LAFC Secures Dramatic Club World Cup Berth
In a match filled with emotion and unexpected twists, LAFC achieved a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Club América, securing their place in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The match, played on Saturday night, kept fans on the edge of their seats until the last minute. Denis Bouanga was the hero of the night, scoring a crucial goal in extra time that sealed the victory for LAFC. The goal came in the 115th minute, unleashing euphoria at BMO Stadium and sending LAFC to its first Club World Cup.Igor Jesus had tied the score for LAFC in the 89th minute, with an accurate header that represented his first goal with the club.
The match remained tense for 24 minutes of extra time, until Bouanga intervened to finish off a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area.
With this victory, LAFC joins Chelsea of England, Flamengo of Brazil, and ES Tunis of Tunisia in the group stage, which will begin in two weeks.
The qualification to the Club World Cup is extremely lucrative for LAFC, guaranteeing at least 9.55 million dollars in prize money. In addition, the club has the possibility of winning almost 100 million additional dollars from the FIFA prize pool.
Brian Rodríguez put América ahead in the second half with a penalty, but the Mexican team could not hold the lead in front of the fans present.A spot in the 32-team tournament opened due to the disqualification of León by FIFA rules, preventing the participation of multiple clubs owned by the same entity.
LAFC has qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup, joining MLS teams Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami.
The match, with a vibrant atmosphere thanks to the fans of both teams, was cautious in the first half, with few clear scoring opportunities.
Rodríguez, after coming on as a substitute at halftime after recovering from an injury, converted a penalty in the 64th minute. This was awarded after a video review of a foul by Mark Delgado on Érick Sánchez.
Olivier Giroud’s second-half entry revitalized LAFC’s attack. The French striker came close to scoring in the 81st minute, but was thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper. LAFC intensified their pressure in the final minutes, with Bouanga and Giroud leading the attack.
Jesus, a 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder, finally managed to beat the goalkeeper with a header.
Lloris, LAFC goalkeeper, stopped a point-blank shot from Javairo Dilrosun in the second half of extra time, shortly before Bouanga’s goal.Tickets for the match were distributed equally among the fans of both clubs, and América had great support in Los Angeles. The fans created a spectacular atmosphere.
The largest Club World Cup to date will be held in the United States as a prelude to the return of the FIFA World Cup to North America in 2026. Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders have already qualified through MLS, while Pachuca and Monterrey have already secured their place from Liga MX.
