The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is underway, and the first semi-final sees England's Chelsea take on Brazil's Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The match kicks off at 3pm local time (19:00 GMT). The winner of this match will advance to the final on Sunday, July 13, against the winner of Wednesday's semi-final between Spain's Real Madrid and France's Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea reached the semi-final after a narrow 2-1 victory over another Brazilian side, Palmeiras. Fluminense edged past Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal to secure their spot in the final four.
Chelsea's Enzo Maresca has stated that his team are not the favorites to win the Club World Cup, despite being potentially 90 minutes away from the final. He acknowledged the high caliber of opponents still in the competition.
For Fluminense, Renato Gaucho has made four changes to the team that defeated Al-Hilal. Rene returns to the side following a suspension, and Guga, Thiago Santos, and Hercules also join the starting eleven.
The atmosphere at MetLife Stadium is expected to be lively, with Fluminense fans creating a cracking atmosphere. However, the weather conditions are brutal, with temperatures reaching 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celcius).
Team Lineups The confirmed lineups are as follows: * Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Nkunku, Joao Pedro. * Fluminense XI: Fabio (goalkeeper), Thiago Silva (captain), Ignacio da Silva Oliveira, Facundo Bernal, Rene, German Cano, Nonato, Jhon Arias, Guga, Thiago Santos, Hercules.
Chelsea will be without Liam Delap and Levi Colwill for the semi-final clash due to suspension. Joao Pedro makes his first start for Chelsea after his £60m move from Brighton.
This match marks Chelsea's third encounter with a Brazilian team in this year's tournament. They lost to Flamengo in the group stage but managed a 2-1 victory against Palmeiras in the quarter-finals. Fluminense is known for their strong defense, boasting the second-tightest defense in the competition.
The winner of the Club World Cup will be entitled to wear a 'Champions of the World' shirt badge for the next four years.
