João Pedro, Chelsea’s star player, eliminates Fluminense in the Club World Cup

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey – João Pedro shone with two crucial goals, securing the victory for Chelsea and their place in the Club World Cup final. The match, marked by emotion, pitted the Brazilian striker against his former club, Fluminense, at MetLife Stadium. The 23-year-old young attacker, who joined Chelsea six days ago from Brighton & Hove Albion, proved his worth with two spectacular goals. The first came in the 18th minute, and the second at the beginning of the second half, sealing his team’s 2-0 victory. Despite the euphoria, Pedro maintained a discreet celebration after each goal, showing respect for the club that formed him. His teammates surrounded him, but he barely managed a smile after the second goal.

They [Fluminense] gave me everything. They showed me to the world. If I am here, it is because they believed in me. I am very grateful, but this is football, I have to be professional. I feel sorry for them, but I have to do my job.

João Pedro

Pedro, who made his debut with Chelsea in the quarter-final victory against Palmeiras, where he played after only a couple of training sessions, started four days later.

In televised statements, Pedro commented: “Today I think that, being a starter, I had more time to do my job and I had to score. The team won, the team played well and that is important”. Chelsea, looking to strengthen their attack, signed Pedro a month after signing Liam Delap. In the final, Chelsea will face the winner of the semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. The decisive match will be played on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Enzo Maresca’s team will seek to continue their success, after a 2024-25 season in which Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League.