Fluminense 0–2 Chelsea Player Ratings: Joao Pedro Rated 8.5/10 as Chelsea East Past Fluminense to Reach FIFA Club World Cup Final

Fluminense locked horns with Chelsea for the Semi-Final clash of the Club World Cup under the blazing sunshine of the MetLife Stadium on 8th July 2025 at 19:00 GMT. Fulminense vs Chelsea was the topic of debate all around the globe as a spot in the Final was at stake, and after a thrilling encounter, Chelsea emerged victorious 0-2 in the FIFA Club World Cup match.

Chelsea initiated the proceedings, and the game was quite monotonous in the early minutes. The Premier League giants made some attempts to attack, and Fluminense were happy to stay at back and defend the attacking initiatives. In the 18th minute, Pedro Neto made a run from the left after winning the ball in the midfield. He later made a cross inside the box, which was poorly cleared by Thiago Silva. The ball went straight to Joao Pedro, who took a blinder from outside the box to provide Chelsea the lead. Hercules came so close to scoring after beating the keeper, but Cucurella was like a rock to defend the ball goal line. In the 36th minute, Chalobah got his hands on the ball while defending. The referee immediately pointed towards the penalty spot, and after some deliberations and a VAR check, it was reversed as the hand was in a normal position. Apart from these, there were not many key events in the first half.

During the second half of the Chelsea vs Fluminense clash, Joao Pedro once again found the back of the net, doubling the lead for Chelsea. Enzo Fernandez won the ball in the midfield and provided a through pass to the right flank. After some moves, the ball reached the player who ultimately took a powerful shot to hit the crossbar and find the back of the net, sealing the victory for Chelsea and earning a spot in the final, where either PSG or Real Madrid awaits them.

Here are the Fluminense vs Chelsea Player Ratings:

Fluminense Player Ratings

Here are the Fluminense Player Ratings from the Fluminense vs Chelsea Club World Cup match:

Goalkeeper

Fabio - 6.5/10

The opponents kept piling pressure on the backline and whenever the situation became dangerous, Fabio took the initiative to punch away the balls and clear away the danger. Was merely a spectator during the Joao Pedro goals and had pretty much nothing to do to prevent either goal. Wherever the keeper could have done something, he gave his heart and soul to block the attempts.

Defenders

Ignacio - 6.5/10

Ignacio put his body in front of the ball when the opponents created trouble for his team inside the box. He was in the right place at the right time to support his team. Tightly marked Pedro Neto and to an extent, was able to restrict his moves.

Thiago Silva - 7/10

Silva, one of the most experienced players on the field, made a clearance off a cross from the flank. However, it went straight to Pedro, who scored a curler to provide the opponents the opener. In the second half, the player rose up to the situation with vigour and was seen making some blocks and clearances.

Thiago Santos - 6/10

Linked up with Silva and drove the ball forward towards the attacking half. However, while considering offensively and defensively, though the player was present in either scenarios, his performance was under par and for this reason he was subbed off in the 54th minute.

Midfielders

Guga - 6/10

Guga was remarkable in the midfield from the very first minute. Made some promising runs from everywhere only to disappoint in the final third. Was seen dribbling past Enzo from the centre and moving towards the wings to cross the ball inside the box. However, it was the end results that mattered and Guga failed to provide that.

Hercules - 6/10

Hercules had a pretty significant role in covering Pedro Neto and preventing him from infiltrating the attacking third. In the 26th minute, the player beat Robert Sanchez to the ball and poked it towards the goal, only to be saved by Cucurella on goal line. Had he taken a much powerful shot, the whole scenario would have been different.

Facundo Bernal - 6.5/10

Bernal probably displayed one of the best performances for his team in the midfield in our Fluminense Player Ratings. Was seen everywhere in the midfield, covering almost every blade of grass. Won duels, made interceptions and had a pretty decent day. However, at the end of the day, individual performance doesn't win you matches.

Nonato - 6/10

Nonato was positioned well in the midfield and made himself available for the team wherever required. Was equally good in making contributions to the attack and the defence. However, a yellow card accumulated in the match restricted his play and the player was subbed off.

Rene - 6.5/10

Rene, though a midfielder, was seen most of the time in the fullback area and for this reason he had a pretty huge chunk of share in keeping Nkunku silent. Had a very good number of tackles and interceptions and won 7 out of the 9 duels involved in.

Forward

Jhon Arias - 6/10

Made an early impact in the game by making some runs and displaying his moves in the attacking half. Arias provided some solid crosses inside the box for which even the opponent strikers had to retreat back to defend.

German Cano - 7/10

Cano was probably one of the finest players for Fluminense during the first half. Won most of the duels he was involved in, had a great passing accuracy, made some interceptions and provided some key passes. However, the striker was more or less seen in the midfield than in the attacking third and was subbed off just minutes after the break.

Substitutes

Everaldo - 6/10

The substitute, in his very first touch probably had one of the best chance for Fluminense till then. Made a speedy run through the flanks and cracked in some shots.

Keno - 6/10

Yeferson Soteldo - 6.5/10

Agustin Canobbio - 6/10

Lima - 6/10

Manager

Renato Portaluppi - 6/10

The Fluminense manager did his best; however, the team was completely dominated by the opponents. Somewhere in the lines, it felt like the team lacked confidence after the opponents score,d and there was minimal intent. The gaffer can be proud for his achievement and keep his head held high.

Chelsea Player Ratings

Here are the Chelsea Player Ratings from the Fluminense vs Chelsea FC match:

Goalkeeper

Robert Sanchez - /10

Sanchez had to be questioned as there were some issues seen in his decision-making. One such incident led to Hercules taking a shot on target, where the keeper was lucky enough that Cucurella made the goal-line save.

Defenders

Marc Cucurella - 8/10

Cucurella was a key player in the defensive third, as he was the first to block the opponents' attempts to cross the ball from the flanks. Made a stunning goal-line save in the 26th minute to deny the opponents from finding the equaliser. Had a solid day excelling everywhere involved in.

Tosin Adarabioyo - 7/10

The player was seen contributing to attacks during the set pieces and attempted some headers. Though most of them went wide, it definitely provided momentum for Chelsea to continue their attack. Kept his eyes on the ball during opponent attacks and defended efficiently.

Trevoh Chalobah - 7/10

Chalobah, in the 36th minute, in an attempt to defend, accidentally got his hands on way. Though it was called a penalty, the decision was revoked by the referee after the VAR check, accounting to the natural position. The centre back had almost a perfect passing accuracy and overall had a great day in the office.

Malo Gusto - 7/10

Gusto had marked his presence both in the attack and the defence. Cleared away most of the Fluminense attacking initiatives and took some shots towards the goal. Apart from the previous match where he was a bit shaky, the player gave his best and brought the best possible result.

Midfielders

Enzo Fernandez - 7/10

Enzo Fernandez was way below the expectations in our Chelsea Player Ratings during the first half. He was involved in around half a dozen duels and he just won one. Moreover, he was properly shadowed by the opponents and his moves were timely stopped. Provided a through ball from the midfield, which paved way for the second goal.

Moises Caicedo - 6.5/10

The return of Moises Caicedo turned pivotal for Chelsea. The player had a key role not only in retaining possession but winning it back in the midfield. Made some long-range attempts, but it went flying over the bar. Was hard to escape in the midfield, and had an exceptional word done.

Christopher Nkunku - 6.5/10

Made some half-decent attempts towards the goal, but most of them lacked power and direction. While some of the shots went off target, some hit the opponents and were deflected. He was seen making some dribbles in the right wing, but the lack of support meant that the player was a bit less impactful.

Cole Palmer - 7/10

Took some beautiful free kicks and provided some dangerous crosses inside the box to mount pressure on the opponents right from the beginning. Later, the player was pretty average and was unable to win duels and maintain a good track in the match. However, once Neto and Pedro were subbed off, Palmer displayed a much better performance.

Pedro Neto - 7/10

Neto was in the form of his life. Although he did not manage to find the back of the net, he excelled in the match. Made some key passes and dribbles to add up the work of the opponents. He was subject to some tight marking by the opponents, where he prevailed most of the time. Attempted a cross in the 18th minute, which laid the foundation for the opener.

Forward

Joao Pedro - 8.5/10

Pedro won the ball from 20 yards off a poorly cleared cross and curled in an absolute beauty to the right corner to open the accounts for the Fluminense vs Chelsea clash. The player was seen contributing to the defence, heading away the dangerous crosses made by Jhon under pressure. In the second half, after a brilliant breakthrough from the midfield, he scored the second goal for his team, doubling the delight. Just some seconds later, the player was subbed off probably as a precautionary measure.

Substitutes

Nicolas Jackson - 6/10

Recee James - 6.5/10

Noni Madueke - 6.2/10

Andrey Santos - NA

Dewsbury-Hall - NA

Manager

Enzo Maresca - 7/10

As usual, Enzo Maresca had his strategies, deployed them properly and found the win for his team in ease. The gaffer has one hands on the trophy. Have to stay humble and work for the FIFA Club World Cup final.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Joao Pedro