Yousef Belaili’s 70th-minute goal lifted Esperance de Tunisie to a 1-0 victory over Los Angeles FC (LAFC) on Friday night (June 20, 2025) in the Club World Cup, keeping the Tunisian side’s hopes alive while eliminating the MLS club from contention.
LAFC nearly equalized in stoppage time, with Dénis Bouanga stepping up for a penalty in the 99th minute. But Esperance goalkeeper Béchir Ben Saïd made a crucial save, smothering Bouanga’s right-footed attempt from close range.
Among the 13,651 fans at GEODIS Park — which holds 30,000 — were Hollywood couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, attending the match on a sweltering summer evening.
Key Moment
After an evenly matched battle, Belaili finally broke through, firing a right-footed shot from the left side of the box. The ball zipped through goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ legs and into the bottom left corner.
Takeaways
Esperance will wrap up the group stage on Tuesday night against Chelsea, with second place in Group D — and a spot in the round of 16 — still up for grabs.
LAFC, on the other hand, exits the tournament goalless after two matches. The California side had two first-half goals ruled out for offside, adding to their frustration.
What They Said
“Overall, I didn’t think we played well enough tonight to win,” said LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo.
Esperance coach Maher Kanzari remained optimistic: “It gave us the feeling that we can keep playing.”