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With the World Cup now over for another four years, we take a look at how each and every Chelsea player fared during their time playing in North America over the last month<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n\n
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\nXabi Alonso during his first press conference as Chelsea manager(Image: Darren Walsh\/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/p>\n
The 2026 World Cup is now behind us with the party still going on in Spain and the mourning showing no sign of stopping in Argentina on a mixed Monday for last night’s two finalists.<\/p>\n
The 10 men of Argentina held on for 106 (not including stoppage time) minutes but Spain eventually knocked the South American wall down. For all the controversy surrounding the World Cup, on the pitch the football delivered. Now, though, everyone’s attention turns back to club football.<\/p>\n
There is a little bit of time to reflect on what we saw in North America over the last month and in particular, from a Chelsea perspective. So, with that being said, football.london <\/strong>rates each and every one of the Blues players that were representing their countries in football’s biggest tournament:<\/p>\nFOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE!<\/strong> Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page<\/strong><\/p>\nEnzo Fernandez<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>7<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>660<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>2<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nSunday evening’s final in New Jersey was, in many ways, a very apt ending to Fernandez’s World Cup. Not for him, of course, but in a general sense. Fernandez, who was on course to play every minute in every game bar the dead rubber against Jordan, got himself sent off, stupidly, for a second yellow card in stoppage time of normal time.<\/p>\n
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\n Enzo Fernandez of Argentina is shown his 1st yellow card(Image: Richard Sellers\/Sportsphoto\/Allstar via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/div>\n
Argentina might have lost anyway, with Spain the dominant side, but it certainly didn’t help the 2022 winners to play the entirety of extra-time with a man less. Before the final, Fernandez was one of Argentina’s heroes; scoring a stoppage-time winner against Egypt in the round of 16 before his late equaliser against England in the semi final.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old’s Chelsea future, of course, is still in doubt but one thing is for sure: new manager Xabi Alonso got to see everything good and bad in relation to Fernandez’s game throughout the World Cup.<\/p>\n
Rating:<\/strong> 7<\/p>\nMike Penders<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>Very much as expected, really, for Penders who didn’t get on the pitch at all for Belgium. Even when Thibaut Courtois went off with an injury in their last-16 defeat to Spain, it was Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens who was called to replace his colleague. Penders will get the chance to impress Alonso and Chelsea when he joins up with the squad for the pre-season tour.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> N\/A<\/p>\nWise Paez<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>1<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>11<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>A disappointing World Cup for Paez in a personal sense. The 19-year-old playmaker got on the pitch just once – a brief cameo in Ecuador’s last-32 exit to Mexico and managed to pick up a yellow card in that time. Paez’s future is uncertain with River Plate said to be considering cancelling the Ecuadorian’s loan deal there.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 4<\/p>\nMoises Caicedo<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>4<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>360<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>Caicedo played every available minute for Ecuador at the World Cup. Caicedo impressed during some matches but the Ecuadorians overall did not – despite being many people’s dark horses in the tournament. It will be good for the 24-year-old midfielder to have a few weeks break before joining up with Alonso and his Chelsea teammates during their pre-season tour.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 6<\/p>\nReece James<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>5<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>318<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>James’ tournament was unfortunately marred by injuries but it was encouraging to see the Chelsea captain fight hard to get himself fit for the semi-final defeat to Argentina. When the Blues skipper was on the pitch, he wasn’t at his usual excellent level – perhaps down to battling a hamstring injury. He looked good against Norway in the quarter-final but average other than that, unfortunately.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
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\nChelsea and England defender Reece James(Image: Ulrik Pedersen\/NurPhoto)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/div>\n
Rating:<\/strong> 5<\/p>\nTrevoh Chalobah<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>1<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>1<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>A late addition to the England squad following the unfortunate injury to Tino Livramento. It always seemed unlikely that Chalobah would play a big part. A tad disappointing to see him get the briefest cameo in the third-place play-off against France on Saturday night.<\/p>\nRating: <\/strong>N\/A<\/p>\nMalo want<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>5<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>118<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>A bit-part role for Gusto in the France side. The Chelsea right back, who is being linked with an exit this summer, made just one start – in the third-place play-off defeat to England over the weekend.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 5<\/p>\nJorrel Hato<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>1<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>34<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>Hato will be disappointed not to have played more for the Netherlands, who were knocked out by Morocco in the round of 32. The Dutch defender’s only appearance of the tournament came in that last-32 defeat, coming on for extra-time as Ronald Koeman’s men crashed out via a penalty shootout.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 4<\/p>\nPedro Neto<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>5<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>352<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>1<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>The 26-year-old played an important part for Portugal, who were knocked out in the last 16 to champions Spain. Neto started the tournament with an assist in the 1-1 draw with DR Congo in what was probably his strongest performance. It is intriguing to see what sort of role Neto will have under Alonso at Stamford Bridge next season.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 6<\/p>\nMamadou Sarr<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nGoals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>Really disappointing for Sarr to not get a single minute at the World Cup. Senegal were eliminated at the last-32 stage by Belgium and Sarr was essentially a spectator for all four of their matches. Sarr is expected to move on loan for the 2026\/27 season.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 3<\/p>\nNicolas Jackson<\/strong><\/h3>\nGames played: <\/strong>4<\/p>\nMinutes played: <\/strong>233<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
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\nNicolas Jackson impressed for Senegal in their defeat to France(Image: Harry Langer\/DeFodi Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/div>\n
Goals: <\/strong>0<\/p>\nAssists: <\/strong>1<\/p>\nVerdict: <\/strong>Jackson, who was not a spectator like his compatriot Sarr, looked a real handful in Senegal’s opening game defeat to France and should have scored at least once on the day. The Chelsea striker recorded an assist in the second game against Norway and overall, looked a real nuisance for defenders. It is exciting to see how he will fare in pre-season when working with Alonso.<\/p>\nRating:<\/strong> 6<\/p>\n\nSign up for Chelsea news direct to your email inbox<\/h3>\n\n
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