The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup semifinals begin Tuesday, with one of the favorites facing an impressive upstart as Chelsea takes on Brazilian side Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Chelsea has seen a lot of what the Brazilian top flight has to offer already at this Club World Cup. One of the group stage’s major upsets saw Flamengo claim a 3-1 win over the Blues in Group D, leaving Chelsea in second place. Since then, Chelsea has been grinding it out, needing extra time to dispatch Benfica and a late own goal to knock off Palmeiras, another of Brazil’s four representatives in the tournament.
Fluminense had a quieter path through the group stage, with a win over Ulsan HD and two scoreless draws enough to seal second place in Group F. It’s in the knockout stage where they’ve made their big splash, shocking Inter Milan 2-0 in the round of 16 before ending Al-Hilal’s run with a 2-1 win in the quarterfinal round.
Here’s what to know ahead of this Club World Cup semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense, including kickoff time and how to watch:
Chelsea vs. Fluminense halftime stats
- Shots: Chelsea 7, Fluminense 3
- Shots on goal: Chelsea 3, Fluminense 1
- Possession: Chelsea 55%, Fluminense 45%
- Fouls: Chelsea 7, Fluminense 4
Halftime: Chelsea 1, Fluminense 0
It hasn’t been a free-flowing half necessarily, but this has been an intriguing half at MetLife Stadium. João Pedro’s goal is the difference, but Fluminense is hardly being run off the field. The Brazilian side has steadily grown into the game, with a penalty kick call in their favor being overturned by VAR and several other dangerous moments.
That said, Chelsea has been very threatening on the counter-attack even as Fluminense starts to take more risks going forward.
Chelsea vs. Fluminense: Call seems to have sparked Fluminense
The defense-first version of Fluminense has gone on the shelf here in the final few minutes of the first half, with the Brazilians putting Chelsea on the back foot.
However, it has only resulted in danger rather than true chances, and a stoppage-time turnover at midfield gave Pedro Neto the most threatening opening in these final minutes. However, the counter for Chelsea was foiled by a familiar face: Thiago Silva, who spent four seasons with the Blues before moving back to his native Brazil last year.
Chelsea vs. Fluminense: VAR calls penalty back
Letexier took about 30 seconds to examine the play, and his decision is to reverse the call. No penalty kick for Fluminense.
Fluminense’s bench can’t believe it, but we continue on in the 38th minute with Chelsea ahead.
Penalty! Fluminense gets golden chance
Referee François Letexier has pointed to the spot after a cross into the box struck Trevoh Chalobah’s left hand.
Replays show the contact is clear, but we’re in a VAR check over whether this call should stand.
Fluminense shot cleared off the line by Chelsea
We just saw Fluminense’s first serious attack of the entire game, and the Brazilian club was inches from equalizing.
In the end, Marc Cucurella slid in to hack the ball from essentially on the goal line, with referee François Letexier not signaling for a goal. Fluminense had profited from an awkward bounce to set the chance up, with Hércules beating goalkeeper Robert Sánchez only for Cucurella to just barely clear the chance.
Goal Chelsea! Incredible strike for João Pedro
Chelsea has the breakthrough in the 18th minute, and it took a spectacular strike from João Pedro — a product of Fluminense’s academy system! — to do it.
Pedro Neto drove at Fluminense’s back line to spark the attack, but his cross didn’t find a target. However, Fluminense’s clearance was right at João Pedro, a new signing who likely only got the start due to Liam Delap’s suspension for yellow card accumulation.
João Pedro made the choice from Enzo Maresca look like a bit of genius though, curling home a 24-yard shot that will surely end up on the tournament highlight reel.
Chelsea hoarding possession early vs. Fluminense
There isn’t much in the way of actual chances yet, but the dynamic of this game is clear: Chelsea is going to keep plenty of possession, while Fluminense’s supposed 3-5-2 formation has in reality played as a very deep 5-4-1. Fluminense is packing the box with defenders, dropping off and trying to preserve their legs.
Club World Cup: Chelsea vs. Fluminense kicks off!
We’re off and running, with Chelsea in white and Fluminense in its familiar mix of maroon, green, and white.
Chelsea vs. Fluminense: Teams take the pitch
We’re through the laborious introduction process FIFA has adopted for the Club World Cup, with all 22 starters being shouted out. Once stadium operations removes the giant banners on the field, this game will be kicking off.
Chelsea vs. Fluminense: Heat could impact game
A summer heat wave has hit the East Coast, and that figures to make this Club World Cup semifinal a seriously draining experience.
Per
Yahoo Sports
reporting from MetLife Stadium, it’s currently 94 degrees and “feels even hotter.” The sun is blazing as well, with heavy thunderstorms a serious threat if this game goes to extra time.
The
National Weather Service
has issued a heat advisory for the region running until 8 p.m. ET. That might favor Fluminense, given the Brazilian side’s more extensive experience playing in this kind of heat.
Club World Cup: Fluminense starting lineup
Club World Cup: Chelsea starting lineup
What time is Chelsea vs. Fluminense?
Tuesday’s
Club World Cup
semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense kicks off at
3 p.m. ET
.
How to watch Chelsea vs. Fluminense: TV channel, live stream
- TV channel: TNT/truTV
- Live stream: DAZN
Chelsea vs. Fluminense odds
To win (regular time):
- Chelsea -150
- Fluminense +450
- Draw +270
To advance:
- Chelsea -325
- Fluminense +240
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca sounds off on Club World Cup
Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca remains one of the Club World Cup’s harshest critics, despite his team reaching the semi-finals, and continued a stream of complaints about everything from the weather to the scheduling ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Fluminense.
The Italian has repeatedly complained about the heat, the calendar and the toll on his players’ fitness at the tournament, while also criticising FIFA for the weather delay that interrupted his team’s round-of-16 clash against Benfica for nearly two hours. Ahead of the semi-final against Fluminense, the Chelsea boss refused to accept that his Premier League side were favourites, instead arguing that the tournament calendar unfairly benefited South American teams.
Maresca said the South American sides had arrived with fresh legs in midseason while the Europeans were exhausted at the end of a long campaign.
“It is not that we don’t see this tournament as important, it’s that teams have arrived in two completely different situations and realities. How many games have the Brazilian team played in their current season? We have played 63 games,” Maresca told a press conference.
– Reuters
Chelsea boss praises Brazilian clubs at Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised Brazilian football quality ahead of facing his third Brazilian opponents, after Chelsea lost 3-1 to Flamengo in the group stage and beat Palmeiras 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
“The quality from Brazilian players is probably the top, is the best quality,” he said, while again highlighting the conditioning gap between fresh South American sides and exhausted Europeans.
“There are two things that for me are very clear in the two games that we face (against) Brazilian teams. One is the quality but at the same time it is very clear the energy that they have, for different reasons, and we don’t. Top quality and also defensively, they were very good. So it will be a tough game.”
– Reuters
