Joao Pedro scored twice against his boyhood club Fluminense to send Chelsea into the final of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-0 victory at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday night — but his celebrations were muted in a poignant reunion with his past.

The 23-year-old Brazilian striker, who signed for Chelsea from Brighton just six days ago, delivered two clinical finishes — one in the 18th minute and another early in the second half — to seal the Blues’ place in Sunday’s final.

Pedro, who came through the ranks at Fluminense and made his professional debut there, raised his hands in apology after both goals, showing visible restraint even as his Chelsea teammates celebrated around him.

“They gave everything to me,” Pedro said post-match. “They showed me to the world. If I’m here, it’s because they believed in me. I’m very grateful, but this is football — I have to be professional. I feel sorry for them, but I have to do my job.”

The goals came in only his second appearance for Chelsea, having made his debut off the bench in a 2-1 quarter-final win over Palmeiras on Friday with minimal time in training.

“Today I started, and I had more time to do my stuff. I had to score. The team won, the team played well — that’s important,” he said in a televised interview.

Pedro’s signing follows Chelsea’s acquisition of Liam Delap as the London club moves to address its attacking depth. With his early impact, Pedro has already justified his arrival.

Chelsea now await the winner of Wednesday’s second semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. The Club World Cup final will take place on Sunday, again at the MetLife Stadium.

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French national team captain Kylian Mbappé has formally withdrawn his complaint of moral harassment against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, just days before a highly anticipated reunion in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup. The update was confirmed to AFP on Monday by his lawyer, Pierre-Olivier Sur, following a report by L’Équipe.

“As Real Madrid prepares to face PSG on Wednesday in the Club World Cup semi-final in the United States, we are withdrawing our civil action,” Sur stated.

Mbappé had originally filed a complaint on May 16, accusing PSG of “moral harassment” and “attempted extortion of signature” related to the club’s use of “lofting”—a controversial practice in football where players are excluded from first-team activities as a form of pressure. In this case, Mbappé was placed in the “loft” during the summer of 2023 after refusing to sign a contract extension.

Following the complaint, the Paris public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation on June 24. Two investigating judges were assigned to the case. While the formal investigation remains open, the player’s decision to withdraw may prompt a reassessment by the judicial authorities.

The legal dispute between Mbappé and PSG extends beyond the criminal complaint. The 26-year-old forward, who left PSG on a free transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, is also demanding €55 million in unpaid wages and bonuses. According to sources close to the player, no agreement was in place with the club regarding those payments. PSG has dismissed the claim as a “fantastic story.”

In April, Mbappé obtained a precautionary court order to freeze the €55 million in PSG’s accounts.

However, that decision was overturned on May 26. Despite this, a source close to the matter says the funds remain seized pending an appeal hearing, for which a date has not yet been set.

Mbappé, who is expected to feature for Real Madrid against his former club on Wednesday, spent seven years at PSG, where he became their all-time top scorer before his contentious departure.

The semi-final match in New Jersey will mark the first time he faces PSG since leaving, adding further intrigue to an already dramatic storyline.

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Fluminense are relishing their role as the Club World Cup’s underdogs ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final against Chelsea, with manager Renato Gaucho embracing an “us against the world” mentality that has carried the Brazilian side to an improbable run.

The Rio de Janeiro club arrived in the United States given just a 0.05% chance of winning the title by Opta’s supercomputer and were initially tipped to exit in the group stage.

FIFA Club World Cup – Fluminense Training – Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, New Jersey, U.S. – July 7, 2025 Fluminense’s Thiago Silva and coach Renato Gaucho during training REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Instead, they defied predictions by finishing second in Group F, holding Borussia Dortmund and Mamelodi Sundowns to draws and beating Ulsan Hyundai to advance.

The charismatic, 62-year-old Renato has transformed the club from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, helping them to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline.

“When I say we’re the ugly duckling, with all due respect to all the other clubs, I’m talking about our financial situation,” Renato said. “Fluminense is only 10% of the financial size of these big clubs. So these big clubs have all the resources to sign the best players.”

Despite the financial disparity, Renato believes his side’s attitude and concentration have been the key factors in their remarkable journey.

“What got Fluminense to the semi-finals was exactly the attitude my team had on the pitch, their concentration, their focus and the hard work of the whole team,” he said.

The Brazilian showman is plotting carefully for Chelsea, describing the clash at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as “a game of chess” that will be decided by tactical discipline.

“It will be a game of patience. We will be careful,” Renato said. “Of course, possession will be very important, especially at 3pm, which is the kickoff time. The heat is unbearable! If you have to keep running after your opponent, if you don’t have possession, you wear yourself out.

“We have the utmost respect for Chelsea but it’s a game of chess. You can be sure that it will be a tight game, at least in my opinion, with few opportunities. And whoever takes advantage of all the data will certainly be the winner.”

Renato said Fluminense would look to neutralise Chelsea’s key players while trying to keep the ball and play their own game as they continue their fairy-tale run.

Reuters

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