4 hours ago
9
ARTICLE AD BOX
Joao Pedro hits a brace connected debut against erstwhile nine Fluminense to nonstop Chelsea into FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final.
England’s Chelsea defeated Fluminense of Brazil 2-0 to scope the final of the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup, with Blues debutant Joao Pedro netting doubly against his boyhood club.
The Brazilian forward, who was astatine Fluminense from property 10 until leaving for Watford successful 2020, curled his caller nine successful beforehand astatine MetLife Stadium connected Tuesday from the near broadside of the container successful the 18th minute.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Londoners from Brighton for $81.5m past week, sealed the triumph successful the drilled effort that went successful disconnected the underside of the barroom aboriginal successful the 2nd half.
The Blues volition look the victor of Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain, who play successful the 2nd semifinal connected Wednesday.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro scores their archetypal extremity past Fluminense’s Fabio [Mike Segar/Reuters]Temperatures were soaring successful New Jersey, which volition signifier adjacent summer’s FIFA 2026 World Cup, up of the 3pm kickoff.
A assemblage of 70,556, which was lone 10-15 percent abbreviated of capacity, attended the game, contempt the 34 degrees Celsius (93F) astatine kickoff, with humidity that made it consciousness similar 40C (104F).
FIFA had, however, chopped summons prices from $473.90 to $13.40 past week.
It did not instrumentality agelong for the enactment connected the tract to scope likewise heated levels soon aft Pedro’s opener, erstwhile Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah handled successful his ain area.
Video Referee Assistant (VAR) intervened, and the archetypal awarding of the punishment was overturned. Fluminense were incensed, but Chalobah’s limb was successful a earthy presumption by his side.
Fluminense’s champion opening came moments earlier, erstwhile Marc Cucurella was forced to wide Hercules’s changeable disconnected the enactment successful the 27th minute.
Former Chelsea defender Tiago Silva, who appeared 113 times for Brazil, lined up against his erstwhile nine since departing the London nine past October.
The 40-year-old was acold busier than his erstwhile teammates successful their antiaircraft lines, with his keeper, Fabio, drawn into a fig of saves.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro scores their 2nd extremity [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]There was small the oldest subordinate successful the tournament, astatine 44, could bash astir either of Pedro’s strikes, the 2nd a superb decorativeness pursuing a counterattack aboriginal successful the 56th minute. Cole Palmer acceptable the determination successful question by dribbling past 3 players earlier laying disconnected for Enzo Fernandez, who successful crook laid connected to Pedro.
Much similar his archetypal goal, wherever helium took 2 steps to commencement to celebrate, past stopped and clasped his hands, Pedro showed respect to his erstwhile nine by muting his effect to some strikes.
Chelsea volition present question to unafraid a 2nd FIFA Club World Cup, pursuing their 2021 victory.
European teams volition triumph their 12th consecutive Club World Cup title, and 17th successful 18 tries, the lone objection a 2012 triumph by Brazil’s Corinthians implicit Chelsea.
The London-based nine has earned $88.4m to $103.8m for reaching the final, the magnitude depending connected a information interest FIFA has not disclosed.
Source:
Al Jazeera and quality agencies
English (US) ·