June 20, 2025 – Nashville
Tunisian giants Espérance de Tunis have secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC, eliminating the American side from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup during a tense Group D encounter at Geodis Park.
The only goal of the match came in the 70th minute, when Youcef Belaïli pounced on a rebound inside the box and slotted the ball past the LAFC goalkeeper. The goal proved decisive in a game where both teams had their chances, but Espérance’s resilience ultimately shone through.
LAFC started brightly, with Olivier Giroud and David Martínez both finding the net early in the first half—only for both goals to be ruled out for offside after VAR reviews. Despite dominating possession, the MLS side failed to capitalize, and Espérance punished them with a clinical second-half performance.
Late drama unfolded when LAFC were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes. However, Espérance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said made a heroic save to preserve the lead and secure all three points for the Tunisian outfit.
The result sends LAFC crashing out of the tournament with two losses from two games, while Espérance move into second place in Group D behind Flamengo. With one match remaining, Espérance now have a chance to qualify for the knockout stage depending on the outcome of the final group fixtures.
Espérance’s victory was celebrated passionately by their supporters, many of whom had traveled to Nashville to witness this historic win on the world stage.
