Chelsea have reached the final of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup as two goals from new signing Joao Pedro helped sink Brazilian side Fluminense in the semifinal clash.
The 23-year-old Brazilian Forward, making his full debut against his boyhood club, curled home his first goal in the 18th minute after former Blues defender Thiago Silva failed to clear Pedro Neto’s cross. His second, a powerful shot which went in off the bar in the 56th minute, sealed victory.
The win ensures Chelsea add £22m to the £60m already earned at the competition, with Joao Pedro quickly helping to repay some of the £55m paid to sign him from Brighton last week. Christopher Nkunku had multiple chances to add to the scoreline, while at the other end, Marc Cucurella cleared Hercules’ shot off the line and substitute Everaldo had a shot saved.
The Rio-based club may be aggrieved to have seen referee Francois Letexier overturn his own decision to give a first-half penalty for a handball by Trevoh Chalobah after a VAR intervention.
However, Chelsea always looked likely to progress once they opened the scoring in a mostly-full MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which sweltered in 35°C heat.
The only blot on Chelsea’s night was a potential injury to midfielder Moises Caicedo, who appeared to injure his ankle in the 93rd minute and walked off the pitch before the match finished.
The Blues will face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final at the same venue (20:00 BST).
Main Talking Point
The much-fabled American dream is the concept of hard work delivering riches. In Chelsea’s case, this is true of their players at the Club World Cup, who have both extended their season by a further seven matches in brutal temperatures with additional travel, but may soon have a trophy to show for taking it seriously.
They will bank bonuses because the club has earned more than £80m, which could stretch to almost £100m if they lift the trophy.
Who Stood Out and Who Did Not?
Goalscorer Joao Pedro was outstanding and won the official man of the match award, but so was winger Pedro Neto, who is arguably Chelsea’s best performer across the whole competition and a contender to be crowned player of the tournament.
Enzo Fernandez and Cucurella also impressed, while Nkunku delivered arguably his best performance of 2025 despite continued speculation over his future at Stamford Bridge.
What’s Next?
Chelsea will face either Real Madrid or PSG in the final, while Fluminense will resume their domestic season with matches against Mirassol and Cruzeiro.