The Brazilian striker stunned on his debut in front of his former club, booking the Blues' spot in the CWC finals on Sunday
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Chelsea FC are off to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals after defeating Brazilian side Fluminense 2-0 in the semifinals of the competition Tuesday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. A brace from new signing Joao Pedro steered them to glory as the Brazil international scored two thunderous finishes to book the Blues' spot in the final on Sunday, where they will play the winner between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea were without both Liam Delap and Levi Colwill for the match, as both were serving one-game suspensions due to yellow card accumulation, but they overcame the adversity and will now be playing for the title of world champion.
Manager Enzo Maresca named Joao Pedro in the XI for the contest, handing the former Brighton man his first start for the club, and the 23-year-old repaid the Italian coach with a top performance that saw him named Superior Player of the Match.
He opened the scoring 18 minutes in, finding the back of the net from outside the box after launching a curling effort into the right side of the net. He then doubled the lead 56 minutes into the contest, bagging off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net off an Enzo Fernandez assist.
Fluminense, meanwhile, had their own chances – they were just never able to capitalize on the moment. Their best opportunity arrived off a breakaway 26 minutes into the match, where midfielder Hercules beat two defenders and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, only to see his shot cleared off the line by defender Marc Cucurella.
Ten minutes on, the Brazilian side thought the breakthrough had arrived after the referee whistled a penalty kick in their favour for a handball against defender Trevoh Chalobah. However, after a brief VAR review and a trip to the monitor, the referee rescinded his call, claiming Chalobah's hand was in a natural position.
A dominant performance from the Blues, otherwise, took over the contest. Now, they'll be competing for the first CWC trophy in the revamped 32-team version of the competition, and their second CWC title overall.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from MetLife Stadium.
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Robert Sanchez (5/10):
Saved by Cucurella's heroics midway through the first half, his blunder nearly led to a goal. Otherwise solid when tested.
Marc Cucurella (7/10):
Absolutely fantastic in defenxe for the Blues. Top, top defensive performance from the Spaniard, while providing the left flank with an outlet going forward.
Trevoh Chalobah (7/10):
Really solid all evening. The leaps and bounds he's made under Maresca since returning in January are clearly visible — a more than capable performance.
Tosin (8/10):
Rock-solid defensively, and incredible composed on the ball while playing out of the back. Was also a threat on set pieces.
Malo Gusto (8/10):
Strong overlap play all evening, with a commanding defensive performance as well. Perhaps his best showing of the tournament so far.
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Moises Caicedo (7/10):
Absolutely lights-out in his defensive role, letting very little by him in the middle of the park. A welcome return for Chelsea in the midfield following his suspension.
Enzo Fernandez (8/10):
Really solid in the centre of the park. Impressive forward progression, while being the tempo controller on both ends of the pitch. Great assist for Pedro's second.
Cole Palmer (8/10):
Top, top performance. It was a quiet evening for Palmer, but he pulled the strings in the final third and was the connector across the pitch. Great individual showing to benefit the team.
AFPAttack
Christopher Nkunku (6/10):
Relatively quiet evening in the attack, but his defensive workrate cannot go unnoticed. Crucial on the flank with overlap play alongside Gusto, while intertwining with Palmer centrally.
Joao Pedro (9/10):
An incredible way to mark his debut for the club. Fantastic performance, head to toe, scoring two thunderous efforts to lead the Blues into the final.
Neto (7/10):
Electric on the wing all afternoon. Was Chelsea's best attacker on the day in terms of forward progress, while being a menace in 1v1 situations.
AFPSubs & Manager
Nicolas Jackson (6/10):
Really lively cameo in his return to the squad following his red card suspension. Had a few bright moments on and off the ball after replacing Pedro.
Noni Madueke (6/10):
Introduced with 22 minutes to spare, he brought some attacking flair to the game, but didn't make much of an impact.
Reece James (6/10):
Brought off the bench after missing the quarter-final to injury, it was a welcomed return for the Blues captain.
Andrey Santos (N/A):
Introduced in the 86th minute.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (N/A):
Subbed on with minutes to spare.
Enzo Maresca (9/10):
His decision to start Joao Pedro was a bold one, but it absolutely paid off. A delightful showing from the Brazilian now has Chelsea final-bound. Maresca got the tactics right, and his front-four looked locked in from the opening whistle.
