There is $10 million at stake when the battle between North American heavyweights arrives Saturday evening as MLS side LAFC host Club America in a one-game playoff for a berth in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The winner of the contest advances to this summer's marquee tournament, which features 32 of the world's best teams. The victor will join Group D in the competition, where they will compete against the likes of Flamengo, Esperance De Tunis, and Premier League side Chelsea FC.
The match, which kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, will be streamed live on DAZN and will be available on TNT and Univision in the USA as well.
LAFC qualified for the playoff as runners-up in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup, while America progressed as a result of being the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking after the 2024 Champions Cup. The winner will replace Liga MX side Club Leon in the competition, who were expelled as a result of breaching competition guidelines earlier this spring.
The two North American powerhouses last met in 2020, where LAFC won 3-1 in the semifinals of the Champions Cup, but this time around, a blistering affair awaits.
The Black and Gold ended the 2024 MLS regular season as Western Conference champions, and heading into Saturday night's match, sit sixth in the West - but are just four points out of second place with a game in hand. Club America, meanwhile, are coming off of a Clausura final appearance where they fell just short to Toluca and are looking to immediately bounce back by clinching a berth in this summer's tournament.
GOAL's MLS correspondent Jacob Schneider and Liga MX writer Alejandro Orellano detail the match ahead, offering insight into why each respective team might come out on top.
