What happened to Chelsea's 2021 FIFA Club World Cup winners who beat Palmeiras

Chelsea  go into tonight's FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final as the last Premier League team standing and looking to make it into the final four. 

Enzo Maresca's side beat Benfica to book their date with Palmeiras in Philadelphia and will be looking to lift another trophy following their Europa Conference League triumph. 

The Blues are no strangers to winning this competition either, having lifted the trophy back in 2022, when they defeated Palmeiras in the final. 

Yet despite that win being just four years ago, only one player from the matchday squad that saw Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea side beat the Brazilians currently remains at the club. 

DAZN News looks at what happened to the winning class of 2021... 

 

Edouard Mendy 

Signed in September 2020, Mendy became the first Chelsea goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in their first three Premier League matches since Petr Cech in 2004 and would go on to win the Champions League with the club in his first campaign.

The Senegal keeper stayed for another season, but despite being named UEFA's Best Goalkeeper, a dip in form and the arrival of Graham Potter saw him fall out of a favour at Stamford Bridge and he was sold in the summer of 2022. Leaving for a reduced fee to join Saudi side Al-Ahli, where he remains the club's first-choice goalie. 

Andreas Christensen 

A talented defender who was never given a first-choice berth at centre-back by a succession of Chelsea managers. He was named the club's Young Player of the Year in 2018, but constantly found himself more of a squad player in West London, coming on off he bench in the 2021 Champions League final win. 

His performances were enough, however, to convince Barcelona to sign the Dane when his contract expired in 2022, and he has since won a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey with the Spanish giants. 

Thiago Silva 

When the Brazilian arrived at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard, he was seen as an experienced squad man who would add a bit of nous to a young Chelsea side. However, Silva enjoyed somewhat of an Indian summer in West London, racking up over 150 appearances for the club and captaining the side. 

He ended his four-year stint in 2024, but he is still going strong at 40 years old and has led Fluminense to the quarter-finals in the States. 

Antonio Rudiger 

Signed from Roma in 2017, Rudiger used his time at Chelsea to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in the game. Unfortunately, that stock eventually didn't help the Blues. 

The German won five trophies in his five years in West London, including his first Champions League win in 2021, but he saw opportunities to win more major honours elsewhere when his contract expired in 2022. 

Rudiger moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer and has since added another Champions League medal and a La Liga title to his collection. 

Cesar Azpilicueta 

A stalwart for Chelsea for a decade, the former Blues captain would be in the conversation for the club's best right-back of the Premier League era. 

Across his 500+ appearances, he won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, and the Champions League as one of the most reliable defenders of his generation. 

Ended his association with the club in 2023, leaving on a free to join Atlético Madrid - and remains with the Spanish club, who are also competing in this year's Club World Cup. 

N'Golo Kante 

The French World Cup winner was in his sixth season at the club by the time of the Club World Cup Final and it was an N'Golo Kante far from his best. 

The likeable defensive midfielder had helped Chelsea to multiple trophies following his fairytale arrival in the Premier League with Leicester, but injuries had caught up with him and the win was almost his final hurrah with the club. 

He'd play just seven games the following campaign and it was no surprise when he left to join the much slower pace of life in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, where he's currently on course to win another league title. 

Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Mateo Kovacic 

The Croatian arrived at Chelsea having already proved his worth with Inter Milan and Real Madrid and really excelled in West London, most notably under Frank Lampard, where he was named the club's Player of the Year in 2020. 

Those performances were enough to convince Manchester City the following summer, so after helping the Blues to Champions League and Club World Cup glory, Kovacic moved to the Premier League champions. 

Under Pep Guardiola, he's been an unsung hero of the squad, regularly stepping in when required and putting in notable performances when needed. 

Callum Hudson-Odoi 

When Callum Hudson-Odoi broke through into the Chelsea first team, he looked as though he'd be one of the club's stars for years to come. He thrived under Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard, even making his England debut before things went a bit sour following the arrival of Thomas Tuchel. 

Despite winning the Champions League and being part of the Club World Cup-winning side, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen on loan in 2022, before surprisingly leaving the club permanently for Nottingham Forest a year later. 

Mason Mount 

The jewel in Frank Lampard's Chelsea team, Mount looked destined to emulate the Chelsea legend's effect on the Blues' midfield as he was named the club's Player of the Year in 2022. 

Yet, after such a promising start, things took a nosedive as Mount struggled for form and fitness. By 2023, with the club happy to offload a homegrown player, he left after an 18-year association with the West Londoners. 

Unfortunately, his move to Manchester United has resulted in the same issues, and it's been a long time since we've seen Mount anywhere near his best. 

Romelu Lukaku 

The Club World Cup win caught Romelu Lukaku in his brief second spell at Stamford Bridge - brief in appearances rather than contract length - and was on the scoresheet when Chelsea triumphed in Abu Dhabi. 

It was one of 15 goals he scored for the club that season, after finally getting a first-team run with Chelsea a decade after his first stint at the club. 

It proved to be a false dawn. Having already expressed his desire to move back to Italy, he then doubled down on a desire to leave by criticising Thomas Tuchel's style of play and loan spells at Inter and Roma followed, before finally leaving London to sign for Napoli. 

Kai Havertz 

A man whose name is etched into Chelsea folklore thanks to his 2021 Champions League final winner, the German was the matchwinner once again in this one, but remains someone who never quite clicked with the club.

He scored 32 times in 139 games for the Blues, but failed to convince fans and managers of his best position. Yet, it didn't prevent Arsenal from paying £65 million for Havertz in the summer of 2023, where he's faced some of the same criticisms, but has gone on to be somewhat of a cult hero on the other side of London. 
 

Subs

Kepa Arrizabalaga - The latest to leave the club, the Spanish keeper joined Arsenal last month 
Marcus Bettinelli - Reserve keeper, who has just moved to Manchester City 
Marcos Alonso - Full-back left Chelsea in 2022 after making over 200 appearances.
Trevor Chalobah - Defender recently returned after spending the first half of the campaign on loan at Crystal Palace.
Malang Sarr - Rarely featured for Chelsea before loan moves to Porto and Monaco and then eventually leaving for Lens last summer.
Jorginho - The experienced Italian with the perfect penalty technique moved to Arsenal in January 2023 after five years with Chelsea.
Saul - On loan from Atletico Madrid, made little impact in 20-odd games.
Ross Barkley - Became a bit-part player at Chelsea after injury but rejuvenated later at Luton and now with Aston Villa. 
Hakim Ziyech - Tricky winger spent two seasons with Chelsea but drop in form saw him moved on to Galatasaray - now in Qatar with Al-Duhail. 
Kenedy - Forward who never fulfilled potential, following a succession of loan spells, moved to Valladolid in 2022. 
Christian Pulisic - The first American to play in a Champions League final, but failed to really make the grade at Chelsea. Now starring for AC Milan. 
Timo Werner - Two seasons of erratic finishing didn't convince and Werner returned to RB Leipzig. Hasn't had much joy on-loan at Spurs this year.

 

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