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.”
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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.
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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.
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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?’”
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
Penalty for Fluminense!
35 min: The cross comes in from the left. The ball hits Chalobah on his left hand. His arms hanging loose … but a wee bit away from his body. Not sure this will be overturned … clear and obvious error, and all that … though you never know …
34 min: Arias and Guga combine cutely down the inside-right channel. Guga wins a corner off Palmer … even though the ball came back off the flying Flu wing-back. The set piece is only half cleared by Chelsea, and Arias crosses deep for Ignacio at the far post. Pedro flicks a header clear, just in time, but then concedes a free kick just outside the box on the left, undoing all of his good defensive work. And from the free kick …
32 min: All a bit scrappy as the teams attempt to get back up to speed.
30 min: Bevvies quaffed, play restarts.
28 min: Time for a cooling break. The swilling of cold beverages, and damp towels atop the noggin.
26 min: Hercules one-twos with Cano down the inside-left channel, and bursts into the box. Sanchez hesitates then eventually comes off his line but doesn’t make his presence felt. Hercules nutmegs the keeper and towards the unguarded net … only for the covering Cucurella to hook off the line just in time! Another nanosecond or two and that ball was over and in. Wonderful football all round (except the goalkeeping).
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24 min: Fernandez sprays a diagonal pass towards Gusto on the right. Gusto crosses but Nkunku can’t control on the edge of the box. The Brazilians clear their lines, but Flu are hanging on a bit here.
22 min: Neto really looks in the mood. Again he tries to reach a flick down the left flank, and is blocked fairly obviously by Guga. But the referee waves play on.
21 min: Neto causes trouble again down the left. This time his cross isn’t blocked. Gusto, barging in from the right, powers a header towards the bottom right. Fabio is lucky he’s in exactly the right spot, because a little bit either side of the keeper, and that’s in. But Fabio gathers with safe hands. So close to a quickfire one-two.
19 min: That’s a goal for João Pedro on his full debut for Chelsea. He doesn’t celebrate it, on account of having played for Fluminense at the start of his career. In fact he’s almost apologetic. What a start to his Chelsea career, though!
GOAL! Fluminense 0-1 Chelsea (Pedro 18)
Neto makes good down the left. His cross is half-cleared. The ball drops to Pedro, who takes a touch to the left of the D and curls an unstoppable shot into the top right. Fabio had no chance!
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17 min: Fernandez curls it into the box, as much as he can from a fairly central position. Tosin flicks a header wide left of the goal. He’s offside anyway. The Flu defence caught most of the Chelsea side offside there.
16 min: Neto drops a shoulder and tries to take on Hercules down the left. Hercules is not to be moved. But Chelsea come again, this time through Nkunku down the inside-right channel, and is brazenly blocked by Santos. Another challenge that could easily have been a yellow card, but is just a free kick slightly right of centre.
15 min: Chelsea may be on top, but it’s the Fluminense fans who are making the most noise.
13 min: Tosin looks long for that man Fernandez, who breaks clear of the Flu back line down the left, but only because he’s offside. Chelsea on top now.
12 min: Caicedo robs Cano in the centre circle, and sets Chelsea on a speedy attack. Nkunku crosses low from the right. Fernandez, who hasn’t been afraid to get forward during these early exchanges, tries to sweep into the bottom right but his effort is blocked.
10 min: Palmer takes up a deep position on the right before whipping a gorgeous ball into the mixer. Fabio elects to punch rather than catch, under pressure from Fernandez. He connects well, and deals with the situation. That was a very dangerous ball in from Palmer.
9 min: Now it’s Flu’s turn to test the referee’s patience, Nonato sticking out a cynical leg to trip an in-flight Neto. Again, the official keeps his cards in his pocket. Expect this game to get a bit tasty if both teams keep trying it on like this.
7 min: Fernandez comes sliding in on Cano, studs showing, nearly scissoring his opponent. You know what, if this was a garden-variety fixture, or if we were 60 minutes into the game, Fernandez could have been in serious trouble there. Certainly a yellow, maybe a red. Probably one of those oranges. As it is, the referee makes do with a lecture. Fernadez wags his finger at Cano, which registers a full 11 on our patented Chutzpah-o-Meter™.
5 min: Rene diddles Nkunku with a lovely spin out on the left touchline, then Guga probes down the right flank. Both of Flu’s wing-backs showing promise early.
3 min: Rene makes his presence felt down the left and loops long. Cano slices a wild effort miles left of target. Rene tries to resurrect the move but Gusto deals with the situation. Flu clearly trying to hit Chelsea early, the tactic that did for Inter.
2 min: Chelsea pop it around the back for a bit. A low-key start. Fluminense get irritated and Arias clanks into Cucurella from behind, just to let him know he’s there.
An ostentatious none-more-USA cry of “Let’s get ready to rumble!” and then – ding, ding, seconds out – Chelsea get the ball rolling for the first round half. “Fifa and the Trump administration have announced today that His MAGAsty the King of Queens will be in attendance here in the MetLife for Sunday’s final,” reports Justin Kavanagh. “Given the mob that follows him around when he golfs (always winningly, because, well, he’s their king), that should boost the attendance level to a somewhat respectable level. Signore Infantino will be happy.”
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The teams come out, one by one. Fluminense in their famous maroon and green, Chelsea in a white effort that by all accounts has been designed to pay tribute to the famous 1950s side of Puskas, Hidegkuti, Kocsis, etc. (They’ve done this already, back in 1974, under orders from then-boss Dave Sexton.) We’ll be off in a minute!
Enzo Maresca speaks to DAZN. “We are very happy to be here … we have one more step to reach the final … that is the target in this moment …. Joao Pedro has quality against a low block … whenever [Moisés Caicedo] is on the pitch we are a better team … [Fluminense] have lots of quality and energy … it will be for sure another tough game.”
PRE-MATCH POSTBAG: Fifa-Fuelled Fume special!!! “If there was any question about whether this tournament has been packaged specifically for European consumption, then scheduling the semi-finals at 3pm local time on workdays should pretty much clear that up” – Joe Pearson (gratefully retired)
“Hi from MetLife. I had to give up on public transit and share an Uber (which, even split three ways, was more than any of us paid for a ticket) to the stadium today. This is what you get when the tristate area’s premier venue caters to the suburbs where cars reign. Anyway, I’ve lived here for 17 years, I’m sure it’s going to be very easy for all the out-of-towners to figure it out for next year’s World Cup! You know what does have ample (and easy) public transport? Fifa’s new offices at our Dear Leader™️’s tower in Midtown. At least Infantino can get to work, if not a game” – Gerry, Queens NYC
The yellow-card situation ahead of the final. There isn’t one. Fifa have wiped the slate clean after the quarters, so the only way a player will miss the final should their team get there is if they manage to get themselves sent off today. Your best behaviour, gentlemen, please.
Chelsea make three changes to their starting XI after the 2-1 quarter-final win over Palmeiras. Tosin Adarabioyo, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro, the latter making his first start for his new club, replace the absent Levi Colwill, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos.
Fluminense make four changes following their 2-1 victory in the quarters over Al-Hilal. Guga, Renê, Hércules and Thiago Santos come in for Samuel Xavier and Gabriel Fuentes, who drop to the bench, and the absent Juan Freytes and Matheus Martinelli. Thiago Silva – who won this competition for Chelsea in 2021 – plays against his old pals.
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The teams
Fluminense: Fabio, Santos, Silva, Ignacio, Guga, Rene, Hercules, Nonato, Bernal, Cano, Arias.
Subs: Vitor Eudes, Manoel, Samuel Xavier, Fuentes, Ganso, Soteldo, Lima, Lezcano, Isaac, Everaldo, Keno, Canobbio, Serna, Lavega, Paulo Baya.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Cucurella, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Caicedo, Palmer, Nkunku, Joao Pedro.
Subs: Slonina, Jorgensen, Penders, James, Sarr, Anselmino, Acheampong, Dewsbury-Hall, Santos, Madueke, Jackson, Guiu, George.
Referee: Francois Letexier (France).
Preamble
Brazil’s clubs went into this competition with a damn sight more enthusiasm than most of the lads from Europe. And now Fluminense, having already seen off the Champions League runners-up Internazionale and Real Madrid-bothering Saudi outfit Al-Hilal, are two matches away from becoming the first Brazilian team to win this tournament since 2012 when Corinthians beat … of course they did … Chelsea. The Blues meanwhile have warmed to this new version of the Club World Cup step by step, and now they’re just two games away from their second world title in four years and an eleventy-squillion pound jackpot. Which – yeah, yeah – may not sound quite so romantic as Fluminense’s bid to win their first world title, striking a blow for their country, their continent, their federation and the whole southern hemisphere. But with glory now within touching distance, Chelsea and their fans are beginning to dream too. Note to enjoyment police: it’s allowed. Kick-off in East Rutherford, New Jersey is at 8pm UK time, 3pm local. It’s on!
