Club World Cup: Inzaghi Out, Maresca In. Chelsea and Fluminense Reach Semifinals

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Palmeiras and Al Hilal Eliminated – Minute of Silence Honors Diogo Jota Before Quarterfinals

The 2025 Club World Cup heats up as Chelsea and Fluminense secure their spots in the semifinals. Emotions ran high before the quarterfinals, with a touching moment of silence held in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, observed with particular emotion by Portugal internationals Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo.

Palmeiras 1-2 Chelsea

In Philadelphia, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea punched their ticket to the semifinals with a dramatic 2-1 win over Palmeiras. A strong start saw Cole Palmer open the scoring in the 16th minute, slotting home with composure after a clever assist from Trevoh Chalobah. The Blues dominated the first half but couldn’t extend their lead, with Christopher Nkunku missing a great chance.

Palmeiras came out energized after the break and equalized in the 53rd minute thanks to a moment of brilliance from Estevao, who beat Levi Colwill and fired into the top corner from a tight angle. The game opened up with end-to-end action, but Maresca’s substitutions—especially Joao Pedro and Noni Madueke—sparked Chelsea again.

The winner came in the 83rd minute through a chaotic own goal: Malo Gusto’s long-range strike deflected off Agustin Giay, then off keeper Weverton, and into the net.

“It was a tough but deserved victory,” Maresca said postgame. “We managed the match well and responded with character after the equalizer. Now we look forward to a huge semifinal.”

Match Summary: Palmeiras 1-2 Chelsea
Scorers: 16’ Palmer (CHE), 53’ Estevao (PAL), 83’ Weverton (OG – CHE)
Palmeiras (4-2-3-1): Weverton; Giay, Micael, Bruno Fuchs, Vanderlan; Rios (85′ Veiga), Martinez (75′ Moreno); Estevao, Facundo Torres (66′ Paulinho), Allan (66′ Mauricio); Vitor Roque (75′ Flaco). Coach: Ferreira
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos (91′ Essugo); Palmer, Nkunku (54′ Madueke), Pedro Neto (85′ Dewsbury-Hall); Delap (54′ Joao Pedro). Coach: Maresca
Yellow cards: Delap, Malo Gusto, Colwill (Chelsea)
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)

Fluminense 2-1 Al Hilal

In Orlando, Fluminense continued their dream run with a 2-1 victory over Al Hilal, sending Simone Inzaghi’s side packing after a tight, emotional contest. Following a slow start, the match burst into life in the 40th minute when Martinelli rifled home a left-footed strike from the edge of the box, capitalizing on a costly error by Cancelo.

Al Hilal nearly responded before halftime through Kalidou Koulibaly and had a penalty revoked by VAR during stoppage time. They did equalize early in the second half, with Marcos Leonardo tapping in his fourth goal of the tournament after Koulibaly’s headed assist from a Ruben Neves corner.

But it was Hercules—hero of the Round of 16 against Inter—who made the difference again. In the 70th minute, he won possession, combined with Xavier, and curled a low shot past Yassine Bounou to restore Fluminense’s lead.

Despite a late push from the Saudis, including several key saves by veteran goalkeeper Fabio, the Brazilians held on.

“We’ve had an amazing tournament—well beyond expectations,” said Inzaghi afterward. “It was a balanced match decided by a single moment. We’re proud of how we represented our country.”

Match Summary: Fluminense 2-1 Al Hilal
Scorers: 40’ Martinelli (FLU), 51’ Marcos Leonardo (HIL), 70’ Hercules (FLU)
Fluminense (3-5-2): Fabio; Ignacio, Thiago Silva, Freytes; Xavier (82’ Guga), Bernal (87’ Thiago Santos), Martinelli (45’ Hercules), Nonato (67’ Lima), Fuentes; Arias, Cano (67’ Everaldo)
Al Hilal (3-5-2): Bounou; Koulibaly, Neves, Lodi; Cancelo (90’ Al-Yami), Milinkovic-Savic, Kanno (74’ Hamdallah), Nasser (83’ Kaio), Moteb (83’ Al-Bulayhi); Malcom (90’ Musab), Marcos Leonardo
Yellow cards: Milinkovic-Savic, Lodi, Inzaghi, Neves, Koulibaly (Al Hilal); Freytes, Martinelli, Thiago Silva (Fluminense)
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

📅 Club World Cup 2025 – Quarterfinal Results