Neither FC Inter Milan nor Fluminese FC were particularly impressive in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage. Inter Milan finished with two wins and one draw in Group E, arguably the second-weakest group in the tournament, and were at times outplayed by Liga MX's CF Monterrey in the 1-1 draw between the two sides. Over in Group F, Fluminese played European heavyweights Borussia Dortmund to a scoreless draw on their way to collecting five points and a second-place finish.
Now they'll face each other on a hot June afternoon in Charlotte, NC (doesn't anybody at FIFA headquarters in Geneva understand how seasons work?), with the winner earning the right to take on whoever advances from the Manchester City vs Al-Hilal game that will be played at 9 pm ET tonight in Orlando. Here are five things you should know about Fluminese vs Inter Milan.
Oliver Strand
1. The odds favor Inter...
This should be Inter Milan's game to lose.
The Italians have been on a tear in recent years, making it to the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final and winning Serie A in the 2023/24 season. But there are cracks in that armor. Inter was thumped by Paris Saint-German 5-0 in the Champions League, and they effectively lost the Serie A 2024/25 title in the second-to-last game of the season, when SS Lazio scored a 90' penalty to draw them in Milan.
On paper, Inter is the superior team with Yann Sommer in goal, Denzel Dumfries and the ageless Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield, and Lautaro Martinez spearheading the attack. But they struggled against Argentina's River Plate in the final group stage game, scoring only after going up a player due to a red card.
The 2-0 scoreline from that game flatters Inter. And the 2-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds was the closest match the Japanese side put up in this tournament: They lost to River 3-1, and Monterrey 4-0.
Yes, Inter decisively won Group E with seven points. But a draw with Monterrey, followed by a one-goal win over the Red Diamonds and a scrappy 2-0 win over a shorthanded River, ain't exactly comforting for the team's fans.
2. ...but don't count out Fluminese
Over in Group F, Fluminese finished in second place with five points. But they were unlucky to come away from their Dortmund match at MetLife Stadium with a scoreless draw: Fluminese were the more creative and dangerous team, and could've (should've?) ended the night with a well-deserved 1-0 win.
Fluminese went on to dispatch South Korea's Ulsan HD FC at MetLife in a wildly entertaining 4-2 win. Then they draw South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns FC 0-0 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. All in all, Fluminese scored just four goals in the group stage, and all of those were in a single match.
But that final game was played at 3 pm ET on Wednesday, June 25, when the heat dome sat heavily over the East Coast. Was the summer heat too much for Fluminese? They'll be facing a similarly scorching afternoon today.
Michael Battista
3. Lauturo Martínez is Inter
Throughout the season, Inter's most important player has been Lauturo Martínez. The 27-year-old Argentine scored 12 goals in league play, second-most on the team, and added five assists. More than that, he comes through at big moments, scoring in the decisive 4-3 win over FC Barcelona in the Champions League, or scoring twice against Bayern Munich in Inter's 4-3 aggregate win over the Bavarians.
He's coming through for Inter again in the FIFA Club World Cup, scoring two of his team's five goals. He was scoreless in his 73' on the field against River but he tested the Argentines, taking six shots while hitting the woodwork once and putting one on target.
If Inter hopes to win, they'll need Martínez to show up.
4. One to watch: Fabio, Fluminese's 44-year-old goalkeeper
Brazilian teams might be celebrated for their attacking creativity, but Fluminese's most important player right now is arguably Fabio, the 44-year-old goalkeeper, who played more than 1,000 matches for the team since 1997. Fabio is a hot hand right now, with two clean sheets in this tournament and four clean sheets in Fluminese's last five games played in all competitions.
He made three saves to keep Dortmund scoreless in the opening group stage match, and was FotMob's Player of the Match in the scoreless draw with Mamelodi Sundowns. If Inter needs Martínez to provide the team with a spark, it will be up to Fabio to snuff it out.
5. The x-factor: Fluminese's fans
From the earliest games in this tournament, it was clear that the Brazilian teams had the best fans. They pack the stands, wear their team's colors, and don't stop singing and chanting until well after the final whistle.
One of the lessons from watching soccer played during the COVID era was that there is no home-field advantage when the stadium is empty: A team doesn't get an edge from playing in a familiar venue, but from the tens of thousands of fans in the stands whose shouting and screaming lift the players.
Good thing for Fluminese that they have one of the most boisterous sets of traveling supporters in this tournament. If Fluminese fans show up as expected on this blistering hot afternoon at Bank of America Stadium, the energy they bring could be just enough to help get their team over the line.
