“It was a magic moment.” Denis Bouanga was still on cloud nine when he sat down to discuss the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. Just a few days earlier, he scored the decisive goal in the play-in match – a 2-1 win after extra time against Club América – to secure LAFC a place in the 32-team tournament, which will be held from 14 June to 13 July across the United States.
The Gabonese international, who arrived in California in 2022, understands how “lucky” he is to be able to participate in this competition, especially since he admits he never imagined he would one day be able to appear in a global tournament.
The Le Mans native, who has played for Lorient and Saint-Etienne, among others, is already a star at LAFC, with whom he finished as the Major League Soccer’s top scorer in 2023 with 20 goals in 31 matches. He is now eager to write another chapter in the club’s history alongside his teammates, including world champions Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, at the Club World Cup.
Denis Bouanga: Yes, personally, I’m very proud. It was a final; we won it, and it’s wonderful for Los Angeles. For me, it was a magic moment, and the best goal in my career in terms of emotions. When I saw the ball go in, I had goosebumps. It felt so good to see the entire stadium erupt and see my family happy too. Seeing a whole squad come together, drawing the game level, then scoring this goal that meant we qualified, was a really unique and unforgettable moment for me.
I think so. Throughout the game and over the years, we’ve shown that we have a flawless mindset and that with a great deal of desire, you can win games and, more importantly, draw them level. I think we have a very good squad that can overcome these scorelines and achieve great things in this tournament.
Our objective is simply winning matches. To face big teams, and to see where we are, to compare those teams to other MLS teams too. I personally hope we can win games and that we can emulate the same atmosphere that (we experienced against) Club América. I also hope that LAFC comes out of this tournament even stronger.
My personal goal is to simply score goals, make a difference, and provide assists. I want to show my best form to the world, score and do my flip (when celebrating a goal). I feel really good here. I’ve got everything I need to do well, and I feel I’m at the top of my game.
It will be special. We’ll be coming up against big teams, with different playing styles and brands of football. We’ll simply be competing against them to see how we compare and where we stand. And why not compete with these teams? Why not even win? Our mindset going into every game is always to win. Chelsea’s got a huge reputation. I believe they won the [UEFA Conference League] recently. It creates a lot of excitement. Personally, I’m looking forward to playing against sides like them, and so are my team-mates, I believe.
No, not at all. I didn’t think that this (tournament) would take place here in the United States. Through good fortune, we had the chance to play that final [the FIFA Club World Cup play-in match] that we won. It was great for me and for the club.
Yes, of course, we’ve spoken about it. For them, it’s like a (national team) World Cup. All the best teams will be brought together for a great tournament. The eyes of the world will be on the competition and there will be great visibility (on the tournament). So, it’s now down to us to put in some great performances.
I’d say Aaron Long would be the funniest. But the funniest prank has to be the one Olivier Giroud played on one of the goalkeepers, David Ochoa. When we went to play in Miami, he came into the changing room and knowing that David Ochoa is a fan of (Lionel) Messi, he said, “Messi has asked me for your jersey.” I burst out laughing and couldn’t keep it together until we started playing the match against Inter Miami. So, that was a great prank by Olivier Giroud.
