2025 FIFA Club World Cup Roundup, Semi-finals
The semi-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have wrapped up, showcasing thrilling matches, remarkable player displays, and surprising results. Below is the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup roundup for this round of games.
Fluminense 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea became the first team to reach the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) after defeating Fluminense 2-0 at MetLife Stadium, marking the end of South American teams in the tournament. Fluminense struggled to respond after Chelsea scored in the 18th minute when João Pedro, making his first start for the Blues, skillfully curled a shot past Fábio into the net. In the second half, Chelsea continued to seek a second goal with long-range attempts from Moisés Caicedo and Cucurella, while Fluminense’s Renato Gaúcho tried to create counter-attacking opportunities, with substitute Everaldo forcing Sánchez into his first save of the half.
However, Fluminense was caught on a counter-attack 10 minutes later when Cole Palmer held off defenders before passing to Fernández, who set up João Pedro to score with a powerful shot off the crossbar. This marks the second time in three years that a Brazilian team has been eliminated by an English side in the CWC, while Chelsea now looks to secure their second global title against Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG 4-0 Real Madrid
PSG advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup final with a convincing 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, marking the end of Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten streak in his first six matches as coach. Ousmane Dembélé intercepted a careless pass from Raúl Asencio, leading to a foul by Thibaut Courtois, which allowed Fabián Ruiz to score Paris’ first goal from the rebound. Just three minutes later, Real Madrid’s poor defense was evident again when Antonio Rüdiger misplayed a pass, enabling Dembélé to capitalize and score with a precise left-footed shot past Courtois.
PSG’s confidence was evident as Achraf Hakimi sent a long-range shot wide, but he soon provided an assist in a brilliant team play, setting up Ruiz for his second goal and PSG’s third. The team sought a fourth goal when Hakimi delivered a pass to Gonçalo Ramos, who missed from a tight angle. PSG has now achieved clean sheets in their last five knockout matches across all competitions and will face Chelsea in the final on Sunday. Based on their performance today, the French and European champions are strong favorites to win the inaugural title of this revamped tournament.
