Chelsea booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup with a hard-fought win over Benfica, and Todd Boehly will be feeling the benefits more than most at the club.
Enzo Maresca’s side were forced to dig deep after a goalless first half, however Reece James‘ sensational free-kick gave them the lead in the second half.
What followed was a two-hour delay due to adverse weather conditions, and Benfica were able to level proceedings in added time through an Angel Di Maria penalty.
However, Christopher Nkunku, who many believe is set to leave the club, smashed home from close range to send the players and coaches wild in extra time, before Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealed it late.
Maresca has tried to rotate where he can in this competition, given the fact that the Blues are battling the elements off the back of a gruelling domestic campaign.
Chelsea players celebrate with Reece James after his goal during the Club World Cup fixture vs Benfica
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea earn £9.6m in Club World Cup prize money with win over Benfica
Before facing Benfica, Chelsea had already earned £29.5m from the competition as a result of advancing through the group stages and winning two of their games.
This figure has now been added too, and as per the official FIFA website, they have earned another £9.6m by setting up a quarter-final tie with Palmeiras.
Wonderkid and future Chelsea star Estevao Willian is set to face the side who he will be playing for next season, as he gets his first chance to properly show what he can do to Blues supporters.
Enzo Fernandez enters the field for the second half of Benfica SL v Chelsea FC: Round Of 16 - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Photo by Steph Chambers – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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Chelsea’s latest Club World Cup prize money can pay key player’s wages
Chelsea’s opening win of the competition had already earned them enough to pay Andrey Santos’ wages for 100 weeks. The Brazilian is proving a popular player amongst Blues fans already.
However, the latest injection of cash will actually provide enough to cover the wages of one of their key players.
According to Spotrac, Enzo Fernandez earns a salary of £9.3m per season, less than the amount Chelsea have received for their win against the Portuguese opposition.
Victory over Palmeiras in the next round will see them bank another £15.3m, and potentially set the club up for an even more prolific summer window.