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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
An entire youth football team from Ethiopia has reportedly disappeared in Sweden after taking part in the Gothia Cup, one of the world’s largest international youth football tournaments.
According to reports by Sweden Herald, about 20 members of the delegation including players aged between 14 and 17, as well as several adult supervisors left their hotel in Gothenburg without checking out and have not been seen since.
The Gothia Cup concluded about 10 days ago, but Swedish authorities say the group has neither been located nor returned to Ethiopia.
Officials have since launched a coordinated search involving the Swedish Migration Agency, border police, and authorities in other countries in an effort to trace the missing team members.
Authorities have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the group’s disappearance or whether they are believed to have left Sweden voluntarily.
The incident has drawn international attention as investigations continue to determine the whereabouts of the players and their supervisors. No further official information has been released regarding the case.
Neymar Jr has formally retired from international duty with Brazil following their disappointing World Cup.
The 34-year-old is his nation’s record goalscorer with 80 goals in 130 caps and scored in a fourth World Cup with a penalty against Norway.
But he could not save Carlo Ancelotti’s side from an early exit and struggled for fitness throughout.
Back with Santos and back in the headlines, the former Barcelona forward has now confirmed he will not play in the famous yellow shirt again.
“My time with the national team is over. I made history, I was very happy, I gave my all, my life,” he said.
“I always fought and gave my best for this jersey, but I think I don’t want it anymore.”
Neymar made his Brazil debut in 2010, scoring on his debut against the USA. He was a star at the 2014 World Cup until he injured his back and without him Brazil were humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final.
He won the Confederations Cup in 2013 and was runner-up in the Copa America of 2021 but retires after being unable to guide Brazil to a major honour.
Neymar received criticism in the Brazilian press this week after he took part in a poker tournament while he was returning to full fitness following the World Cup.
The 34-year-old celebrated in his comeback match by pretending to deal poker cards, having explained at the time of the reports that he had trained with Santos and been given permission to pursue his pastime.
Former Al-Hilal, Paris-Saint-Germain and Barcelona playmaker Neymar now has six goals in this season’s Serie A, scoring his first club goals since May 10 on his first Santos appearance since May 17.
Debutants Malawi pulled off a shock 3-2 victory over Nigeria’s Super Falcons in their opening Group C fixture at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat.
The result marks a stunning start to the tournament for Malawi, who are appearing at WAFCON for the first time, while Nigeria began their campaign with defeat.
The first half was goalless, with the Super Falcons dominating possession and territory but unable to find a breakthrough. Chiamaka Nnadozie was called into action to deny Malawi late in the half, while Nigeria squandered several chances of their own, including a good opportunity from a cross into the box.
Nigeria brought on Toni Payne for Folashade Ijamilusi early in the second half in search of a way through, but it was Malawi who struck first, capitalising on a defensive lapse to go 2-0 up in the 80th minute.
Nigeria responded in stoppage time, pulling a goal back in the 90+2nd minute, but Malawi restored their two-goal cushion moments later to make it 3-1. Uchenna Kanu gave Nigeria a glimmer of hope with a goal deep into added time, but it wasn’t enough — the match finished 3-2 to Malawi.
The 2026 WAFCON doubles as the qualification tournament for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, raising the stakes for Nigeria as they look to bounce back in their remaining group matches.
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