica, each victory has been by a single goal. The last time these two teams met was in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final, which Chelsea won 2-1. Benfica is inspired by their victory over Bayern Munich. Chelsea will have gained confidence from their comfortable victory over ES Tunis with a second-string side. A close, tactical game is anticipated between these two teams.
Final thoughts
Statistically, Benfica has been sharper, scoring nine goals and conceding only two, while Chelsea has scored six and conceded three. Chelsea may have a slight edge in this match.
