Preview | LAFC vs. Club América - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Play-In

Saturday, May 31 | 7:30 p.m. PT

🏟 | BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA

🖥 | free on DAZN.com and the DAZN app

🗓 | Calendar sync

🛍 | LAFC HQ open 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

🕹 | Level Up Arcade open pre-game from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and for 90 minutes after the final whistle.

🌯 | Saturday’s match will feature three specialty food items:

• Chile Relleno Burrito at Black & Gold Taqueria Section 118
• Carne Asada Sopes at Rotisserie Section 109
• Cherry Limeade Margarita at all Bars

A chance to compete in the world’s biggest club football tournament is at stake as LAFC hosts Liga MX powerhouse Club América Saturday night at BMO Stadium in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Play-In match.

The winner will advance to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, filling the spot recently vacated by Club León in Group D, which also includes CR Flamengo (Brazil), ES Tunis (Tunisia), and Chelsea FC (England).

Saturday’s LAFC-América winner will begin Group D play against Chelsea on June 16 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will join a 32-team field that also boasts European heavyweights Bayern Munich (Germany), Juventus (Italy), Manchester City (England), Real Madrid (Spain), and UEFA Champions League finalists Paris Saint Germain (France) and Inter Milan (Italy).

Two MLS teams, the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami, have already been granted entry to the competition, which begins in mid-June at various stadiums across the United States and will culminate in the FIFA Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.

FORM CHECK

LAFC extended its unbeaten streak in MLS play to eight games with a 2-2 tie on the road in rainy, cold conditions against CF Montréal last Saturday. LAFC has not lost a match since April 9 when it was knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup by Inter Miami in the quarterfinal stage.

In Club América’s last eight games, Las Águilas are 3W-3L-2D, including six playoff games in Liga MX’s Clausura tournament, which saw América eliminate Cruz Azul in the two-leg semifinal for a second straight season, and dispatch Pachuca in the quarterfinal round.

In last week’s Clausura Final against Toluca, Club América drew the first leg at home 0-0, then fell 2-0 in leg two, coming up short in its effort to become the second side in Liga MX history to lift the title four times in a row.

Led by manager André Jardine, Club América finished second in this year’s Liga MX Clausura standings with a record of 10W-4L-3D. Forward and captain Henry Martín led the team in goals scored in league play, with nine.

FEBRUARY FRIENDLY

LAFC defeated América 2-1 on February 11 in the Black & Gold’s final preseason friendly before its Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS regular-season campaigns began. Both LAFC goals were created by pressure from Denis Bouanga, who, 20 seconds after halftime, forced a giveaway on the Las Águilas backline and finished it past América goalie Rodolfo Cota. Following a flurry of saves by Black & Gold goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Bouanga’s pressure in the 60th minute created a breakaway and a cross that onrushing forward Nathan Ordaz poked into the net for LAFC’s second. An LAFC giveaway in its own area allowed Richard Sánchez to pull one back for América, creating the final 2-1 score line in a game whose pace and passion resembled anything but a friendly. (Sánchez, incidentally, has since departed to Racing Club de Avellaneda of the Argentine Primera División.)

Six of América’s starting eleven in that February friendly started last weekend’s deciding match against Toluca in the Clausura Final. Jardine rotates his players freely, and therein lies Las Águilas’ greatest strength—their depth. This week, four América players were called into the Mexican National Team’s training camp: goalie Ángel Malagón, defenders Israel Reyes and Ramón Juárez, and Martín, the 32-year-old center forward. Each player competes for minutes in Jardine’s system, which always keeps capable reserves on deck.

SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS

Since 2018, LAFC has played eleven (11) non-friendlies against Liga MX teams, outscoring opponents 22 goals to 13 in those matches, with an overall record of 5W-5L-1D.

PRIOR MEETINGS

In their only previous meeting in a non-friendly, LAFC defeated Club América 3-1 in the 2020 Concacaf Champions Cup Semifinal. Trailing 1-0 at half, LAFC legend Carlos Vela (who announced his retirement earlier this week) scored in the 46th and 47th minutes, then created the opportunity in stoppage time that led to the final goal in LAFC’s 3-1 win, sending the Black & Gold to its first ever cup final.

The clubs met again as part of the 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase in a friendly played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The match ended in a 2-2 draw and a 6-5 advantage for América in the ensuing penalty shootout. Two days later, LAFC announced the signing of Bouanga from French Ligue 1 side St. Etienne.

BOUANGA IN BLOOM

Since arriving at LAFC, Bouanga has taken Major League Soccer by storm, winning the league’s Golden Boot award in 2023 and compiling 69 total goal contributions (goals plus assists) in 84 regular-season games for the Black & Gold over the last two-plus seasons, tying him with Diego Rossi for the second-most goal contributions in club history. Only Vela has more.

This year Bouanga is vying to become the first player in MLS history to amass three straight seasons of 20 goals or more.

CLUB AMÉRICA CAN WIN IF

Its local fan base shows up and negates the home-field advantage that LAFC usually enjoys at BMO Stadium. The game will be played on LAFC’s home pitch, but FIFA has worked to make BMO Stadium as neutral as possible in terms of ticket allotments.

If América’s deep and talented front line rotation—which includes U.S. international Alejandro Zendejas, Chilean star Victor Dávila, former LAFC and current Uruguay winger Brian Rodriguez, and the ever-dangerous Martín—can use their fans’ support to create and finish chances, the visitors can join the Club World Cup’s elite field.

LAFC CAN WIN IF

Bouanga once again rises to the moment. The Gabon international never takes games off, but he has built a reputation for playing his best in the matches that matter most. Bouanga led LAFC with three goals in Concacaf Champions Cup play this year and won that competition’s Golden Boot in ‘23. He has scored more goals in Leagues Cup than any other player who has competed in it. He is LAFC’s all-time leading scorer in MLS Cup Playoff matches. Bouanga shines when the lights are brightest, and Saturday night they will be blinding.