Chelsea are two games away from Club World Cup glory, but a stubborn Fluminense side are aiming to reach the tournament’s showpiece event at their expense in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Despite tasting defeat to Flamengo in the group stage, Chelsea found themselves on the kinder side of the knockout stage draw and have taken full advantage so far. However, they’ve been made to work incredibly hard to reach the last four.
Extra time was needed to down Benfica before they struck in the final ten minutes to defeat Palmeiras 2–1 in the “Estêvão Willian Derby.”
The Blues’ summer travails are boosting their finances hugely, but they’ve also shown throughout the competition that this is a trophy they desperately want to get their hands on.
Fluminense have embarked on a stunning journey to the final four, with Manchester City slayers Al Hilal the latest to succumb to the Brazilian outfit’s resilience and slick work in attacking transition. Led by the timeless Thiago Silva in defence, Flu have already beaten Inter in the knockouts having dominated Borussia Dortmund in a stalemate on Matchday 1.
Chelsea will have to be at their best to advance.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to this Club World Cup semifinal.
What Time Does Fluminense vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
- Location: East Rutherford, United States
- Stadium: MetLife Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, 8 July
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / noon PT / 8 p.m. BST
- Referee: Francois Letexier (FRA)
Fluminense vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record
This is the first competitive fixture between Fluminense and Chelsea.
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Fluminense vs. Chelsea on TV, Live Stream
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Fluminense Team News
Renato Gaúcho has a couple of notable absentees for the semifinal through suspension.
Juan Pablo Freytes has had an excellent tournament alongside Silva in defence, but he picked up his second booking of the tournament in the quarterfinals. Goalscoring midfielder Matheus Martinelli is also suspended, so there may be a spot in the starting lineup for Hércules, who has netted off the bench in both of Fluminense’s knockout stage victories.
Former Chelsea defender Silva will start in the middle of Gaúcho’s back three, but Colombian international Jhon Arias is the man the Blues will aim to contain on Tuesday. Arias has operated as Flu’s driving force on the counter-attack.
Fluminense Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Fluminense predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-5-2): Fábio; Ignacio, Silva, Fuentes; Xavier, Hércules, Bernal, Nonato, Rene; Arias, Cano
Chelsea Team News
Maresca has experimented with his starting lineup throughout the tournament, and he’ll be forced into more changes for Tuesday’s semifinal.
Chelsea are without suspended duo Levi Colwill and Liam Delap, but Moisés Caicedo is available again and will come back into the Blues’ midfield.
Benoît Badiashile and Roméo Lavia were absent against Palmeiras through injury, while captain Reece James also missed the quarterfinal after picking up a knock in the warm-up. James should be fit enough to feature at MetLife.
Nicolas Jackson will be expected to replace the suspended Delap up top, but new arrival João Pedro produced a tidy cameo on debut and could earn his first start for the club here.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Fluminense
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Fluminense (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Palmer, Pedro, Neto; Jackson
Fluminense vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Given that they entered the tournament with relatively tempered expectations, Fluminense have been the story of the 2025 Club World Cup. They were fighting against relegation last year, and now they can taste global conquest.
Gaúcho’s side are here on merit. According to Opta, only Paris Saint-Germain have surrendered less xG per 90 minutes than the Brazilians this summer. 40-year-old Silva has been sensational, and Chelsea will have to breach their imperious former star to advance.
The Blues haven‘t exactly dazzled this summer, but they’ve continued to find a way. Flu are without a couple of key faces on Tuesday, and while Chelsea also have suspensions to deal with, the theme of them doing just enough could continue.
Prediction: Fluminense 0–1 Chelsea
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fluminense vs. Chelsea: Club World Cup Semifinal Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
