Chelsea are the first team to reach the Club World Cup final. The English side secured a victory over Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium in New York, thanks to a brace from new signing João Pedro, a former Fluminense player who recently joined from Brighton for £60 million.
In sweltering heat at the MetLife Stadium, both sides entered the pitch without key players, Fluminense missing Martinelli and Xavier, while Chelsea were without Colwill and Delap. The Brazilian side started strong, pressing aggressively in the opening 10 minutes as Chelsea took a more cautious approach.
It didn’t take long, however, for Chelsea’s quality to shine through. Early threats from Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer were followed by a breakthrough in the 17th minute. João Pedro, capitalising on a poor clearance from Thiago Silva after a cross by Pedro Neto, unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner—scoring against his former club.
Chelsea nearly doubled their lead soon after, with Malo Gusto’s header testing 44-year-old goalkeeper Fábio. Though Chelsea appeared to be taking control, Fluminense came close to an equaliser when Hércules got past Sánchez, only for Marc Cucurella to make a goal-line clearance.
In the 35th minute, referee François Letexier awarded a penalty for a handball by Chalobah, but overturned the decision following an on-field review. The first half ended with Chelsea deservedly ahead, though Fluminense remained competitive.
The second half resumed with the same dynamic: Chelsea dictating play while Fluminense looked for counterattacks. Coach Renato made early substitutions, bringing on Everaldo and Keno, but the changes left gaps in defence.
Chelsea capitalised. Cole Palmer won a midfield duel and found Enzo Fernández, who sent João Pedro racing through open space. The Brazilian striker sprinted 30 metres before firing another unstoppable shot into the top corner, his second of the night and a devastating blow to Fluminense.
Chelsea nearly added a third when Nkunku’s powerful shot was heroically cleared off the line by Thiago Silva. The Blues kept pushing, and in the 81st minute, substitute Nicolas Jackson missed a chance to seal the win, shooting wide with Palmer unmarked in front of goal.
After six minutes of stoppage time, the match ended without further goals. Chelsea, dominant for large stretches of the game, now advance to the Club World Cup final.
