Two teams — Chelsea and Fluminense — have officially secured their places in the semifinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, following thrilling quarterfinal matches in the United States on Friday and early Saturday.
A minute’s silence was held before kickoff in memory of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who tragically died in a car accident in Spain.
🟡 Fluminense 2–1 Al Hilal: Hercules Seals It Late
- 40’ – Matheus Martinelli (Fluminense) opened the scoring with a fine left-foot finish.
- 51’ – Marcos Leonardo (Al Hilal) equalized with a clinical strike.
- 70’ – Hercules (Fluminense) came off the bench to net the winner, sending the Brazilian side into the semifinals before a crowd of 43,091.
🔵 Chelsea 2–1 Palmeiras: Own Goal Sends Blues Through
- 20’ – Cole Palmer (Chelsea) gave the Premier League side the lead.
- 53’ – Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), Chelsea-bound, scored a stunning goal to level the game.
- 89’ – Weverton (Palmeiras) scored an unfortunate own goal, handing Chelsea the win.
The match echoed the result of the 2022 Club World Cup final, where Chelsea also defeated Palmeiras.
🗓️ Upcoming Semifinal Fixture:
- 🆚 Chelsea vs Fluminense
- 📅 Tuesday, July 8
- 📍 United States
Chelsea’s road to the semifinal has featured an all-Brazilian opposition lineup, with Fluminense becoming their third Brazilian opponent in this year’s tournament.
🔜 Still to Play (Later Today):
- 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
- 🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
These two remaining quarterfinals will determine the final pair of semifinalists.
