MLS Players With the Most to Gain at the Club World Cup | OneFootball

With the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in full swing, we take a look at a handful of MLS players with the most to prove in the tournament.

Players are defined by their performances in major tournaments, and there’s no bigger stage than a World Cup.

And while the international World Cup is the first thing that comes to mind for most fans, the version at the club level has produced some memorable moments, albeit a bit more under the radar. With the tournament’s ambitious expansion for more teams and a quadrennial format, we’ll be sure to get more of those iconic feats moving forward.

Perhaps the best example of a cult favorite moment from the FIFA Club World Cup comes from the Paolo Guerrero-led Corinthians side that made a title run in 2012. Peruvian fans still relish in the glory of Guerrero’s match-winning goal — a header against reigning UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea — to crown Corinthians world champions. He was awarded the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third-top scorer, and his name remains etched in the history of Peruvian and Brazilian soccer.

The Club World Cup offers a different kind of spotlight for teams and players. Although it has existed for years, the 2025 edition will be the biggest yet, boosted by heavy marketing and support from FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Set to take place in the United States, it presents a rare chance for MLS players to prove themselves on the global stage. Big moments make legendary players — and this expanded tournament offers the platform to create them.

Not every player comes into the Club World Cup with a clean slate. Some are fighting for respect, redemption, or a spotlight they’ve long been denied. Here are the MLS players with the most on the line.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has nothing left to prove — he’s won just about everything there is to win in the sport on both an individual and team level. Yet, one lingering question remains: can he still compete with the best on the biggest stage? Messi doesn’t owe anyone anything, but the internal drive that’s fueled his career still burns.

After picking up an injury in the 2024 Copa América final, the Argentine No. 10 was robbed of what could’ve been his final chance to showcase his brilliance on the global stage. Now, with the FIFA Club World Cup set to open in the United States, Messi will be looking to make a statement throughout the tournament. He showed flashes of brilliance in Inter Miami’s opener against Al Ahly, nearly missing the net on two shots from distance, yet neither team scored in a 0-0 draw in front of a packed Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Messi will have one question in mind: can I still rise to the occasion when it matters most? With Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano expressing visible frustration over Inter Miami’s inactivity during the special 10-day transfer window for Club World Cup teams, the burden once again falls on Messi to carry the Herons through the group stage, one more time.

Denis Bouanaga

With Club León dropped from the tournament due to a breach of FIFA’s multi-club ownership rules, the newly expanded Club World Cup needed a play-in match to determine the final participant. And there couldn’t have been a better stage for a star to emerge than LAFC vs. Club América — a rematch from earlier in the year layered with meaning. LAFC qualified for the play-in as they were runners-up to León in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, while Liga MX powerhouse Club América’s three consecutive league titles earned them a spot in the win-and-you’re-in showdown.

From the smoke and pyro set off by supporters on both sides of a packed BMO Stadium, one player rose above the rest: Denis Bouanga. Under the bright lights of Hollywood and with the eyes of two nations watching closely, the Gabon international put on a show. Bouanga was relentless, carving out space despite being double-marked by América’s defense and doing everything in his power to lift LAFC into the Club World Cup — and rewrite the pain of their loss to León.

When the match went to extra time, Bouanga delivered. His go-ahead goal in the 115th minute stunned América and sent shockwaves through Mexico. Suddenly, a player relatively unknown to many fans south of the border became a headliner. This was his legacy performance. At 30 years old, Bouanga now heads into the Club World Cup determined to prove he belongs on the global stage.

If LAFC can get out of the group, Bouanga could find himself on the radar of bigger clubs — possibly even those with UEFA Champions League aspirations. He’s already been linked to moves to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but this tournament could open new doors for one of the most electric players MLS has ever seen.

Jesus Ferreira

In one of the most surprising moves of the offseason, the Seattle Sounders gave up a boatload of assets to land a proven MLS star in Jesús Ferreira. On paper, it seemed like a no-brainer. Seattle, a team on the cusp of an MLS Cup Final appearance last season — if not for Riqui Puig’s game-winning assist while playing on a torn ACL — had the league’s best defense but lacked a true attacking spark. Enter Ferreira, a striker with plenty of international experience with the United States, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

At one point, a move to Europe seemed inevitable for the FC Dallas product. But after MLS blocked a proposed transfer to Russia, Ferreira’s career took a different turn — landing in Rave Green. With a new home and a talented group of U.S. internationals around him, including Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan, the stage was set for a bounce-back year. Ferreira had already scored 30 goals across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and a breakout seemed inevitable.

Instead, the goals dried up. Halfway through the 2025 campaign, Ferreira has found the back of the net just once.

Still, there’s a glimmer of hope. That lone goal came in the final month leading into the Club World Cup — a sign that he may be regaining his rhythm just in time. And he’ll need it. Seattle landed in a brutal group alongside Botafogo, Atlético Madrid and reigning UEFA Champions League winners PSG. But with great challenges come great opportunities. If Ferreira can score or stand out against elite backlines, he could quickly thrust himself back into the national team conversation, especially with Mauricio Pochettino’s striker pool riddled with injuries.

Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud stands apart from the rest of the players with something to prove at this Club World Cup. Unlike rising stars or fringe internationals, Giroud’s challenge isn’t global recognition — it’s convincing LAFC’s front office and fanbase that he still belongs. After losing his starting spot to 21-year-old El Salvador international Nathan Ordaz, the World Cup winner has left a sour impression on supporters in Los Angeles.

Brought in as one of the biggest European stars to make the move stateside, Giroud’s MLS tenure has been underwhelming. Over the past two regular seasons, he’s started just 12 games and left plenty of goals on the table.

But if there’s one thing working in his favor, it’s that Giroud is built for moments like this. The all-time leading scorer for the French national team, with 57 goals, he has a history of delivering in major tournaments. This Club World Cup offers a perfect stage for a final flourish — and with LAFC not playing any home matches in the tournament, fans watching from afar will be hoping for a performance that finally lives up to the billing.

Some pundits have given Giroud a pass, arguing that his style doesn’t mesh with Steve Cherundolo’s system. But with Cherundolo stepping down at the end of the season, this is a pivotal moment for Giroud to leave a lasting impression — both for the incoming coach and a front office weighing his future. Adding even more intrigue: a matchup against his former club, Chelsea, awaits.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is more than just a tournament — it’s a proving ground. For stars like Messi, it’s one more chance to silence doubt. For players like Bouanga, Ferreira and Giroud, it’s an opportunity to shift their narrative or redefine their legacies. With the world watching, the stage is set. Now it’s time to deliver.