By Victor Kanayo
Chelsea FC became the latest side to cross over to feature in the round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
So far, 10 teams are in, with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami already billed to face Paris Saint-Germain in the next stage of the tournament.
End of Group Stage
This follows the conclusion of the latest group stage fixtures played on Tuesday and the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Benfica had defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 to qualify for the last 16.
Chelsea, on their own part, won 3-0 against ES Tunis to also advance to the last 16.
They now join the likes of Inter Miami, Palmeiras, PSG, Bayern Munich, Flamengo, Botafogo, Juventus, and Manchester City as clubs that will play in the Round of 16.
Also, 13 teams have dropped out in the group stages of the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States.
They are Boca Juniors, Esperance, FC Porto, Al Ain, Wydad AC, Atletico Madrid, Seattle Sounders, Al Ahly, Los Angeles FC, Auckland City, Pachuca, Ulsan HD, and Urawa Red Diamonds.
Qualification Rule to Next Round, Beyond
According to FIFA rules, the best two club football teams from each of the eight groups of four will be fighting it out to keep their title hopes alive in the Round of 16, taking place from 28 June to 1 July.
The winning team will advance to the quarter-final on 4 and 5 July ahead of the tournament’s semi-finals on 8 and 9 July.
The competition will come to a climactic end on 13 July in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the champion will be crowned in the final.
