Enzo Maresca’s side face Brazilian opposition with a place in the Club World Cup final on the line in New Jersey
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Chelsea take on Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup tonight, with Enzo Maresca’s side hoping to take advantage of a golden opportunity to reach the new tournament’s final.
The Blues beat Palmeiras 2-1 in the last round to earn their place in the final four, and though they’ve been lucky enough to avoid the big European sides in their route to the final, they’ll need no reminder of the threat from Brazilian sides after the loss to Flamengo in the group stages.
In fact, Fluminense will almost certainly present a serious threat to Chelsea, having showcased their ability when beating Inter Milan and Al-Hilal on their route to the semis.
And so it is crunch time for the Blues, as Maresca’s young side look to answer the questions posed of them by booking a final against either PSG or Real Madrid.
Follow the latest team news and updates from the MetLife Stadium below:
Fluminense vs Chelsea LIVE
Chelsea face Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, with kick-off at 8pm BST | Live on DAZN
Blues won 2-1 against Palmeiras to earn semi-final spot, while Fluminense beat Al-Hilal
Winner will face either Real Madrid or PSG in the final on Sunday, 13 July
Good evening
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s Club World Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense.
The Blues meet the Brazilian giants in New Jersey for a place in the final of the first edition of the new Club World Cup competition, with both sides desperate for a place in the showpiece game for their own different reasons.
Chelsea are looking to prove doubters wrong while the Brazilians are looking to deliver on some early promise with a famous night for both their fans and Brazilian football as a whole.
It’s set to be a cracker at the MetLife, and we’ll have all the build-up and match updates here.
Chris Wilson8 July 2025 17:59
Fluminense vs Chelsea LIVE
Chelsea take on Brazilian side Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Tuesday night, with the Blues facing a golden chance to make it to the final of the new competition.
Chelsea have managed to avoid facing any of the big European sides so far in the knockout stages, though they had to battle through against tough South American opposition in the 2-1 win over Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.
And they face a Fluminense side who shocked Inter Milan in the round of 16 before beating Al-Hilal 2-1 to secure their semi-final spot.
Enzo Maresca’s side will be wary of the threat from Brazilian teams – having lost 3-1 to Flamengo in the groups – but the Blues will enter the match as favourites to set up a huge final against either PSG or Real Madrid.
Chris Wilson8 July 2025 18:05
When is Fluminense vs Chelsea?
Fluminense will face Chelsea at 8pm BST on Tuesday, 8 July (3pm local time). The match will take place at the MetLife Stadium – home of the New York Giants and New York Jets – in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The stadium will also host the other semi-final, between Real Madrid and PSG, as well as the final on Sunday, 13 July.
Chris Wilson8 July 2025 18:12
How to watch the Club World Cup
DAZN will show each match of the tournament live, including the final, for free in the UK.
All users can watch a live stream on television and mobile devices by signing up for the company’s DAZN Freemium service, with the option to watch ad-free coverage for £14.99. Users can watch DAZN from anywhere by using the DAZN App on TVs, smartphones and any device with a web browser.
Chris Wilson8 July 2025 18:17
Club World Cup results
A reminder of the quarter-final results in the Club World Cup:
Friday 4 July
Match 57: Palmeiras 1-2 Chelsea
Match 58: Fluminense 2-1 Al-Hilal
Saturday 5 July
Match 59: PSG 2-0 Bayern Munich
Match 60: Real Madrid 3-2 Borussia Dortmund
Chris Wilson8 July 2025 18:23
European football’s superiority complex and Fluminense’s mission to destroy it
Fluminense are the “ugly duckling” of the Club World Cup. That’s the words of their own manager, Renato Gaucho. Yet here they are, potentially 90 minutes away from a shot at becoming, by definition, world champions.
Akin to their entire campaign, they enter their semi-final clash with Chelsea as heavy underdogs. Fluminense might have already dispatched Champions League runners up Inter Milan, but the prevailing perception that lightning can’t strike twice has many quickly writing them off. It’s this European superiority complex that could prove the demise of the Blues, because Fluminense have beaten far tougher odds to get to this stage.
European football’s superiority complex and Fluminense’s mission to destroy it
Brazilian underdogs Fluminense are just 90 minutes away from a Club World Cup final
Chris Wilson8 July 2025 18:35