The Brazilian, who started his career with Fluminense before moving to Britain, scored with a brilliant finish from outside the area in the first half and then calmed his celebration against his former club. That finish was followed by a thumping second-half goal to secure a final against Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.

Joao Pedro's first start for Chelsea was a memorable one, as the newly signed $75-million striker scored both goals and the Blues beat Fluminense 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2025 Club World Cup

Fluminense has been the biggest surprise at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup . In a tournament that featured several European powers like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, it was easy to assume Fluminense was there as a make-weight.