Chelsea booked their place in the final of the Club World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Brazilian side Fluminense, thanks to a clinical brace from new signing João Pedro.
The 23-year-old forward, making his full debut for the Blues against the club he supported as a boy, opened the scoring in the 18th minute. His curling finish followed a defensive lapse from former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, who failed to clear Pedro Neto’s low cross.
João Pedro doubled the lead just before the hour mark, smashing a powerful effort in off the bar in the 56th minute to seal Chelsea’s place in Sunday’s final. The goals will go some way to repaying the £55 million fee paid to Brighton for the Brazilian just last week.
The win adds a further £22 million to Chelsea’s earnings from the competition, taking their total to £82 million so far. That figure could rise to nearly £100 million should they go on to lift the trophy.
Christopher Nkunku had several opportunities to extend Chelsea’s lead, while Marc Cucurella made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Fluminense’s Hercules. Substitute Everaldo also came close for the Brazilian side, but was denied by a strong save.
Fluminense were left frustrated after French referee François Letexier overturned a first-half penalty decision against Trevoh Chalobah following a VAR review for handball. But Chelsea always looked in control after taking the lead in front of a near-capacity crowd at the MetLife Stadium, which sweltered in 35°C heat.
The only concern for Chelsea was a potential injury to midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who appeared to twist his ankle in stoppage time and limped off the pitch before the final whistle.
João Pedro was named official man of the match, but winger Pedro Neto also impressed and is a strong contender for player of the tournament. Enzo Fernández and Cucurella also put in assured performances, while Nkunku produced arguably his best showing of 2025 to date, despite continued speculation over his future at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will now face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final at the same venue. Fluminense, meanwhile, will return to domestic duties with upcoming fixtures against Mirassol and Cruzeiro.
With hard work in testing conditions paying off handsomely, Chelsea’s American adventure could yet end with silverware—and a windfall approaching nine figures.