Chelsea Beat Palmeiras 2-1 for Club World Cup Quarterfinal Showdown
On July 4, 2025, na inside Lincoln Financial Field for Philadelphia dem play one sweet quarterfinal match for FIFA Club World Cup, where Chelsea FC knack Palmeiras from Brazil 2-1. Dis win carry Chelsea go semifinal, dem go face Fluminense next, while Palmeiras’ fine run end with plenty wahala. Dis match na like remix of di 2021 Club World Cup final, and e sweet well-well as Chelsea’s sharp play beat Palmeiras’ strong counterattack vibe.
From di first whistle, Chelsea, wey Enzo Maresca dey coach, show say dem mean business. Dem hold ball well and press Palmeiras sotey dem no fit build play from back. For 16th minute, di pressure pay off. Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s main guy, collect one sweet pass from Trevoh Chalobah and coolly put di ball past Palmeiras’ keeper, Weverton, make di crowd wey dey support Chelsea shout halla. Dat goal na pure Palmer style—calm and deadly. Even though Chelsea get chance to add another goal, like when Christopher Nkunku miss one open chance, dem no fit finish well, so dem carry 1-0 enter halftime.
Palmeiras, wey Abel Ferreira dey coach, come out for second half with fire. Dem wey don already show say dem sabi defend—conceding only two goals before dis match—start to use Chelsea’s high line against dem with fast counterattacks. Di guy wey spark dem na 18-year-old winger Estêvão Willian, wey go join Chelsea after dis tournament. For 53rd minute, Estêvão do juju for field, cut in from right and fire one wicked shot from tight angle wey fly past Robert Sánchez. Dat equalizer make Palmeiras fans dey dance, and Estêvão’s speed and skill dey give Chelsea defense headache.
As di match dey near end, both teams dey play like say dem no go gree. Palmeiras’ defense get problem because dem miss key players like Gustavo Gómez and Joaquín Piquerez, so dem use Micael and Vanderlan wey try well but no be original defenders. Still, Chelsea’s quality shine through. For 83rd minute, luck help Chelsea. Malo Gusto send one cross wey bounce off Palmeiras’ defender Bruno Fuchs, confuse Weverton, and di ball enter net as own goal. E pain Palmeiras well-well, because dem don fight hard to stay inside di game.
For di last minutes, Palmeiras try everything to equalize. Dem bring in Paulinho and Raphael Veiga to shake things up. Vanderlan even get one header wey Sánchez save sharply, but Chelsea defense, led by Levi Colwill, stand strong.
Chelsea’s subs like João Pedro, wey dey make im debut, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall help dem control di game. Colwill collect yellow card late, so e no go play semifinal, but Chelsea still hold di win.
Dis match show say Chelsea dey blend well under Maresca, with their pressing and attacking power too much for Palmeiras’ short squad. Pedro Neto, wey don score three goals back-to-back for di tournament, and Enzo Fernández, wey cover for suspended Moisés Caicedo, run things for midfield. For Palmeiras, Estêvão na di bright spot, showing Chelsea fans wetin dem go enjoy later. But Palmeiras no get sharp striker, as Vitor Roque miss chances, and dat show di difference between dem and Chelsea.
Chelsea’s win, even if e tight, prove say dem be big contenders, as Opta supercomputer give dem 74.8% chance to pass before di match.
Dis result keep dem on track to win Club World Cup again, like dem do for 2021 against dis same Palmeiras. As dem dey prepare to face Fluminense for New York, Chelsea go need sharpen their finishing to keep di momentum. For Palmeiras, dis loss end their fine run, but dem show strong heart and Estêvão’s talent, even though dat late own goal break their heart.