Chelsea face Fluminense in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in New York on Tuesday, with a place in next weekend's final against Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain at stake - not to mention a potential £97m jackpot
Malo Gusto and Cole Palmer of Chelsea FC celebrate their sides second goal in the win over Palmeiras
Malo Gusto and Cole Palmer of Chelsea FC celebrate their sides second goal in the win over Palmeiras
(Image: 2025 FIFA)
Malo Gusto says Chelsea’s players are convinced they can rule the world. France defender Gusto says mentality is Chelsea's biggest strength in the Club World Cup and the whole dressing room believes they can win the trophy.
Chelsea are big favourites to beat Fluminense in the semi final in New York on Tuesday and then they will be just 90 minutes away from winning a £97m jackpot in prize money. Gusto says they have overcome the challenges of bad pitches, scorching temperatures and humid conditions and now they believe they have the strength to go all the way.
Chelsea full back Gusto said: “I think mentality is the key, 100 per cent. We know the weather is tough, the pitch too, all the teams are very good, many things are around the game and we have to deal with it.
“That’s why this competition is so hard to play and that’s why we are so happy to get this far.
“I think if we can overcome those hurdles we can do anything and that’s why we must believe in ourselves, give our best and see what goes after.
“During this competition, our mental strength has been the most important thing. That’s why we are in the semi final because we’ve shown that on the pitch during all the games that we have had.
“Now it is not enough, we still have a semi final to play, we have a chance of the trophy and that’s what we must try to do.”
Gusto has overcome his own challenges this season after being substituted at half time in the Europa Conference League final before Chelsea went on to win the trophy. Chelsea are facing their third Brazilian team in this tournament and if they win they will face either Paris Saint Germain or Real Madrid in the final.
Gusto added: “The chance in football that you have is that we have a lot of games and even when one game is bad, the next can be good and the most important is to deal with that. You have to stay focused, stay strong in your mind and try to get better game by game. That’s what I always try to do
“You expect games to be tough, the Brazilian teams have been very good in this competition and now we have another one in the semi final so we have to be well prepared again.”
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