Chelsea forward Pedro Neto hopes to win the Club World Cup in memory of his Portugal team-mate Diogo Jota, after the Liverpool player and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash last week.
Neto, a stand-out performer for Enzo Maresca’s side at the tournament in the US, starred again as the Blues beat Brazilian outfit Fluminense to reach Sunday’s final.
Before Chelsea’s quarter-final match against Palmeiras, which took place just days after Jota and Silva’s traffic accident in Spain, Neto held a jersey with the names Diogo and Andre as both sides observed a moment of silence in tribute to the two football players.
After the semi-final on Tuesday, the 25-year-old said he wants to “dedicate” the final to Jota and his family in a show of support “in these difficult times for them”.
“It's been really difficult in the last few days and I just want to leave a message that this final is for him and his brother," Neto said.
"It's a really tough time for me, it's difficult to speak about it and let's hope I can do it for him.”
Should Chelsea emerge victorious from their weekend match-up against either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain, Neto would hoist his second trophy in his debut season with the London club after winning the 2024-25 Conference League.
Alongside close friend and former Wolves team-mate Jota, he was also in the Portugal side that triumphed in the UEFA Nations League final last month.
Starting on the left of Chelsea’s front three against Fluminense in New York, it was Neto’s blocked cross that led to a superb early opener from new Blues signing Joao Pedro.
Of the Brazilian forward, who also scored his side’s second of the match on his full debut - against his first professional club - after completing his £60m move from Brighton & Hove Albion just last week, Neto said: "Joao is such a good player. He is really good, really dangerous and we are very happy to have him."
Though the match, played in sweltering heat, was Chelsea’s 63rd of a season that began last August, the Portuguese remained optimistic of finishing the campaign on a high.
“The weather is the same for all the teams,” Neto added. “We are ready to play and we will give everything to win the competition.
"I think the results speak for themselves and show how hard we've been working. We've improved a lot and we all think there is more to come from this team. We hope to finish in the best way."
