Lightning Strikes as Flamengo Outshines Chelsea in a Wild Comeback at the Club World Cup
In a chaotic six-minute span, Chelsea falters considerably against Blitz-Red.
Twitter Instagram LinkedIn E-Mail Print Copy Link Chelsea's Club World Cup nightmare continues: The Londoners lead early against Flamengo but crumble in six minutes after a sending-off. The Reds dominate the second half to secure a memorable 3-1 win.
The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA saw another thrilling clash between FC Chelsea and Brazil's CR Flamengo. After a promising start, Chelsea swiftly unraveled and was left reeling from a heart-wrenching 3-1 defeat. The Conference League champions now find themselves in a precarious position, with a must-win game upcoming.
With a victory against Los Angeles FC (2-0) under their belts, Chelsea appeared poised to secure their second win at the Club World Cup. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse as a storm wreaked havoc on the pitch, causing a suspension in play. In spite of the chaotic weather, Vincent Kompany's team managed a lead through Pedro Neto in the 13th minute.
Entering the second half, Flamengo, led by former Brazilian national player Filipe Luís, displayed an impressive resilience, bouncing back with swift goals from Bruno Henrique in the 62nd minute and Danilo shortly after, in the 65th minute. Chelsea's fortunes plummeted further in the 68th minute, when substitute player Nicolas Jackson received a straight red card for a reckless challenge. With Chelsea reduced to ten men, the game swung firmly in Flamengo's favor.
The San-based club maintained their momentum, with substitute Wallace Yan sealing the victory in the 83rd minute, capitalizing on Chelsea's tired defense. The final score read an embarrassing 3-1 for the Londoners, now sitting second in their group with only three points. Flamengo, on the other hand, proved dominant with six points from two matches, standing a strong chance of qualifying as group leaders.
Football Returns After a Thunderous Interruption
Another Group D match garnered attention when Benfica Lisbon faced Auckland City. The team led by Argentine World Cup winner Ángel Di María found itself struggling against the semi-professional Kiwi club for an hour before securing a narrow 1-0 victory. Di María made amends for missing a string of chances by scoring from the penalty spot in injury time.
A storm with heavy rain caused a lengthy delay, forcing spectators to seek cover. The game resumed two hours later, with Benfica securing additional goals through Evangelos Pavlidis, Renato Sanches, Leandro Barreiro, and Di María once more from a penalty. Benfica found themselves in a tighter spot after a 2-2 draw in their opening game against Boca Juniors. Their upcoming match against Bayern Munich on Tuesday promises to be an intense affair in Charlotte, North Carolina (9:00 PM CEST/Sat1). Meanwhile, Auckland will bid farewell to the tournament against Boca Juniors in Nashville, Tennessee, at the same time.
[1] "Flamengo stuns Chelsea in FIFA Club World Cup 2025," Inside World Football, June 20, 2025.[2] "Flamengo completes comeback to beat Chelsea in Club World Cup," Goal.com, June 20, 2025.[4] "Chelsea's nightmare continuation: CR Flamengo defeat the Blues in the Club World Cup," The Daily Telegraph, June 20, 2025.
The 2025 Club World Cup in the USA featured a highly anticipated match between European heavyweights FC Chelsea and Brazil's CR Flamengo. Despite a promising start, Chelsea's struggle in the European leagues seemed to manifest as they crumbled against Flamengo in a thrilling contest, losing 3-1.
FC Chelsea, currently in the Premier League, will be looking to bounce back in their upcoming matches, having failed to secure wins in two of their initial games, including their Club World Cup showdown with Flamengo.
