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Chelsea Potential 2025 Club World Cup Opponents

Chelsea Potential 2025 Club World Cup Opponents

Since Chelsea booked their place in the inaugural edition of this summer’s Club World Cup by winning the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, there has been plenty of change at the west London outfit.

The Blues have cycled through six different head coaches, spent £1.2bn on transfers and finished 12th in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Chelsea will be one of 32 teams involved in this week’s draw to decide the eight groups of four for the global jamboree in Miami. Based upon FIFA’s convoluted – and entirely arbitrary – seeding system, Enzo Maresca’s side are in Pot 2, leaving themselves open to a daunting slate of potential opponents.

No group can feature two clubs from the same association, so Chelsea would never be able to come up against Pot 1’s Manchester City. However, FIFA have split the European and South American top seeds to keep the big names apart until the semi-final.

That finger on the scale ensures that Chelsea can only come up against three Brazilian Copa Libertadores champions or Argentine giants River Plate, the highest-ranked South American club which haven’t won a continental title in the last four years.

While Flamengo and Fluminense have their qualities, the prospect of a clash with Palmeiras is particularly enticing. The Brazilian giants are spearheaded by the record-breaking talents of Estevao Willian – the 17-year-old forward who will join Chelsea after the competition’s conclusion in July 2025.

 

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Man City condemn racist, misogynistic abuse directed at Bunny Shaw

Bunny Shaw

Manchester City has expressed outrage after striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw was subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse following their Women’s Super League loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

The club confirmed that the offensive content has been reported to the relevant authorities, with an investigation underway. In a show of dignity and strength, Shaw, 28, chose not to share the hateful messages publicly to avoid giving the perpetrators any attention.

In a statement, Manchester City emphasized their zero-tolerance stance on discrimination:

“Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated and has absolutely no place inside or outside the game.”

They reiterated their full support for Shaw, describing the treatment she received as “disgusting.”

The Jamaican international recently marked her 100th appearance for Manchester City in Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Arsenal. Shaw boasts an impressive record of 86 goals for the club and has been named their Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons.

This incident underscores the continued fight against discrimination in football, with clubs, players, and authorities remaining united in efforts to eradicate abuse from the sport.

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Super Eagles set for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe

“The little things stuck with me” – Super Eagles star credits his Father for Christmas charity act

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Amavubi of Rwanda on Friday, March 21, in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter. The match is scheduled to take place at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Following this, Nigeria will host the Warriors of Zimbabwe five days later at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

The official announcement of these fixtures was made via the Super Eagles’ X handle on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign has been underwhelming so far, with three draws and one defeat from four matches. The team currently sits fifth in Group C with three points, trailing joint leaders Benin Republic, South Africa, and Rwanda by four points.

These upcoming matches will be crucial for the three-time African champions as they seek to revive their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A victory in Kigali and a strong performance at home in Uyo could be pivotal to their hopes.

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Brendan Rodgers reflects on Celtic’s “not ideal” January transfer window

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged that the January transfer window did not go as planned but refrained from assigning blame, emphasizing the need for a club review.

The Scottish Premiership leaders secured the signing of Jeffrey Schlupp from Crystal Palace and brought winger Jota back from Rennes. However, their star forward Kyogo Furuhashi departed for Rennes, leaving a significant void in the squad.

Rodgers admitted the desire for another striker:

“We wanted another striker, so we’re not hiding behind anything. The supporters will see that a top striker, a legendary one, has gone out. I understand their concerns.”

Adam Idah has stepped up, scoring three goals in two games following Kyogo’s departure, while Johnny Kenny returned from a loan spell at Shamrock Rovers. Daizen Maeda, another forward option, is suspended for the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich.

Despite the challenges, Rodgers stressed a forward-looking approach:

“I’m not going to become frustrated and kill my joy of working here by thinking what could have been. We work with the players here now. That is the focus.”

When asked whether it was a mistake to let Furuhashi go without a replacement, Rodgers explained:

“If a player does not want to be here, then we do the best deal and move on. Could we have done better? Yes, but that’s football. We now focus on what we have and finish off what’s been a great season so far.”

Celtic will need to rally behind their current squad as they prepare for the Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich next week.

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