Albion Powerchair will compete in the FIPFA Powerchair Football Club World Cup in Bobigny which begins on Monday, June 23, 2025.
The competition will be the first of its kind in powerchair football, with the Baggies travelling to Paris to take on sides from across the globe.
Albion will be fuelled by missing out on the Optegra Premiership title this season, having finished as runners-up to Teeside in England's top flight - and will be relentless in their quest for international glory this month.
Who's in the competition?
Albion have been drawn in Group A of the competition alongside Uruguayan outfit Club Nacional de Football, hosts Upsilon Châtenay-Malabry and Australian team Western Sydney Wanderers.
Group B contains WFA National League rivals Aspire PFC, French team Villeneuve d'Ascq, Mexican outfit Rayados and Argentinian side Tigres de Pacheco.
| Group A | Group B |
| Albion PFC (England) | Aspire PFC (England) |
| Upsilon Châtenay-Malabry (France) | Villeneuve d'Ascq (France) |
| Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia) | Rayados (Mexico) |
| Club Nacional de Football (Uruguay) | Tigres de Pacheco (Argentina) |
Albion need to finish in the top two of Group A to secure their passage into the semi-finals, where they'll face either the winner or runner-up of Group B for a place in the final.
When are they set to play?
The opening ceremony will take place on Monday, June 23, while the Baggies will begin their group phase fixtures on Tuesday, June 24 and Wednesday, June 25.
| Opponent | Date | Time - Paris (CEST) |
| Club Nacional de Football | Tuesday, June 24, 2025 | 10:00am (CEST) |
| Upsilon Châtenay-Malabry | Tuesday, June 24, 2025 | 14:30 (CEST) |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | 16:00 (CEST) |
Venue
A trip to Paris awaits for Albion, who will take to the PRISME sports complex in Bobigny, Paris - the capital of the Seine-Saint-Denis department. The specialist accessible venue opened to the public in February of 2025, and was used as a training venue for the Paris Olympic Games & Paralympic Games.
Pre-tournament thoughts
When it comes to leading Albion Powerchair out at major tournaments Player/Coach Chris Gordon has seen it all, but even after five WFA Premiership titles and three FA Disability Cup wins - the Club World Cup is a new proposition for the powerchair stalwart.
Gordon scored five goals en route to the runners-up position in the league, and having played at the 2024 EPFA Champions Cup, he's set to relish the opportunity to play on the international stage once again.
“We’re excited, it’s the first tournament of its kind for our sport," Gordon beamed. "We had the Champions League last time which was a great experience, and we were disappointed coming away from it because it was really fine margins.
“We gave it a good go and it’s a different format this year with two groups of four. It’s a different concept, going and playing our pool games, trying to win that group and seeing who we face afterwards.
“Being a Club World Cup, we haven’t seen a lot of footage of. We know a bit about the Argentinian team because of Valentino [Zegarelli] who played for us last year.
“It’s a new experience and one we’re looking forward to it. The goal is to win but we know it’s going to be a challenge, there are some really strong teams in the tournaments – we go into it as a new group.
“We go there with the same motivation, to go there and win the tournament, to prove that West Brom are the best.”
Forward Brad Bates' 17 strikes helped propel Albion through the league season, finishing as the fifth-highest scorer in the Optegra Premiership. His experiences on the international stage are likely to be crucial, having represented fellow English side Aspire at the EPFA Champions Cup - and Bates is excited for a different challenge.
“It’s great to be back out in Paris and back with the Albion boys out there," Bates began. "We’re excited to play against a host of different teams.
“Myself, Chris and Abi have had the privilege of playing against Western Sydney Wanderers when we were in Australia. We’re really excited to play against all of the different teams when we go.
“The goal has to be to win it, always. I think that’s the mentality that we’ve bred over the years with this West Brom team, that we fight for every title and put ourselves in the best position to win them.
“Tournament football is always tough, you never know what will come along the way. The ambition is always to go and win it and we’ll give it our all to do so.”
Squad list
Albion have named their squad for Paris, you can see how they'll take to the pitch below.
Introducing West Bromwich Albion PFC's confirmed squad for the 2025 FIPFA Powerchair Football Club World Cup! 💥🏴
Squad:
8. L. Christer
9. C. Gordon
14. M. Gilbert
19. B. Bates
20. O. Rock
21. A. Bolt
27. D. Kelsall
29. B. Inel
Coach:
Chris Gordon#PowerchairFootball pic.twitter.com/6SV0ndT71t— FIPFA (@OfficialFIPFA) June 11, 2025
How to follow
Supporters can keep up with Albion Powerchair’s FIPFA Club World Cup journey by following the team on X, Instagram and Facebook.
A livestream will also be available for free on the FIPFA YouTube channel.
