Joao Pedro marked his full Chelsea debut with a sensational brace as the Blues cruised to a 2-0 victory over Fluminense on Tuesday night to book a place in the final of the Club World Cup.
The 23-year-old Brazilian striker, signed just last week from Brighton for a reported £60 million, wasted no time in repaying the faith of manager Enzo Maresca, netting both goals in front of over 70,000 fans at the MetLife Stadium in New York.
Pedro, who made his debut off the bench in Chelsea’s quarter-final win over Palmeiras, was handed a starting role in place of the suspended Liam Delap. And he delivered in style, curling home the opener in the 18th minute after a clever touch on the edge of the box, before sealing the win with a ruthless breakaway finish shortly before the hour mark.
Out of respect, Pedro refused to celebrate either goal against Fluminense, the club where he began his professional career and played 36 games before moving to Watford in 2020.
Despite an inspired run to the semi-finals, Fluminense’s fairytale journey ended here. The 2023 Copa Libertadores champions had earlier held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage and knocked out Inter Milan and Al Hilal. But against Chelsea, their resistance faltered.
Veteran defender Thiago Silva, now captain of Fluminense, started against his former club, but the Brazilian side struggled to match Chelsea’s pace and precision.
Fluminense thought they had won a penalty in the first half when a free-kick delivery hit Trevoh Chalobah’s arm, but VAR intervened and the decision was overturned.
Just moments after Fluminense switched to a more attacking shape in search of an equaliser, Chelsea struck again. Enzo Fernandez released Pedro on the counter, and the striker finished emphatically, smashing his shot in off the crossbar to double the lead.
Chelsea dominated the final stages and could have added more goals, but Pedro’s brace was enough to confirm their place in Sunday’s final, where they will face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint Germain.
With this win, Chelsea continue their strong run against Brazilian opposition and remain on course to lift the first-ever 32-team edition of the Club World Cup.
For Maresca’s side, it is now two wins away from glory, and Joao Pedro is already looking like a key piece in Chelsea’s new attacking puzzle.
