Club World Cup Preview: LAFC

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·6 June 2025

Club World Cup Preview: LAFC

The sixteenth in our continuing series highlighting all thirty-two clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup, which starts on June 14th. We’re halfway there!

Club Background

From: Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
How They Qualified: They won the May 31 play-in, aka “The $10M Game” defeating Club América 2 – 1 in extra time to secure the last open position.
Best CWC Finish: They are Club World Cup debutantes.

Recent Form: They are sixth in the Western Conference and fifteenth overall. Last season they finished first in the West. They won the U.S. Open Cup in 2024. Was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the quarterfinals by Inter Miami 3 – 2 on aggregate.
Facts: Founded in 2014 but started playing in the MLS in 2018. They have a high roster turnover. 59% of the team have been signed less than 18 months. 42% of the team were signed from their youth academy. Only scored 57 goals over 30 games in league play.

The Team

Manager: Steve Cherundolo Has been the LAFC head coach since 2022. His only previous managerial position was at Las Vegas Lights in the USL Championship. He played his entire professional career with Hannover 96, making 423 total appearances.
Star Players: Denis Bouanga Won the Golden Boot in 2023; he’s having another strong season. Scored the winning goal in the Play-In extra-time. Olivier Giroud French striker and experienced veteran of big tournaments. Plays the role of super-sub. Hugo Lloris See above but as a starting goalkeeper.
Young Players: Nathan Ordaz Salvadorian forward, 21 years-old. Has 3g/2a in 21 games this season. David Martínez Morales 19 year-old Venezuelan right winger. Has 3g/2a in 21 games this season.
Training Sites: Mercer University, Macon, Georgia

When to Watch

3:00pm ET on Jun 16, 2025 vs. Chelsea @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
6:00pm ET on Jun 20, 2025 vs. Espérance de Tunis @ GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN
9:00pm ET on Jun 24, 2025 vs. Flamengo @ Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

The Hooligan Take

Because of their unusual method of qualifying, they will not be playing any games near their home city. They still have an open Designated Player slot on their roster. It will be interesting to see if they look to fill that prior to their first game. That could be a sound investment, as two group stage wins plus an appearance in the Round of 16 earns another $11.5M in prize money. Their 2024 salary was the second largest in the MLS, but still only $19.8M, less than a tenth of Chelsea. In terms of on-field play, LAFC should be able to hold their own. That first game will be a critical bellwether match.