Meet the teams and players who will be competing in Philly during the Club World Cup

Philadelphia is one of 11 cities that will be the center of the soccer universe this summer, courtesy of the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins Saturday. The first match at Lincoln Financial Field is Monday (9 p.m., DAZN, ticket info).

In that match, Flamengo, which is atop the table in Brazil’s topflight league, will take on Esperance, a Tunisian side that has won three domestic titles this year.

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Those might be the most obscure clubs playing in Philly this month as world powerhouses like Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Juventus are vying for Club World Cup glory.

With that said, here’s what you should expect to see from every club when they will take the pitch here, and just how good their chances are of emerging as the tournament’s winner.

Manager: Enzo Maresca

How it qualified: Winners of the 2021 UEFA Champions League, Chelsea was an added participant because of the Club World Cup’s expansion to 32 teams.

Players to watch: Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer

Opponent in Philly: Chelsea will take on Flamengo (Brazil) in Group D play on June 20 (8 p.m., DAZN, ticket info) and Espérance on June 24 (9 p.m., DAZN, ticket info).

About Chelsea: The Blues are one of the favorites in this tournament, after a strong 2024-25 campaign, a fourth-place finish in the English Premier League, and the UEFA Conference League tournament crown in late May. Chelsea is buoyed by the creativity of Palmer, a wiry but effective midfielder with pace who doubles as a free-kick specialist. However, keep an eye out for Fernández, Chelsea’s top striker, who has been on a championship run for club and country since winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 with Argentina.

Manager: Maher Kanzari

How it qualified: Runner-up in the Champions League of the African confederation and ranked as the club with the highest eligibility in the Confederation of African Football.

Player to watch: Yassine Meriah

Opponent in Philly: Espérance will take on Flamengo (Brazil) on Monday (9 p.m., DAZN) and will face Chelsea on June 24 (9 p.m., DAZN, ticket info).

About Esperance: Espérance might be one of the best teams in African football at the moment. It won the Tunisian Cup final in addition to the CAF Champions League title, the club’s first double in 14 years. Kanzari, the manager, previously coached the team in 2010. Meriah, who is Tunisian, is the team’s captain and led Tunisia in the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

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Manager: Filipe Luis

How it qualified: Flamengo qualified after winning the Copa Libertadores, one of the largest tournaments in South American soccer, in 2022.

Players to watch: Jorginho, Pedro

Opponent(s) in Philly: Flamengo will open the Club World Cup against Espérance on Monday (9 p.m., DAZN) and play in a highly anticipated matchup against Chelsea on June 20 (2 p.m., DAZN, ticket info).

About Flamengo: With one of the largest and strongest traveling supporter groups of any club in the world, Flamengo is one of the best teams in South America, and currently is atop Brazil’s Serie A to prove it. Some pundits believe Flamengo could win it all, largely thanks to its recent acquisition of former Chelsea playmaker Jorginho, who joined the club ahead of the tournament. Another Chelsea tie, which should make its clash on June 20 all the more special, is that Luis, Flamengo’s boss, is an ex-Chelsea defender, who is having a successful career in his next chapter as a head coach.

Manager: Igor Tudor

How it qualified: As one of the highest-ranked teams in UEFA, over the last five years, Juventus was a no-brainer to be selected to compete.

Players to watch: Weston McKennie, Kenan Yıldız, Randal Kolo Muani, Timothy Weah

Opponent in Philly: Juventus will take on Morocco’s Wydad AC in Group G action on June 22 (noon, DAZN, ticket info).

About Juventus: Juventus just secured a number of players ahead of this tournament and extended the contract of its manager, Tudor, through at least 2027. Muani, the French forward who has been on loan from Champions League winners Paris St. Germain, was effective for the Italian giants this past season in Serie A, with eight goals in 16 matches. Also, there will be an American presence in McKennie, who was kept off the U.S. men’s national team squad for the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup and is expected to be with Juventus as they vie for a Club World Cup title.

Manager: Pep Guardiola

How it qualified: Manchester City won the UEFA Champions League during the 2022-23 season to lock up an automatic qualification bid.

Players to watch: Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Thibaut Courtois

Opponent in Philly: Manchester City will take on Wydad AC in Group G on June 18 (noon, DAZN, ticket info).

About Manchester City: The club will be looking for a fresh start and a chance to get back to winning ways following a surprising finish in the English Premier League. While City finished third and qualified for the Champions League, the team suffered nine defeats, the most for a Guardiola-coached side since the 2019 season. The team is highlighted by stars like Norwegian forward Haaland, Spanish midfielder Rodri, and Portuguese star Bernardo Silva, and just locked in French midfielder Cherki on a five-year deal. City is the favorite to emerge from Group G, which features Juventus, Wydad, and Al Ain (United Arab Emirates).

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Manager: Xabi Alonso

How it qualified: Real locked its spot in the tournament after winning the UEFA Champions League title during the 2021-22 season.

Players to watch: Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior

Opponent in Philly: Real Madrid will face Red Bull Salzburg in Group H play on June 26 (9 p.m., DAZN, ticket info).

About Real Madrid: This isn’t the first rodeo for the Spanish giants in this tournament, winning it five times, a Club World Cup record. Perhaps the biggest question will be how a dynamo roster plays behind new manager and Spanish legend Alonso. He showed how prolific he can be after leading German side Bayer Leverkusen to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga and qualifying for Champions League this upcoming season. Mbappé and Vinicius Junior are the explosive players, but keep an eye on English midfielder Bellingham, a talent with size, speed, and youth on his side that should make this team a favorite to capture a sixth crown.

Manager: Thomas Letsch

How it qualified: Salzburg captured the 12th and final spot in UEFA rankings with English Premier League’s Arsenal bowing out of the Champions League. Arsenal’s loss was weighed against Salzburg’s finishes in tournaments over the last four seasons.

Players to watch: Dorgeles Nene, Karim Konaté, Oscar Gloukh

Opponent in Philly: Red Bull Salzburg will face Real Madrid in Group H play on June 26 (9 p.m., DAZN, ticket info).

About Salzburg: Red Bull Salzburg sneaked in through the back door. That doesn’t mean this team is a slouch. In fact, Salzburg qualified yet again for UEFA Champions League promotion and was two points from snatching the Austrian league title away from defending champion Sturm Graz. Keep an eye on Nene, who finished with 15 goals for the club this season. Konaté, the Ivorian forward, is looking to prove his worth after a season in which he played just nine matches, with two goals in the Austrian Bundesliga.

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Philly ties: Former Union midfielder and Medford native Brenden Aaronson made his European debut with Salzburg in 2021. He played for the club for one season in the highest fee ever paid for an American player, a reported $6 million deal to lock in his services. Union sporting director Ernst Tanner was at Salzburg before coming to the Union, which is why Salzburg gave him such a nice deal for Aaronson. Additionally, Letsch was a candidate for the Union vacancy until he took the Salzburg job.

Manager: Amine Benhachem

How it qualified: Wydad captured the CAF Champions League title in 2022, as the best team in Africa.

Player to watch: Nordin Amrabat

Opponent in Philly: Wydad will take on Manchester City in Group G play on June 18 (noon, DAZN), followed by Juventus on June 22 (noon, DAZN, ticket info).

About Wydad AC: There’s a lot new with Wydad, which is coming off a third-place finish in Morocco’s Botola Pro League behind three wins to close out the 2024-25 season. With new manager Benhachem and new forward Armabat, the latter of whom is “excited to join this ambitious project,” Wydad will be on the back foot in a quest to emerge from Group G. Still Benhachem told FIFA.com that he “took the position because Wydad are always aiming for silverware,” adding that, “anything less just isn’t an option.”