Chelsea FC Announces Club World Cup Roster
Chelsea FC has officially announced its 28-player roster for the upcoming Club World Cup, including new signings Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr, and Dário Essugo. However, notable absences from the squad include Raheem Sterling, João Félix, and Axel Disasi, who will not be making the trip to the United States for the tournament.
The Blues are set to face Mexican team Club León in their first match on June 16, taking place in Atlanta.
Team Changes and New Additions
Liam Delap, who transferred to Chelsea from Ipswich Town on June 4, will be participating in the Club World Cup rather than joining the England U21 team at the European Championship. He is joined by fellow newcomers Sarr and Essugo, both of whom are looking to make their mark in this prestigious competition.
This squad assembly reflects a significant shift in team composition, influenced heavily by the ownership change to the Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital group.
Raheem Sterling, who arrived at Chelsea in 2022, had a stint on loan at Arsenal last season after being considered excess to the club’s plans by manager Enzo Maresca. João Félix, who previously joined the team on loan from Atlético Madrid, made a permanent move to Chelsea in 2024 but was recently sent on loan to AC Milan during January. Axel Disasi, a defender, has participated in 37 games since his signing in 2023, yet he also spent part of this season on loan at Aston Villa.
Alongside Sterling, Félix, and Disasi, fellow player Ben Chilwell has also been excluded from the journey. In contrast, Christopher Nkunku, whose status at Chelsea has been subject to speculation, remains part of the squad.
Notable Departures
In a related development, Chelsea announced the departure of Jadon Sancho, who returned to Manchester United after the club opted not to finalize his loan deal into a permanent transfer. This announcement aligns with Sancho’s own disclosure of his exit via a social media post last week.
Finalized Squad
The finalized squad is as follows:
- Goalkeepers: Robert Sánchez, Filip Jorgensen, Mike Penders, Gabriel Slonina
- Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Mamadou Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Aaron Anselmino, Josh Acheampong
- Midfielders: Moisés Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Dário Essugo, Enzo Fernández
- Forwards: Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Tyrique George, Marc Guiu