João Pedro’s Dream Debut: Chelsea’s New Star Fires Blues into Club World Cup Final with Fluminense Double

João Pedro sealed a debut to remember for Chelsea with two goals in a 2-0 semi-final triumph over Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium. Facing off against his boyhood club, 23-year-old Brazilian forward João Pedro scored in the 18th and 56th minutes, showing poise as well as raw power to guarantee Chelsea's passage into Sunday's final against Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.

Pedro, signed from Brighton last week for £60 million, curled in a stunning opener from the box edge before firing in a second off the underside of the crossbar. Pedro showed respect by toning down his celebrations on an emotionally charged day against the club that nurtured him, later commenting, "They gave me everything. But I have to be professional."

Fluminense, the last of the non-European teams to qualify, had their moment too. Hercules nearly pulled level, only to be denied by Marc Cucurella's goal-line clearance. A VAR review correctly disallowed a penalty for a handball on Trevoh Chalobah, which only served to further enrage the Brazilian side.

Chelsea's victory not only earned them a chance at their second Club World Cup crown but also included £22 million in prize money, taking their earnings from the tournament to almost £82 million. Manager Enzo Maresca also praised Pedro's contribution, describing it as "a debut to remember."

As European dominance raged on in the tournament, Chelsea is now on the verge of global triumph having just one match to win.