LAFC books their $9.55M ticket to Atlanta and beyond

Los Angeles Football Club battled back to win the Play-In match for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup last night at BMO Stadium and have booked their place in the tournament. Their first match will be in Atlanta on Monday, June 16 as they will face Europa Conference League champions Chelsea at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 3pm.

(courtesy of FIFA)

Club América fans, alongside LAFC fans, filled BMO Stadium for the occasion and the drama did not disappoint. With the match being treated as a neutral venue, it gave a unique feel to LAFC's home stadium and looked and sounded stunning.

Former LAFC winger Brian Rodríguez gave Las Aguilas the lead from the penalty spot in the 64th minute. When things were looking grim for the MLS side, Igor Jesus scored from a corner in front of his fans to send the match to extra time.

Both teams had opportunities to take the lead in the extra period, but eventually it was Denis Bouanga who took a layoff from Olivier Giroud to slam home the winner from just outside the 18-yard-box in the 115th minute. They were able to hold on to earn the win, along with the prize money and opportunity that comes with it.

In addition to their match in Atlanta against Chlesea, LAFC will face Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) on Friday, June 20 at GEODIS Park in Nashville (6 p.m. ET), and Flamengo (Brazil) on Tuesday, June 24 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando (9 p.m. ET) in Group D. The top two teams in the group will advance to the knockout stages.