Soccer Football – FIFA Club World Cup – Semi Final – Fluminense v Chelsea – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. – July 8, 2025 Chelsea’s Joao Pedro celebrates scoring their first goal with Pedro Neto IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Vincent Carchietta
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — These were life-changing moments for Joao Pedro. One he would tell his children and grandchildren about.
After signing with Premier League giants Chelsea for $81.5 million just two weeks ago from fellow English side Brighton, the Brazilian forward scored twice in his first-ever start for his new club in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal on Tuesday afternoon in the shadows of New York City at MetLife Stadium.
They just so happened to come against the Brazilian powerhouses Fluminense, the club Pedro signed with as a 10-year-old in 2011 and spent the next nine years rising up its ranks, eventually making a senior debut in 2019. Just one year later, he was sold to English side Watford, before joining Brighton in 2023.
So, that feeling of the stars aligning for the 23-year-old only strengthened in the 18th minute of Tuesday’s semifinal when a failed clearance by the former Chelsea defender and ageless Brazilian stalwart, Thiago Silva, fell right to his feet. With his second touch, he curled a perfect right-footed effort into the right side netting from 18 yards out directly in front of the Fluminense section of MetLife Stadium.
In the enormity of the moment, Pedro simply sauntered toward the left goal line, his hands raised almost apologetically to the Fluminense supporters — a common gesture soccer players do when scoring against their old clubs — with Pedro Neto and Moises Caicedo’s leaping embraces melting off of him.
“I went there and I didn’t have anything. They gave me everything, and they showed me the world. I am very grateful,” Pedro said after the match, explaining why he did not celebrate. “I am very sorry for what happened to them, but I am a professional.”
Any sort of gesticulations were muted once again in the 56th minute when he got on the end of a brilliantly weighted ball from the outside of Enzo Fernandez’s right boot to play him in on goal. Cutting in on the left side of the box on his right foot, he cannoned a shot from just above the penalty spot off the crossbar and in.
There he was, yet again, lightly jogging away from the penalty area, both arms raised while breaking out of the bear hug from Enzo, the Argentinian World Cup winner from 2022, who made that play possible.
He became the first Chelsea player to score multiple goals in his first start with the club since Michy Batshuayi against Bristol Rovers in the League Cup in 2016 — and it was his final contribution of the afternoon before getting subbed off in the 60th minute.
His celebrations eventually came 30 minutes later when Chelsea saw off Fluminense 2-0 to punch their ticket to the Club World Cup Final, their first appearance at this stage since they won the competition in 2021.
They will face the victors of Wednesday’s semifinal between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and the legendary Real Madrid in Sunday’s final, which will also be played at MetLife Stadium.
“This kid is special,” the ex-Chelsea man turned Fluminense leader, Silva, said of Pedro. “I have a lot of affection for him… I faced him a few times at Chelsea, when he was still at Watford, and he had two great games against us. I said, ‘Man, this kid is special.’
“I didn’t expect him to be inspired today; he hit some great shots. One of our kids knocked us out of such an important competition, but good luck to him.”
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