New york city: English side Chelsea will face Brazil’s Fluminense on Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in New York City in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, currently taking place in the United States.
According to Qatar News Agency, both teams are vying for a spot in the final of the tournament, which has featured intense and thrilling matches throughout the previous rounds. Chelsea enter the clash aiming to maintain their strong momentum and secure a place in the final, with hopes of lifting the title to cap off their successful run since the end of last season. The London club have won eight of their last ten matches, claimed the UEFA Conference League title, finished fourth in the Premier League, and secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
The Blues reached the semi-finals after defeating Los Angeles FC and Tunisia’s Esp©rance Sportive de Tunis in earlier rounds. However, they suffered a surprising group-stage loss to Flamengo of Brazil, before bouncing back with hard-fought victories over Portugal’s Benfica and Palmeiras, another Brazilian side. Chelsea now hope to overcome Fluminense and advance to the final, where they will meet the winner of the highly anticipated clash between Spain’s Real Madrid and France’s Paris Saint-Germain, scheduled to take place at the same venue on Wednesday.
On the other side, Fluminense are looking to pull off another upset despite dealing with injuries to key players, a contrast to Chelsea’s deep and star-studded squad. The Brazilian side, known for its solid defensive organization and tactical discipline under the leadership of veteran defender Thiago Silva, continues to pursue victories with determination. Fluminense qualified for the Club World Cup as champions of the 2023 Copa Libertadores. However, they spent much of last season battling relegation in the Brazilian league. Currently, after 11 rounds of the domestic season, they sit sixth in the standings.
Despite being underdogs in their Round of 16 match against UEFA Champions League runners-up Inter Milan, Fluminense secured a 2-0 win. They were also not favored against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, who had impressed with a dramatic 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City. Nevertheless, Fluminense displayed defensive resilience and clinical finishing to book their place in the semi-finals. Tuesday’s semi-final promises to be a tightly contested encounter as both teams aim for a coveted spot in the final of the prestigious global competition.