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Joao Pedro brace pushes Chelsea into World CWC final
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New signing Joao Pedro scored twice on his first start as Chelsea eased to a 2-0 win over Fluminense on Tuesday to seal a spot in the final of the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian striker opened the scoring in lethal fashion in the 18th minute of the last-four clash at the MetLife Stadium and struck again shortly before the hour mark as Chelsea set up a showdown with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the final on Sunday.
Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion just last week for a reported £60 million ($79 million), the 23-year-old cut short an off-season holiday and made his debut off the bench in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras.
He was then given his first Chelsea start up front here in place of the suspended Liam Delap.
Joao Pedro refused to celebrate after either goal against the club with whom he started his career and made 36 top-team appearances before moving to England with Watford in 2020.
The result ends Fluminense’s impressive run at the tournament after the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners had held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, beaten Inter Milan in the last 16 and knocked out Manchester City’s conquerors Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals.
With their exit go the prospects of a South American winner of the first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup, with Chelsea claiming back-to-back victories against Brazilian opposition to reach the final.
As always seemed most likely, the trophy will be claimed by one of Europe’s superpowers, with the final now guaranteed to be between two of the last five winners of the UEFA Champions League.
Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi had described his team as the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to the enormous difference between their budget and those of the other three sides left in the United States.
This game ultimately proved to be a step too far for their team, captained by 40-year-old former Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva.
Caicedo back
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca was without the suspended Levi Colwill and Delap but midfield lynchpin Moises Caicedo returned after sitting out the win over Palmeiras in Philadelphia due to a ban.
The Premier League side were simply too strong for their opponents in a game watched by 70,556 fans on a hot afternoon just outside New York City.
They went ahead thanks to a wonderful strike by their new forward, who controlled the ball on the edge of the box after Silva had cleared a Pedro Neto cross.
Joao Pedro took a touch and curled a shot beyond veteran goalkeeper Fabio into the far corner, before holding up his hands apologetically towards the Fluminense fans massed behind the goal.
The team from Rio de Janeiro were an intermittent threat, and Hercules — match-winner against Al-Hilal in the last eight — almost equalised in the 25th minute.
He played a one-two with German Cano and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but Marc Cucurella got back to clear off the line.
Fluminense were then awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the interval when a set-piece delivery by Rene struck the arm of Trevoh Chalobah in the box.
However, French referee Francois Letexier overturned the decision following a VAR check.
Chelsea got their second on 56 minutes, just after Fluminense had sacrificed one of their three centre-backs to send on an extra attacker.
Enzo Fernandez released Joao Pedro on the break, and the forward who scored 10 goals in the Premier League last season for Brighton produced another clinical finish in off the bar.
There were chances for Chelsea to score further goals after that, but the new boy’s double strike sufficed.
AFP
Nigerian international footballer Samuel Chukwueze laid his mother, Mrs. Sarah Chukwueze, to rest on Friday May 29 in Abia State in a very emotional burial ceremony.
The video from the event shows the AC Milan winger and his family gathered as they paid their final respects to the woman many described as the pillar of their home. Chukwueze lost his mother earlier this year after a brief illness, and yesterday marked the final goodbye.
In the footage, you can see the pain on the faces of family members as the casket was lowered. Friends, teammates, and well-wishers turned out to support the Super Eagles star during this difficult moment. The atmosphere was heavy, with many people, including Chukwueze visibly moved by the occasion.
Super Eagles player Samuel Chukwueze today laid his late mother, Mrs. Sarah Chukwueze, to rest in Abia State.
Mrs. Sarah Chukwueze passed away in January 2026 at the peak of the football season in Europe pushing forward the burial for the mother of one Nigeria’s tantalizing attackers to the end of the season.
Chukwueze’s brother had earlier broken the news on Instagram, describing their mother as a loving and supportive woman who stood by her children through thick and thin.
José Mourinho is set for a dramatic return to Real Madrid after signing a three-year contract to take charge of the Spanish giants, ending weeks of speculation over the club’s managerial future.
The Portuguese coach will not be officially presented until after Real Madrid’s presidential election scheduled for June 7.
However, the agreement depends on current president Florentino Perez retaining his position in an election expected to end his club’s first contested presidential race in two decades.
Mourinho, 63, leaves Benfica after a brief spell that ended with a third-place finish in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
His return comes as Real Madrid seek a reset after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign that ended without silverware.
Barcelona reclaimed the La Liga title, while Bayern Munich knocked Los Blancos out of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during a fiercely competitive era dominated by clashes with Barcelona.
He replaces Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure.
Since leaving Madrid in 2013, Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica, collecting major honours including a Premier League title with Chelsea, the Europa League with United and the Europa Conference League with Roma.
Real Madrid are now turning back to a familiar figure, banking on Mourinho’s experience, authority and winning pedigree to end two barren seasons and restore the club’s dominance.
Paris Saint-Germain have received a timely injury boost ahead of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal after naming both Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi in their travelling squad.
The inclusion of the influential duo will come as welcome news for PSG manager Luis Enrique, with both players having faced late fitness concerns before European club football’s biggest occasion.
Hakimi has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during the first leg of PSG’s semi-final clash against Bayern Munich, while Dembele picked up a knock during the Ligue 1 season finale against Paris FC. Their selection now strongly suggests they will be available for the final.
Hakimi remains a key figure for the Paris club and etched his name into Champions League history last season when he opened the scoring in PSG’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich to secure the club’s maiden European crown.
Arsenal, however, will be determined to deny the French champions back-to-back titles. The Gunners head into the final brimming with confidence after securing the Premier League title less than a week ago and now have their sights set on completing a memorable double.
Mikel Arteta’s side have also received encouraging news on the injury front, with Dutch defender Jurrien Timber returning to training and included in the squad travelling to Hungary. Timber has been absent since March with a hamstring injury sustained against Everton, missing 14 matches in all competitions.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola warned Arsenal that the reigning champions remain united and highly motivated.
“It’s a great honour to be playing in a second final,” Barcola told club media.
“We’re going to do everything we can to win it. We attack together and defend together, and that collective spirit is our greatest strength.”
The final also carries an element of unfinished business for Arsenal, who were eliminated by PSG in last season’s semi-finals after a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
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