Three Chelsea players who hit the stage in New York

• Chelsea to take on PSG in Club World Cup final
• Highly-anticipated showdown to take place at MetLife Stadium
• Three former Blues players competed in the New York region

Chelsea FC will be looking to make the journey from King's Road to the Kings of New York when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the highly-anticipated FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, 13 July.

The links between Chelsea and the New York New Jersey region run deep. Ahead of the global showpiece, FIFA takes a look at three Chelsea players who also competed in the Big Apple during their careers.

---

Frank Lampard

New York City FC (2015-16)

Widely considered one of Chelsea's greatest-ever players, the England midfielder was at the heartbeat of Chelsea's success across 13 glorious seasons during which he became the club's leading scorer with 211 goals across 648 games. At Chelsea, Lampard won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three English League Cups as well as both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League titles. A complete player, Lampard helped take Chelsea to heights they could not have previously imagined.

Towards the end of his illustrious career, Lampard made the move to Major League Soccer's (MLS) New York City in 2015 after a brief spell with sister club Manchester City. There, the England international teamed up with two fellow icons of the game in David Villa and Andrea Pirlo under the leadership of Patrick Vieira. Lampard had mixed fortunes in New York, scoring 15 goals and registering four assists across two seasons. He notably scored the club's first-ever hat-trick during his spell in the Big Apple. After hanging up his boots, Lampard went into coaching and twice took charge of his former club Chelsea.

---

Shaun Wright-Phillips

New York Red Bulls (2015-16)

The diminutive winger began his career at Manchester City and became one of Jose Mourinho's earliest signings at Chelsea in 2005. Wright-Phillips won the Premier League title in his first season with the Blues and then went on to lift the FA Cup the following season. The England international, who took part in FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™, struggled for match time during his four-year spell at Chelsea, though, and returned to City in 2008.

Towards the end of his career, Wright-Phillips trained with the New York Red Bulls in 2015 to regain fitness following his departure from Queens Park Rangers. He impressed coach Jesse Marsch enough to give him a one-year contract which enabled him to team up with his younger brother Bradley, who is considered one of the greatest players in Red Bulls history. Shaun wore the No98 jersey, one less than his brother's No99 uniform. At the time, they were the 11th set of brothers to compete at the same MLS team.

---

Matt Miazga

New York Red Bulls (2013-15)

The USA defender began his career at the Red Bulls as an academy player in 2009 and moved up to the first team four years later. The centre-back made his debut against Houston Dynamo in September 2013 aged just 18. His lone goal for the club came against New York City at Yankee Stadium in 2015 where he memorably celebrated with a baseball swing in homage to his rivals' ballpark home venue.

Miazga had a breakout year in 2015 in which he was named US Soccer Young Player of the Year to earn a high-profile move to Chelsea at the age of 20. The defender struggled for opportunities at Chelsea, however, making just two first-team appearances before a series of loan moves. He returned to MLS in 2022 with FC Cincinnati. Even though the move to Chelsea did not work out the way he intended, Miazga made his mark as one of the first MLS outfield players to be signed by a Premier League club.

---

• Buy tickets for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
• Watch the Club World Cup live and for free on DAZN