2026-04-18 09:30:58

Robert Sanchez says the Club World Cup was the “best experience” of his football career.

The Chelsea goalkeeper won the Golden Glove award as the Blues triumphed in the first edition of FIFA’s expanded tournament last summer in the United States and considers it to be the most memorable moment of his career so far.

Sanchez told FourFourTwo magazine: “Looking back on it overall, the whole experience was incredible.

“One of the best moments and experiences that I’ve had in football – and not just because we went and won the whole thing.”

Sanchez thought that playing in the post-season tournament was a bit “weird” at first but explained that he and his Chelsea team-mates realised how serious the competition was as they progressed further into the tournament.

He recalled: “At the beginning, the Club World Cup was a bit weird – going to the USA right in the middle of summer, it was very hot.

“At the beginning, it felt like pre-season, it was a big tournament, and that we needed to get going and be focused, because we were there to win it, not to play around.

“It was difficult because of the state of the pitches, and it was absolutely roasting, but we got through it. The further into the competition we got, the more exciting the games were.”

As well as winning the trophy, Sanchez and his team-mates had some fun away from the pitch too.

The Spanish international said: “We were playing in NFL stadiums with very different architecture than England.

“It was cool to see that, and nice to experience the different places – Philadelphia, Atalanta, New York, New Jersey and Manhattan. It was incredible.

“To put the cherry on top, we ended up winning it and I got the Golden Glove. It was an incredible experience. During the days off, we had a great time, experiencing the different towns. We had families over there, too.”

Sanchez added: “One day, a couple of the other boys and I decided to get some e-bikes, and we went out riding for the whole day – New York, New Jersey, Manhattan, we went on the bikes all the way around and experienced everything.

“It was incredible, the places we saw, having lunch, different shops, brilliant.”

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