Key events
Jacob Steinberg was at MetLife Stadium this afternoon. His report has landed, and here it is. Congratulations to Chelsea, commiserations to Fluminense, and thanks to you, dear reader, for joining us on the MBM. See you tomorrow to see whether it’s Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid who the Blues will meet in Sunday’s final.
João Pedro, the man of the match and formerly of Flu, speaks to DAZN. “It was a dream first start … it could not be better … now we need to think about the final … I am very happy today … I am happy to score my first goal [for Chelsea] but also I know this tournament is also very important for [Fluminense] … I can just say sorry but I have to be professional … I play for Chelsea and they pay me to score goals … I had to score … I had more time to do my stuff … the team played well and that’s important … now I need to rest and focus on the final … it will be a very important game … it would be my first title … very special … now we need to move forward … the group is very good, they help me a lot, I am comfortable here.”
DAZN ask Enzo Maresca what pleased him the most. “Everything … it’s a great achievement … a fantastic season … top four in the League … the Conference League … now we’re in the final in this competition … we are so, so, so happy … we know how good [Joao Pedro] is … it’s fantastic … we go game by game … now it’s finally the last game of the season … hopefully we can win the tournament … I told [Moises Caicedo] he has to do anything to be in the pitch on Sunday so we will see … [PSG and Real Madrid] are both are top teams … one won the Champions League this season, the other last season … they are top but we are proud and happy to be there!”
Post-match entertainment. What was that Flu fans Elis and Tom were singing again?
♬ A stick, a stone
The end of the road …
It’s the end of the slope …
The end of the line
The dismay in the face
It’s a loss, it’s a find …
The end of the tale …
The end of the run …
(Ba ba-da-ba, etc.) ♪♬
João Pedro, signed by Chelsea six days ago, has fired his new club into the final with two pearlers into the top-right corner of the net from the edge of the box! Having started his career with the Brazilian club, he’s not of a mind to celebrate the final whistle too wildly, and offers his opponents heartfelt commiserations. But once he’s on his own with his new team-mates later, he’ll be celebrating big-time no doubt. Because what goals! What a way to announce yourself on your full debut! And what a deserved win for Chelsea, because they were the better team from beginning to end, save a short burst of Fluminense resistance towards the end of the first half, which saw a Herculean effort cleared off the line by Marc Cucurella, and a dubiously awarded penalty for a Trevoh Chalobah handball overturned. Chelsea have basically swanned into the final, in which they’ll face either PSG or Real Madrid on Sunday. As for Flu, once the pain of defeat subsides, they’ll reflect on a campaign which took them further than expected, and with which they’ve upheld Brazilian pride.
FULL TIME: Fluminense 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea have made it to the final of the 2025 Club World Cup!
90 min +10: Lima is the latest Flu player to flash a long-distance shot towards the top-right corner. Miles over.
90 min +9: … although having said all that, he doesn’t look too concerned as he tells his coach how he feels. Fingers crossed for Chelsea there’s nothing in this.
90 min +8: Hmm, so much for that big sigh of relief. Caicedo goes down again, and though he gets back up and wanders off, this is a slight worry for Chelsea with the final coming up.
90 min +7: A cross into the Chelsea box from the right. Everaldo attempts an overhead kick. He shins it over the bar.
90 min +6: Caicedo waits on the touchline. He wants back on. And here he comes, trotting gingerly at first but then picking up a bit of speed. Chelsea breathe a big sigh of relief.
90 min +5: He might have turned his ankle. That’s what the medical staff are looking at, anyway. Happily for Chelsea, Caicedo is able to get up and walk off without too much of a hobble … but a hobble nonetheless. With only a minute or two left on the clock, he might not come back on.
90 min +4: Caicedo stretches for a loose ball and catches his studs in the turf. He goes down immediately, with a yelp. On comes the physio.
90 min +3: Soteldo, who has been lively since coming on, crosses from the right for Keno, who eyebrows harmlessly wide left from six yards. Chance.
90 min +2: Canobbio has a whack from distance, towards the bottom right, but it’s easy pickings for Sanchez. “Sigh. This result is just going to encourage the Giannis. Infantino, and Terry.” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the cooling beverages.
90 min +1: The first of six added minutes passes by.
90 min: Cucurella wins another challenge in the centre circle and sends Palmer flying down the middle. Palmer opens his body and tries to pass into the bottom left, but his shot is blocked.
89 min: Canobbio clips Santos from behind. There’s not much in it, but Santos makes a meal of it in the time-management style. The clock continues to tick on.
88 min: Chelsea seem happy enough to sit back and hold their shape. Flu are struggling to move them about. There’s no way through. The clock ticks on.
86 min: Dewsbury-Hall and Santos come on for Nkunku and Fernandez.
85 min: The corner’s hit long by Soteldo. For the first time tonight, Chelsea look a bit nervous at the back. Silva heads goalwards. He hits his own man Ignacio. Chelsea benefit from a hand-ball call, even though Silva’s headed into his mate’s chest.
84 min: Soteldo dribbles crisply down the right and stands one up for Everaldo that Tosin is forced to turn behind for a corner. Soteldo sends the set piece in himself. Chalobah half clears. The ball’s worked to the other flank, where Arias wins another corner. Flu need to score here surely.
83 min: Chelsea play it out from the back, through the Flu press. Nkunku enters the box from the right but can’t hook goalwards. Chelsea hunting in packs, looking for the third goal that would totally put this game to bed.
81 min: Jackson steals the ball off Arias on the left-hand corner of the Flu penalty box. He advances on goal, and tries to beat Fabio at the near post. Side netting. Palmer, clear in the middle, waiting for a square ball to tap in, kicks the post in frustration before telling his team-mate exactly how he sees it. Palmer is fuming. Smoke pouring from the lugs. Not so cold right now.
79 min: Arias has been very quiet tonight. He tries a quick one-two with Rene down the inside-left channel but James is wise to what’s going on and intercepts.
78 min: The game restarts. Chelsea so close to the final. It’s now or never for Fluminense.
76 min: Cooling break! Get your ice-cold bevvies over here!
75 min: Cucurella steals the ball in the midfield and reaches the edge of the box on the left. He crosses, hoping to find Madueke in the middle, but Silva gets in the road to flick clear. Big gaps at the back for Flu now, as they chase the game. No point in going back home wondering.
73 min: … and so here’s a yellow for Sanchez, who takes his sweet time over a restart.
72 min: Cucurella grapples Soteldo from behind and is given a slap in the mouth for his trouble. Soteldo goes into the book. The referee finally warming up that yellow card.
71 min: The new boys combine. Canobbio swerves his way down the right and from the byline cuts back for Lima, who goes for the top right – hey, it’s worked for Chelsea – but sends his shot high and wide.
70 min: Another double Flu change. Canobbio and Lima come on for Bernal and Hercules.
68 min: Chelsea are making changes with the final in mind. Neto and Gusto make way for Madueke and club-captain James. “My excitement at an excellent João Pedro debut is somewhat tempered by the fear that Maresca will have coached all the fun out of him by Christmas,” writes Nathan Brown, staring into his half-empty glass. “‘Yes, you could have lashed one in off the bar there. But what if you turned back and recycled the ball instead?’”
67 min: Now it’s Gusto’s time to go for the top-right corner. He sends a dipping shot inches wide of the post. Had that been on target, Fabio wasn’t getting there.
66 min: Fluminense make another swap, replacing the booked Nonato with Soteldo.
65 min: Chelsea are getting closer and closer to a third. Palmer sashays down the right and switches play for Nkunku, who is denied by Silva’s block on the line. “Though Elis Regina’s most closely connected with Fluminense, she grew up a fan of Grêmio,” explains Kári Tulinius. “However, after moving to Rio de Janeiro, she fell in with a group of Fluminense supporters and became a fixture in the crowd at games. However, later in life, after moving to São Paulo, she started supporting Corinthians. But Fluminense fans will always have her song Bom Tempo, where she sings about her love for the team.”
63 min: Nkunku tries for a third Chelsea goal into the top-right corner. His effort is deflected wide of the post for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
62 min: Keno drives down the left before flaying a speculative shot wide left of goal. Up the other end, Jackson attempts to make his presence felt immediately, but skittles Ignacio as he chases a long pass down the left.
60 min: The two-goal hero Joao Pedro has done his job, and makes way for Jackson.
58 min: Nonato, full of frustration, barges Pedro in the small of his back. He’s finally forced the referee to draw his yellow card from his pocket.
GOAL! Fluminense 0-2 Chelsea (Pedro 56)
Keno has a scuffed shot blocked on the edge of the box. Chelsea go straight up the other end, and double their lead! The new boy Pedro, previously of Flu, drives down the inside-left channel, released by Fernandez, cuts infield, opens his body, and sends a rising rocket towards the top right, off the underside of the bar, and in! He apologises to his old club again. What a full debut this is! Two pearlers!
55 min: Flu make a double change, replacing Santos and Cano with Everaldo and Keno. And Everaldo is immediately into the thick of the action, driving down the left and stinging Sanchez’s palms with a low drive. The keeper parries.
53 min: … and Cucurella kind-of proves that point by advancing down the left and flashing a low diagonal drive inches wide of the right-hand stick.
52 min: Chelsea continue to probe. Flu hold their shape. For now. But not sure the Brazilians can keep doing this for too long.
50 min: Some head tennis in the Flu box forces Guga to knock behind for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece but Chelsea have been on the front foot since the restart.
49 min: A little bit of space for Palmer down the left flank. He cuts back to Caicedo, who larrups a speculative effort halfway to NYC. Fabio had it covered.
47 min: Chelsea start the half with some sterile domination.
Fluminense get the second half started. Their captain Thiago Silva, erstwhile of Chelsea, spent the time after the half-time whistle, and the time before the second-half restart, in deep conversation with referee Francois Letexier, no doubt regarding the overturned penalty. Anyway, off we go. No changes.
Half-time entertainment. Turns out both Elis and Tom were Flu fans.
HALF TIME: Fluminense 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea deserve their lead; they’ve been much the better side. And yet Fluminense have had an effort cleared off the line, and a penalty overturned. So while Chelsea have one foot in Sunday’s final against either PSG or Real Madrid, this is far from done and dusted. More soon!
45 min +4: Cano spins Caicedo in the centre circle and is hauled back by the Chelsea man. Again, no card. This referee is well laissez-faire. When play restarts, Ignacio tries to beat Sanchez from just inside the Chelsea half. Nope!
45 min +2: Neto’s corner comes in from the left. Tosin flicks on to Nkunku, who flaps a weak header wide right. A good chance.
45 min +1: Fernandez flicks Neto into acres of space down the left. But Neto hesitates a little upon entering the box, and a combination of Ignacio and Silva blocks the path to goal. Neto is forced to settle for a corner he’ll take himself.
45 min: Guga whips a low cross in from the right. Hercules traps, eight yards out, but can’t adjust his body to get a shot away, and Cucurella steals off with the ball. A close call for Chelsea there. Five additional first-half minutes coming up.
43 min: A bit of space for Pedro down the right. But he’s offside. Eventually the flag goes up. Everyone seems to be waiting for the whistle to end the first half, because naff all else is going on.
41 min: Neto picks the sprawling Guga’s pocket and sashays down the left with great elegance, winning a corner. Neto takes it himself, and Fabio claims it confidently.
39 min: That’s a big decision, and probably the judgement that should have been made in the first instance. But given the referee had made his on-field decision with great certainty, it’s a wee bit surprising he’s overturned it, because you could at least make a reasonable case for Chalobah’s arm being too far from his torso. You can see why Flu are fuming, but Chelsea won’t care, and nor should they. The baroque logic of VAR, there, for your leisure and pleasure.
Fluminense penalty overturned!
37 min: It’s decided Chalobah’s arm was in “a natural position” after all! Chelsea celebrate, Flu frown, and play will restart with a drop ball. Chelsea clear it.
36 min: However, the VAR ushers the referee over to the monitor. Was Chalobah trying to draw his arm back into his body? Maybe this will be overturned after all!
