Club World Cup 2025: Chelsea Defeats Benfica

Christopher Nkunku netted a goal from a rebound during extra time, leading Chelsea to a 4-1 victory over Benfica in a Club World Cup Round of 16 clash on Saturday (June 28, 2025) at Bank of America Stadium. The match was postponed for two hours because of lightning and took almost five hours to finish.

Chelsea is set to face Palmeiras in the quarterfinals this Friday (July 4, 2025) in Philadelphia. Palmeiras secured a 1-0 victory over Botafogo on Saturday.

Nkunku scored the decisive goal in the 108th minute while Benfica was down a player after Gianluca Prestianni got a red card. Moises Caicedo took a left-footed shot from the left side of the box, which was saved in the center by Anatolii Trubin, but Nkunku was quick to react and sent the deflected ball into the top right corner, getting swarmed by his teammates afterwards.

Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury Hall scored some extra goals during stoppage time to secure the final score.

Reece James netted a free kick in the 64th minute, putting Chelsea ahead 1-0.

However, with just four minutes remaining, the game was halted due to lightning and was delayed for two hours. Once the teams were back on the field, Chelsea was penalized for a handball in stoppage time after the ball struck Malo Gusto’s hand.

In the final moments, players were taken off the field and fans were advised to find shelter because of lightning strikes nearby, even though it didn’t rain at the stadium.

Only a few thousand fans came back to watch the end of the game.

Chelsea had a 3-0 record against Benfica and dominated the pace in the first half, leading 5-1 in shots on goal. However, despite having the ball for over 60% of the time, the Blues went into the locker room at halftime with a scoreless draw.

The game didn’t attract many fans. Over half of the lower bowl in the 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium was vacant, and nearly all the upper deck seats were still available as the event continues to face challenges with ticket sales in the U.S, even as it progressed to the knockout stage.

Match Highlights

James’ goal boosted Chelsea’s energy after they missed several good chances in the first half.

“For 85 minutes, we had everything under control. But after halftime, the game shifted. It felt like a different match. Suspending a game (for two hours) just doesn’t feel like football to me. I find it hard to wrap my head around it. We’ve been here for two weeks, and they’ve postponed six or seven games, so clearly something isn’t right here”, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca.

“In the first half, our goal was to push forward, even though we were up against a really tough opponent”, Benfica coach Bruno Lage.

After Chelsea’s match against Benfica was delayed for two hours due to lightning and took almost five hours to finish, coach Enzo Maresca slammed FIFA for hosting the Club World Cup in the United States.

Fans were asked to leave the seating area of Bank of America Stadium with just four minutes left in regulation, even though it didn’t rain at the venue. Chelsea ultimately triumphed over Benfica 4-1 in extra time.

Maresca mentioned, “If they’re already suspending six, seven, or eight games, then something’s definitely off”. He also pointed out that the U.S. isn’t the ideal spot for this competition. The extreme heat has been a real problem during the tournament, with some daytime matches hitting nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) to cater to European TV audiences. Plus, a few matches have faced delays due to rain.

After a long wait on Saturday, Benfica made a strong comeback and netted the equalizer with a penalty in stoppage time.

Chelsea’s captain, Reece James, expressed that players “had to sit and wait for a long time, which is pretty disruptive”. With the expanded Club World Cup acting as a test run for next year’s 48-team World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, FIFA has faced criticism regarding the pitch conditions, match scheduling, and how they’ve dealt with the weather.

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