The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has reached its semifinal stage with four powerhouse teams—three from Europe and one from South America—vying for the prestigious title. The final four was decided on Saturday, following two dramatic quarterfinal clashes. UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain stunned Bayern Munich 2-0 despite finishing with just nine players, while Real Madrid survived a late surge from Borussia Dortmund to seal a 3-2 victory.
The first semifinal will see Brazil’s Fluminense take on English Premier League side Chelsea on Tuesday at 3pm (19:00 GMT) at the 88,000-seat MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Fluminense booked their place in the last four with a 2-1 win over Al Hilal, thanks to goals from Matheus Martinelli and Hercules. Chelsea, meanwhile, edged past Palmeiras 2-1 in a dramatic encounter. Cole Palmer opened the scoring in the 16th minute before 18-year-old Estevao, who is set to join Chelsea after the tournament, equalized in the 53rd. Malo Gusto delivered the decisive strike in the 83rd minute, with his deflected shot sending Chelsea fans into raptures.
The second semifinal promises to be a blockbuster showdown between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, scheduled for Wednesday at 3pm (19:00 GMT), also at MetLife Stadium. PSG advanced in spectacular fashion, beating Bayern Munich 2-0 with goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele. Despite receiving two red cards late in the match, Luis Enrique’s squad showed resilience in front of 67,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Real Madrid’s quarterfinal win over Borussia Dortmund featured early goals from Gonzalo Garcia and Fran Garcia. Mbappe, still recovering from illness, made a stunning impact off the bench with an overhead kick goal in stoppage time, his first of the tournament. The goal followed a late consolation strike from Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier. The upcoming semifinal marks Mbappe’s first match against former club PSG since his move to Madrid in June 2024.
The final is set for Sunday at MetLife Stadium, which will also host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The Club World Cup winner stands to gain up to $125 million in prize money.
(With inputs from agencies)