There are reunions to be had in the group phases of the 2025 Club World Cup, and they will give an emotional twist to an already competitive tournament. Some of the sport's biggest household names of the day, including Giroud and Jorginho, will face clubs that played a big part in their development. There's an unsolved page in every match, a farewell that is difficult to recall, or a page that's difficult to rip out of memory.
Giroud set to face Chelsea
LAFC's Olivier Giroud will be facing Chelsea where he had a successful stint and won the greatest honors. During his five years in London, he had already won the Champions League, Europa League, and FA Cup and was well established in high-pressure matches. He played a total of 119 games, scoring 39 goals with 13 assists, and never failed at the crucial moment.
Post his breakaway from Chelsea, Giroud played for Milan and busted the myth of the number 9, and later joined LAFC soon after serving his Rossoneri stint. The reunion is going to be massive. Despite all the time and space, his spell in England's domestic league seems like yesterday and full of memorabilia. The Frenchman's comeback for a formal game against Chelsea is naturally a publicity magnet. Not only for his previous service for the club, but for his renewed relevance as one among this year's best performers in the tournament. The reunion holds a promise of a walk down memory and, in fact, a demonstration that his capability to deliver very much exists.
Jorginho will be facing Chelsea wearing Flamengo's jersey
One such attention-grabbing feature is that of Flamengo's newest contracted player, Jorginho. The Italian-Brazilian midfielder played most of his first team career for Chelsea, for whom he played for four and a half seasons. It's for Chelsea that he reached his career high, winning both the Champions League and Europe's player of the year in 2021. He was equally good for Italy in its Euro championship bid that year.
Before joining Flamengo, Jorginho had also played for Arsenal. But he made thelargest impact at Chelsea. That is why the encounter between Flamengo and Chelsea, again in the group stage, is an interesting reunion. Now wearing Flamengo's red and black stripes, he's about to line up against the club that took him to the height of his career.
Douglas Luiz and returning to his club for whom he never played
Douglas Luiz's story is unique among the others, though no less emblematic. The Brazilian midfielder arrived in Manchester City in 2017, very young, and never managed to appear in a competitive game for the team. The reason lay in bureaucracy: difficulties for his work permit meant he could not be enrolled in the Premier League. He trained and pre-seasoned in the team under Pep Guardiola's instructions, and ended up being sent out to Girona, from Spain.
He later transferred to Aston Villa, where he had good times, and so arrived at his team today: Juventus. For the player, it’s time for him to prove what he could have potentially offered if he had received an opportunity. For Manchester City, it’s a reminder that what happens outside of the field can affect soccer. And for American viewers, there’s an added wrinkle to this one. The story of Douglas Luiz at City had an enigma to it, and now finally the two will be going head-to-head officially.