Chelsea FC defeated Fluminense 2-0 in front of 70,566 at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, advancing to the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea will face either Real Madrid CF or Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, two clubs that are heavy favorites to lift the trophy.
Here are three thoughts from the win, headlined by João Pedro's fantastic performance in his second Chelsea match.
Michael Battista
1. João Pedro impresses in first Chelsea start
Chelsea signed two Premier League strikers this summer: Liam Delap from Ipswich Town and João Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion FC.
João Pedro, who made his debut in the quarterfinal win over Palmeiras, earned his first start for Chelsea on Tuesday with Delap suspended for yellow card accumulation.
The Brazilian made the most of his opportunity against his boyhood club, scoring an outstanding goal in the 18th minute. Former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva cleared Pedro Neto's cross right to João Pedro, whose right-footed curler soared past the outstretched hands of 44-year-old Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio.
João Pedro scores his first Chelsea goal | Courtesy DAZN Football
Chelsea nearly doubled its lead three minutes later, but Malo Gusto put his header straight at Fabio. Regardless, Chelsea went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
João Pedro picked up where he left off in the 57th minute, scoring another great goal to make it 2-0. Found in acres of space on the left-wing by Enzo Fernández, João Pedro dribbled into Fluminense's box and between two defenders, blasting his shot off the crossbar but over the line.
João Pedro scores another fantastic goal | Courtesy DAZN Football
With two goals today, João Pedro is making a case to Head Coach Enzo Maresca that he should be the starting striker over Delap or Nicolas Jackson.
Chelsea could line up in a two-striker formation on Sunday, but João Pedro has made it clear that he can't be taken out of the starting lineup. The 23-year-old is the first Chelsea player to score multiple goals in his first competitive start since Michy Batshuayi against Bristol Rovers FC in 2016.
Michael Battista
2. Both fan bases show out
Ahead of the Club World Cup, we were unsure what the attendance would be like. From the first game of the tournament, the Brazilian fans proved that they bring the crowd and noise.
It was no different on Tuesday, as Fluminense fans packed behind one of the goals — which we also saw Palmeiras fans do in both games at MetLife — and were on their feet for the entire match, singing and waving flags.
The Chelsea fans actually dominated numerically, as blue kits spanned across the stadium and filled every bowl, except for the one area stuffed with Fluminense supporters.
The yellow shirts pictured were mostly Ecuador kits that featured Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo's name on the back — his compatriots are big fans of the 23-year-old.
The temperature reached 94 degrees and felt even hotter due to the humidity, but it didn't stop either fan base from showing up and creating a great atmosphere.
Michael Battista
3. Chelsea back in the final
After winning the 2021 UEFA Champions League, Chelsea qualified and won the 2021 Club World Cup. Chelsea didn't qualify for the next two Club World Cups, but they're back in the final and will face either PSG or Real Madrid on Sunday at MetLife, looking to win a second Club World Cup title.
Chelsea's Club World Cup started off shaky, losing 3-1 to Flamengo in the second group stage match. Still, Chelsea advanced and eliminated Benfica, Palmeiras, and now Fluminense to reach the final.
Despite a squad value of $2 billion, the Premier League side will be the underdogs on Sunday. Real Madrid won a tournament-record five Club World Cup titles, while PSG won its first-ever UEFA Champions League by defeating Inter 5-0 in May.
