Flamengo overturned a first-half deficit to secure a thrilling 3-1 victory over Chelsea in their Club World Cup Group D clash in Philadelphia on Friday. Despite falling behind early to Pedro Neto’s 13th-minute strike, the Brazilian side mounted a second-half resurgence with goals from Bruno Henrique, Danilo, and Wallace Yan. Chelsea wasted several chances to extend their lead, and Flamengo capitalized on their momentum shift, sealing their second straight win in the tournament. The result leaves Flamengo atop Group D with six points, while Chelsea remain in second place with three.
The turning point came in the 62nd minute when substitute Bruno Henrique tapped in Gonzalo Plata’s clever header to level the score. Just three minutes later, Danilo fired home from close range after Henrique’s headed assist from a corner, putting Flamengo ahead. Chelsea’s hopes of a comeback were further dented when Nicolas Jackson was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge in the 68th minute. Flamengo then put the game beyond doubt in the 83rd minute as Yan slotted in a rebound following Plata’s driving run down the right.
The victory marks only the second time a South American team has beaten a European side by multiple goals in a FIFA international club competition, the first since Vasco da Gama’s 3-1 win over Manchester United in 2000. Flamengo’s triumph was fueled by their passionate supporters, with a sea of red-clad fans among the 54,019 in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field. Henrique, named Man of the Match, credited the fans for inspiring their second-half dominance, saying, “We noticed we had the advantage with the crowd behind us, and that’s when we started to pressure.”
Chelsea started brightly, with Neto capitalizing on a defensive error to open the scoring, but their failure to convert further chances proved costly. Flamengo, coached by former Chelsea defender Filipe Luís and featuring ex-Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, showcased resilience and tactical discipline to secure the win. The Brazilians now await the outcome of Esperance de Tunis vs. LAFC to confirm their place in the knockout stages, while Chelsea must regroup ahead of their decisive group game against Esperance on Tuesday.
