After progressing to the knockout stages as Group F runners-up, Fluminense stunned Inter Milan in North Carolina to set up a tricky quarter-final tie with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.
Two tidy finishes from midfield duo Matheus Martinelli and Hércules ensured the Fluzão progressed to the semi-finals, as Al-Hilal’s impressive Club World Cup campaign came to an end at the Camping World Stadium.
The 2023 Copa Libertadores winners now make the 1,070-mile trip from Orlando to East Rutherford, as they return to the MetLife Stadium following two group stage appearances at the shared home of the NFL’s two New Jersey-based franchises.
Chelsea edged past Palmeiras in the early hours of Saturday morning, with Weverton’s own goal proving the difference between the two sides. Palmer’s stunning solo strike gave the Blues an early opener, but this was later cancelled out by Estêvão, who put on an impressive performance against his new employer ahead of his arrival at Stamford Bridge later this month.
As the match hurtled towards extra time, Palmeiras’ experienced stopper inadvertently turned home Malo Gusto’s deflected cross, handing Chelsea a crucial late advantage.
Having already clashed with Flamengo and Palmeiras, Enzo Maresca’s men face a third Brazilian opponent since landing in the States last month. Fluminense are yet to be beaten by a UEFA representative at the 2025 Club World Cup, having drawn with Borussia Dortmund before last Monday’s victory over the Nerazzurri.
DAZN will provide exclusive live coverage of Tuesday’s semi-final, with viewers able to tune in for free. The contest gets underway at 3.00pm local time, so UK audiences will be watching events unfold from 8.00pm (BST).
_______________________________________________
Sponsored:
FIFA Club World Cup - Every Game Free, exclusively on DAZN.
Sign up here to start streaming.
_______________________________________________
Fluminense vs. Chelsea – Key Information
Date: Tuesday 8th July
Kick-off time: 8.00pm
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (NJ)
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV channel/Live stream: DAZN (via television, website, or app)
Odds: Fluminense – 17/4, Draw – 27/10, Chelsea – 7/10
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Fluminense vs. Chelsea – Team News
With bookings from the group stage still carrying weight in the knockout rounds, both managers must labour the effects of missing two players through suspension.
Although Enzo Maresca has tried to use the depth and breadth of his colossal squad so far, he'll surely select his strongest XI as he seeks to secure a second piece of silverware in the space of six weeks. Meanwhile, Fluminense boss Renato Gaúcho will be hoping his player rotation system continues to thrive, after watching eight of his team’s goals come courtesy of seven different scorers.
Fluminense team news
Although clear of any major injury headaches, Gaúcho is unable to call on the services of two key contributors.
Having picked up yellow cards in the last sixteen and quarter-final stages of the competition, Argentinian defender Juan Pablo Freytes is unavailable for selection. Although a full-back by trade, Samuel Xavier Brito may have to deputise as an auxiliary centre-back in Freytes’ absence. Matheus Martinelli also misses out, after being cautioned against Borussia Dortmund and Al Hilal. His replacement is a little more straightforward, with fellow midfielder Hércules, who made a goalscoring impact from the bench in each of the two knockout rounds, expected to get the nod. Nevertheless, Freytes and Martinelli have started all five of Fluminense’s Club World Cup fixtures this summer, and therefore represent a significant loss. Renê returns from his automatic one-match ban.
Fortunately, influential captain Thiago Silva – who faces his former employers for the first time since leaving West London last summer to return to his boyhood club – is able to play despite sustaining a minor nose injury last week.
The 62-year-old tactician has deployed a back three of late, having favoured a defensive quartet throughout the group stage campaign. Continuing with three centre-backs enables Fluminense to bring an extra man into midfield, subsequently providing better protection against the persistent threats of Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández.
Fluminense predicted line-up vs. Chelsea (3-4-1-2)
Coach: Renato Gaúcho
Fábio (GK), Samuel Xavier Brito, Ignácio, Thiago Silva, Gabriel Fuentes, Hércules, Facundo Bernal, Nonato, Renê, Germán, Cano, Jhon Arias.
Chelsea team news
After both players were cautioned for the second time in the tournament during Chelsea’s quarter-final meeting with Palmeiras, centre-forward Liam Delap and central defender Levi Colwill must now serve a suspension.
Tosin Adarabioyo is likely to replace his English compatriot at the heart of the Blues’ back four, but it remains unclear who will lead the line. It seems as if Nicolas Jackson has dropped further down the pecking order following the arrival of João Pedro, as the Senegalese international continues to pay the price for his brief moment of madness on matchday two. Jackson returned to the fold after negotiating a two-game suspension, but watched on from the bench as debutant João Pedro entered the fray at his expense. The former Brighton attacker is therefore favourite to start on Tuesday evening.
There are no further updates on the fitness of Reece James, who missed out on the weekend after feeling some discomfort during the warm-up. Enzo Maresca confirmed Chelsea’s skipper was withdrawn from the starting XI as a precaution, the latest setback towards the end of yet another injury-plagued campaign. Roméo Lavia also wrestles with a slight niggle, having developed a muscle problem towards the end of the Benfica clash. This won’t cause too much disruption however, as Moisés Caicedo is ready to step into the breach following his recent suspension. Benoît Badiashile also incurred an injury against the Portuguese giants, but is unlikely to feature before the start of the new season.
Despite being unveiled as the latest Chelsea recruit over the weekend, Jamie Gittens will not be involved. The English Under-21 international is ineligible to play any further part at the Club World Cup, after appearing for former club Borussia Dortmund in their opening match against the West Londoners’ semi-final opponents.
Chelsea predicted line-up vs. Fluminense (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Enzo Maresca
Robert Sánchez (GK), Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Moisés Caicedo,
Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, João Pedro
Where to watch on TV
FIFA’s official broadcasting partner for the 2025 Club World Cup, the semi-final encounter between Fluminense and Chelsea will be DAZN’s 61st live fixture of this summer’s competition. It’s free to join DAZN, but fans can enjoy an enhanced viewing experience by taking out a monthly subscription. This option enables the viewer to access HDR Video and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound features.
The match is available to watch via the DAZN website and application, with coverage commencing at 7.00pm on Tuesday evening.
Form Guide and Head-to-Head record
After securing a hard-earned point against Dortmund, Fluminense battled back to record a convincing 4-2 victory over South Korean minnows Ulsan HD. Another goalless draw, this time against reigning South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, rounded off their group stage campaign. The Rio de Janeiro-based outfit are now unbeaten in eleven matches across all competitions, so Chelsea will have to be at their best to reach this weekend’s final.
Only eliminated duo Bayern Munich and Manchester City have found the net on more occasions than Chelsea this summer, who appear a rejuvenated outfit under the stewardship of Enzo Maresca. The Blues recovered from a disappointing 3-1 loss to Flamengo to cruise past Tunisian side Espérance Sportive, having already dispatched Los Angeles FC at a sparsely populated Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
These two opponents have never previously met, although both have reached the final of a Club World Cup within the last four years. Fluminense were soundly beaten 4-0 in 2023 by then Champions League holders Manchester City, almost two years after Chelsea clinched their first international crown following a 2-1 triumph over Palmeiras in the United Arab Emirates.
Betting Odds
Fancy a flutter on the big game? Here’s a selection of top tips from our betting experts:
After somewhat of a slow start in the States, Cole Palmer has rediscovered his best form in the knockout rounds. The talented Englishman set up Chelsea’s fourth goal in the Round of 16 meeting with Benfica, before breaking the deadlock at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday. Only Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy has had more attempts at this summer’s Club World Cup, with Palmer registering 16 shots in just four appearances.
Tip: Cole Palmer to score or assist: 4/6
Explanation: This bet will land if Chelsea’s Cole Palmer registers a goal or an assist during the match.
These two teams have received a combined total of 25 yellow cards in the tournament so far, hence the volume of suspensions each has had to manage. Fluminense have accrued eleven cautions in their last three matches alone, while five Chelsea players have found themselves in the referee’s notebook since the conclusion of the group phase. Nicolas Jackson put a fairly sizeable blemish on the Blues' disciplinary record during their defeat to Flamengo, having been given his marching orders for a reckless challenge on Brazilian full-back Lucas Ayrton within four minutes of being introduced as a second-half substitute.
After being booked on eleven occasions during the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, it was hardly surprising to see Moisés Caicedo receive a yellow card in two of his first three Club World Cup appearances. The Ecuadorian enforcer also has committed eight fouls, putting him amongst the top ten worst offenders in relation to this metric.
Tip: Moisés Caicedo to be booked: 3/1
Explanation: This bet will land if Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo is shown a yellow card during the match
Despite losing his place in the starting line-up for Flamengo’s last two fixtures, Hércules would make a decisive impact from the bench in both matches. After netting late on against Inter Milan, the 24-year-old fired an accurate drive beyond Al Hilal’s Yassine Bounou to secure his team’s safe passage through to the last four. On both occasions, the Brazilian maestro scored the last goal of the tie.
Tip: Hércules to be the last goalscorer: 20/1
Explanation: This bet will land if Fluminense’s Hércules scores the last goal of the game
Worth a punt?!
The Blues have benefited from five own goals during the current calendar year, the first time this has happened since 2018. You would have to go back a further five years to see the last time Chelsea were gifted six goals in a single year – could we see this long-standing record being matched on Tuesday evening?
At odds of 20/1 for either team to ‘score’ an own goal, this could be a novelty bet that pays dividends.
Explanation: This bet will land if either team registers an own goal during the match.
Match Result
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.