Matchday 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 featured a bizarre and lighthearted moment during the Group D clash between Chelsea and Los Angeles FC. The start of the second half was delayed when star striker Olivier Giroud appeared without his No. 9 shirt.
Chelsea and LAFC had delivered an entertaining first half, with the English side struggling to assert dominance as the MLS club created several clear scoring opportunities. The difference came in the 34th minute, when Pedro Neto broke the deadlock with a brilliant individual goal.
At halftime, LAFC looked eager to level the match, having shown they could compete despite Chelsea’s pedigree. Coach Steven Cherundolo opted to bring on Olivier Giroud for Jeremy Ebobisse to start the second half—until an unexpected issue arose.
As Giroud prepared to enter the pitch, he only had a blank shirt within reach—with no name or number. That halted the second-half kickoff. Backup goalkeeper David Ochoa had to sprint back to the locker room to retrieve the proper jersey. Only after that was Giroud cleared to join the match.
The unusual incident sparked debate among fans: could Giroud have entered the game wearing a shirt with no name or number? Or do FIFA regulations strictly require players to be fully uniformed before stepping onto the field?
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Could Giroud have played in a blank shirt?
According to Article 28, Section 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations: “Throughout the Competition, players shall wear the number assigned to them on the final list (…) Such number shall be displayed on the back of each of their playing shirts and on the front of the shorts in accordance with the FIFA Equipment Regulations.”
Further clarification comes from Article 7.1 of the FIFA Equipment Regulations regarding names and numbers: “A Player’s Number must appear on the back of the Player’s Shirt and on the Player’s Shorts in all Competitions and International Friendly Matches.” Based on these rules, Giroud could not have legally taken the field without his official shirt.
However, there is one notable exception. According to the same Club World Cup Regulations, each team is required to supply a goalkeeper kit without names or numbers. This is only to be used if an outfield player must temporarily play as goalkeeper during a match.
