New signing João Pedro scored twice in his first start as Chelsea beat Fluminense 2-0 to reach the final of the Club World Cup.

The Brazilian striker opened the scoring in spectacular fashion in the 18th minute of the semifinal at MetLife Stadium. He scored his second goal shortly before the end of the 60th minute.

Chelsea secured a clash with Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the final on Sunday, July 13.

Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion just a week ago for around £60 million ($79 million), the 23-year-old cut short his summer vacation and made his debut as a substitute in the quarterfinal victory over Palmeiras.

He then made his first start for Chelsea in place of the suspended Liam Delap.

Joao Pedro refused to celebrate either of his two goals against the club where he began his career and made 36 appearances for the first team before moving to England with a transfer to Watford in 2020.

The result ends Fluminense's impressive run in the tournament, after the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners beat Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, defeated Inter Milan in the round of 16, and eliminated Al-Hilal — the team that surprised Manchester City — in the quarterfinals.

With their elimination, the chances of a South American winner in the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup disappeared. Chelsea achieved two consecutive victories against Brazilian teams to reach the final.

As expected, the trophy will be won by one of the European football giants. The final is now guaranteed to be between two of the last five Champions League winners. | BGNES