Joao Pedro Shines On First Start As Chelsea Defeat Fluminense To Reach Club World Cup Final

New signing Joao Pedro struck twice on his first Chelsea start to fire the Blues into the Club World Cup final with a 2-0 win over Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium.

The Brazilian forward opened the scoring with a clinical finish in the 18th minute of the semi-final clash and added a second just before the hour mark, setting up a final showdown with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

Pedro, 23, joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion last week in a deal reportedly worth $79 million. He cut short his holiday to feature off the bench in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras, and was handed his full debut in place of the suspended Liam Delap.

Facing his boyhood club, Pedro chose not to celebrate either goal out of respect. He made 36 senior appearances for Fluminense before moving to England with Watford in 2020.

The defeat ends a memorable run for Fluminense, who had stunned Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, edged Inter Milan in the round of 16, and knocked out Al-Hilal—the team that had eliminated Manchester City—in the quarter-finals.

Their exit also ends any hope of a South American champion at the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup, while Chelsea secured back-to-back wins over Brazilian opposition to book a spot in the final.

As widely expected, the title will be contested between two European giants, with both finalists among the last five winners of the UEFA Champions League.

“It is a great achievement. It has been a fantastic season – top four in the league, winning the Conference League, and now reaching the final of this competition. We are so, so happy,” said Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca.

“Now finally, it’s the last game of the season, and hopefully we can win the tournament.”

Fluminense manager Renato Portaluppi had described his side as the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to their smaller budget compared to the other semi-finalists. His team, led by 40-year-old captain and former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, ultimately fell short.

“This was a wonderful Club World Cup,” said Portaluppi. “There is no crying over spilled milk now. We wanted to get to the final for our fans, but we leave with our heads held high and return to our reality stronger than before.”