East Rutherford, July 9(HS): Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Fluminense to advance to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 finals, thanks to two goals from Brazilian striker João Pedro. The match took place at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. João Pedro, who recently transferred from Brighton for £60 million, marked his first start for Chelsea with both goals, scoring in the 18th and 56th minutes. Notably, he began his career at Fluminense and did not celebrate his goals, raising his hands in apology to his former fans.

Chelsea’s triumph continues their successful campaign against Brazilian teams, marking their second consecutive victory over such clubs. Fluminense’s impressive run, which included eliminating Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, and Al-Hilal in earlier rounds, came to an end against Chelsea’s dominant performance in front of 70,556 spectators.

Key highlights included João Pedro’s first goal, which came from a cleared ball intercepted by him, leading to a strike into the corner of the goal. Despite a penalty appeal from Fluminense that was overturned after a VAR review, they struggled to match Chelsea’s strength. João Pedro’s second goal followed a strategic offensive play, solidifying Chelsea’s place in the finals against either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar