The 2025 Club World Cup delivered more thrills on Day 8. The spotlight belongs to Inter, who earned their first victory of the tournament (and the Chivu era) with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Urawa Red Diamonds, thanks to goals from Lautaro Martinez and Valentin Carboni. Borussia Dortmund edged Mamelodi Sundowns in a wild game, while Fluminense confirmed the fine form of Brazilian sides with a comeback win over Ulsan Hyundai. The much-anticipated clash between River Plate and Monterrey ended goalless, meaning qualification in Group E will now go down to the wire.
Day 8 Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Mamelodi – Borussia Dortmund | 3-4 |
| Inter – Urawa Red Diamonds | 2-1 |
| Fluminense – Ulsan Hyundai | 4-2 |
| River Plate – Monterrey | 0-0 |
Inter 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds: Comeback Win Sealed by Carboni and Lautaro
Inter won — and impressed — but the three points that could prove decisive in Group E came only at the death. Against a compact and determined Urawa Red Diamonds side, the Nerazzurri had to fight until the 92nd minute to clinch the win and take the top spot in the group. The winning goal came from Valentin Carboni, returning after eight months out through injury — a reward for perseverance and commitment, as he said post-match.
“I’ve suffered so much over these months. This goal is for me, my girlfriend, and my family. We deserved this win,” said an emotional Carboni.
Inter started the match with plenty of possession but lacked bite. Their disciplined opponents took advantage of a defensive lapse in the 11th minute to go ahead through Watanabe, assisted by Kaneko. The Nerazzurri responded only in the second half, after Lautaro had struck the crossbar in the first. It was the captain himself who equalized in the 78th with a brilliant volley from a corner.
“We have to be humble and ready to suffer. These matches require heart and hard work. We did a good job but still have to grow,” Lautaro explained after the game.
In stoppage time, following relentless Inter pressure, a deflection in the box set up Carboni for the 2-1 winner. Euphoria for Inter, and Cristian Chivu celebrated his first — and crucial — win as Nerazzurri head coach.
“I’m proud of the boys. They gave everything until the end. We showed energy, ambition, and heart,” said the coach.
Match Sheet
INTER–URAWA RED DIAMONDS 2-1
Scorers: 11′ Watanabe (U), 78′ Lautaro (I), 92′ V. Carboni (I)
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto (72′ Bastoni); Luis Henrique (85′ Sucic), Barella, Asllani (72′ Carboni), Zalewski (46′ Mkhitaryan), Dimarco; Lautaro, S. Esposito (46′ F. Esposito). Coach: Chivu
Urawa (4-2-3-1): Nishikawa; Ishihara, Boza, Hoibraaten, Naganuma (87′ Ogiwara); Gustafson (87′ Haraguchi), Yasui; Kaneko (65′ Sekine), Savio (79′ Thiago), Watanabe; Matsuo (79′ Matsumoto). Coach: Skorza
Referee: Beida
Yellow cards: Nishikawa, Sekine, Thiago (U)
Mamelodi 3-4 Borussia Dortmund: Goals Galore as the Black and Yellows Near the Last 16
Fireworks in Cincinnati, where Borussia Dortmund beat Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3 in a rollercoaster match that looked wrapped up by halftime but exploded into life after the break. After Lucas Ribeiro’s opener for the South Africans, the Germans turned the game around with goals from Nmecha, Guirassy, and Bellingham. A Mudau own goal made it 4-1 early in the second half, but Mamelodi didn’t give up. Goals from Rayners and Mothiba brought them within one by the 90th minute. In the seven minutes of added time, Dortmund had to hang on but ultimately secured a golden three points to top Group F.
Fluminense 4-2 Ulsan Hyundai: Brazilian Comeback Sends Koreans Home
Another entertaining match saw Fluminense come from behind to defeat Ulsan. Arias opened the scoring with a beautiful free kick, but Lee Jin-Hyun and Eom Won-Sang turned things around for the Koreans before halftime. In the second half, though, Nonato leveled with a shot from the edge of the box, Freytes put the Brazilians ahead from close range, and Keno sealed it with a header in the 91st minute. Fluminense now shares the lead with Dortmund and will battle Mamelodi for the top spot.
River Plate 0-0 Monterrey: Stalemate Keeps Group E Wide Open
In the other Group E match, River Plate and Monterrey cancelled each other out. The match was marked by missed chances: Canales had a left-footed effort denied by Armani, while Mastantuono and Martinez Quarta couldn’t find the breakthrough. Castano’s stoppage-time red card further complicates River’s plans ahead of their decisive clash with Inter. Monterrey will now play eliminated Urawa in a last-ditch bid to qualify.
Club World Cup Standings
Group D
| Team | Points | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluminense | 4 | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 4 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 0 | 4 | 7 | -3 |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 0 | 3 | 6 | -3 |
Group E
| Team | Points | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter | 4 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| River Plate | 4 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Monterrey | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 0 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
All will be decided on the final matchday. Inter faces River Plate in a head-to-head showdown for a place in the Round of 16 — a test that will demand the best version of the Nerazzurri against a solid opponent and with everything still to play for.
