Four clubs from three continents have advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals, setting up compelling matchups for the final stages of the 2025 tournament.
The final two semifinalists were determined on Saturday. UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain delivered a stunning performance, defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarterfinals despite playing with nine men. Five-time CWC winners Real Madrid secured their semifinal berth with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Here’s how the Club World Cup semifinals are structured:
First Semifinal: Fluminense vs Chelsea Tuesday at 3 pm (19:00 GMT) MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The opening semifinal features Brazil’s Fluminense against English Premier League side Chelsea.
Fluminense has impressed throughout the tournament, with goals from Matheus Martinelli and Hercules securing their semifinal spot in a 2-1 victory over Al Hilal in Orlando, Florida.
Chelsea advanced after a dramatic 2-1 win against Palmeiras on Friday night. Cole Palmer opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 16th minute, but 18-year-old Estevao, who will join Chelsea after the tournament, equalized for his future club in the 53rd minute. Malo Gusto’s 83rd-minute winner proved decisive, his shot deflecting off defender Agustin Giay and goalkeeper Weverton to send Chelsea fans among the 65,782 spectators into celebration.
The match will be played at the 88,000-capacity MetLife Stadium outside New York City.
Second Semifinal: PSG vs Real Madrid Wednesday at 3 pm (19:00 GMT) MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The second semifinal presents a heavyweight European clash between PSG and Real Madrid.
Nine-man Paris Saint-Germain advanced with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich, courtesy of goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele. The French side remains on course for a historic quadruple of major titles in one season. Luis Enrique’s team showed resilience at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, playing before 67,000 fans despite late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez.
Real Madrid overcame Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in Saturday’s final quarterfinal. Gonzalo Garcia, who scored his fourth goal of the tournament, opened the scoring early during the afternoon match at MetLife Stadium. Fran Garcia doubled Madrid’s advantage before halftime.
Dortmund struggled to mount a serious comeback until a dramatic late sequence. Maximilian Beier reduced the deficit in the 93rd minute, but Kylian Mbappe sealed Madrid’s victory with a spectacular overhead kick for his first goal of the tournament.
The semifinal holds special significance for Mbappe, who will face his former club PSG for the first time since transferring to Real Madrid in June 2024. The superstar forward has battled illness throughout much of the tournament but appears ready for the crucial encounter.
About the author
Iran Warns World Will Suffer If Israel Not Held Accountable For Nuclear Attack
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that the entire region and beyond will face consequences if Israel is not held accountable for its recent attacks on Iran. Speaking at the BRICS summit in Brazil, Araghchi condemned what he described as "US-Israeli attacks on our nuclear facilities," stating they violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed Iran's peaceful nuclear program in 2015. He accused the United States of full complicity in what he termed "Israel's war of aggression against Iran." Iran secured support from BRICS+ nations during their meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, with the bloc condemning recent Israeli and US air strikes that targeted military, nuclear and other Iranian facilities. The 11-nation grouping declared the attacks "constitute a violation of international law." "We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic […]
Musk Launches America Party After Epic Feud With Trump Over Budget Bill
Billionaire Elon Musk has announced the formation of a new political party following President Donald Trump's signing of controversial budget legislation known as the "One Big, Beautiful Bill." Musk declared the creation of the "America Party" on X Saturday, stating it would "give back" Americans their freedom and challenge what he described as the nation's "one-party system." The announcement followed a poll Musk posted Friday asking whether respondents wanted "independence from the two-party (some would say uni-party) system" that has dominated US politics for approximately two centuries. The survey received over 1.2 million responses. "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!" Musk wrote Saturday. "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is […]
Mbappe Will Face His Former Club PSG As Club World Cup Reaches Explosive Semifinals
Four clubs from three continents have advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals, setting up compelling matchups for the final stages of the 2025 tournament. The final two semifinalists were determined on Saturday. UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain delivered a stunning performance, defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarterfinals despite playing with nine men. Five-time CWC winners Real Madrid secured their semifinal berth with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund. Here's how the Club World Cup semifinals are structured: First Semifinal: Fluminense vs Chelsea Tuesday at 3 pm (19:00 GMT) MetLife Stadium, New Jersey The opening semifinal features Brazil's Fluminense against English Premier League side Chelsea. Fluminense has impressed throughout the tournament, with goals from Matheus Martinelli and Hercules securing their semifinal spot in a 2-1 victory over Al Hilal in Orlando, Florida. Chelsea advanced after a […]
Trump Says Gaza Deal Could Happen Next Week After Hamas Response
Hamas has delivered what it calls a "positive response" to mediators regarding the latest US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement. The Palestinian armed group announced Friday night that it was "seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations" but did not confirm acceptance of the specific terms. A senior Palestinian official informed the BBC that Hamas requested several modifications, including ending a US-backed aid distribution system and obtaining US guarantees that warfare would not resume if negotiations failed. Israel's government has not issued a statement. President Donald Trump, who said he had not been briefed on the details, described Hamas's positive response as "good" and told reporters aboard Air Force One that "there could be a Gaza deal next week." The timing appears significant as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit […]
Eight Men Face Deportation to War-Torn South Sudan After Court Battle Fails
Eight men in U.S. detention have lost their final legal challenge to avoid deportation to South Sudan, a country facing ongoing human rights concerns. On Friday, Judge Brian Murphy of Boston denied the last-minute appeal following extensive legal activity throughout the day. The men have been held at a U.S. military base in Djibouti since late May, when courts halted an earlier deportation flight to South Sudan. The U.S. Supreme Court has twice ruled that the Trump administration could deport the men to countries outside their homelands, with its latest decision issued Thursday. The appeal, filed that night, argued that repeated deportation attempts to South Sudan were "impermissibly punitive," citing the U.S. Constitution's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment." The U.S. State Department advises American citizens to avoid South Sudan due to ongoing armed conflict and has previously accused the […]
Texas Flash Flood Disaster Claims 24 Lives As Summer Camp Girls Remain Missing
A major search and rescue operation continues through the night in Texas after flash floods killed at least 24 people and left multiple girls missing from a Christian summer camp. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in less than an hour with minimal warning, creating flooding that swept away mobile homes, vehicles and holiday cabins where people were spending the July 4th weekend. Rescue crews are searching for up to 25 children who were among 750 girls attending Camp Mystic near Kerrville, located 104 kilometers northwest of San Antonio. A state of emergency has been declared in several counties where roads have been washed away and phone lines are down. President Donald Trump called the tragedy "shocking" and "terrible" as the White House pledged additional assistance. Images show deep flood waters overwhelming bridges and fast-moving water rushing down roads. Eyewitness […]
Related
Saudi Arabia Stuns Manchester City With Historic Club World Cup Victory
Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal delivered the biggest upset of the Club World Cup tournament, defeating Manchester City 4-3 in extra time to advance to the quarterfinals. The match concluded 2-2 after regulation time on Monday, with Marcos Leonardo scoring the decisive goal in extra time to secure what many consider one of the greatest victories in Middle Eastern football history. Al Hilal will now face Brazilian club Fluminense in the quarterfinals, guaranteeing a non-European team reaches the semifinals. Manchester City opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Bernardo Silva, who converted from Rayan Ait-Nouri's cross. Al Hilal protested that Ait-Nouri had used his arm in the buildup, but the goal was allowed to stand. City created numerous opportunities to extend their advantage before halftime, but poor finishing and outstanding goalkeeping from Moroccan keeper Yassine Bounou maintained the narrow lead. […]
England Manager Gareth Southgate Gets Knighthood
Former England manager Gareth Southgate will receive a knighthood at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, joining the ceremony among other honor recipients. The 54-year-old football manager earned recognition for his services to association football in the New Year Honours, following his leadership of England to consecutive European Championship finals in 2020 and 2024, as well as the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. Southgate becomes the fourth England manager to receive a knighthood, joining Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey, and Sir Bobby Robson in this distinction. Sir Gareth stepped down from his position after eight years in charge, following England's 2-1 final defeat to Spain in July. Thomas Tuchel subsequently took over the role. Following the December announcement, Southgate shared his response on social media, humorously noting that his family would be unlikely to address him as "Sir." He stated, "It has […]
Thunder Star Drops 34 Points After Learning Hard Lesson From Blown Lead
Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a dominant performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, helping his team bounce back with a 123-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers to tie the series 1-1. "You can't just throw the first punch," Gilgeous-Alexander said after Sunday night's game. "You've got to throw all the punches all night." The statement reflected lessons learned from Game 1, when Oklahoma City surrendered a 15-point fourth-quarter lead before losing 111-110 on a last-second basket by Indiana. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals while shooting an impressive 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault highlighted multiple areas of improvement from their opening loss. Oklahoma City capitalized better on Indiana's turnovers, received stronger contributions from Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, nearly doubled their assist total after recording […]
Ronaldo Rejects FIFA World Cup Tournament Despite Multiple Offers
Cristiano Ronaldo has indicated he will almost certainly not participate in the FIFA Club World Cup, potentially disappointing FIFA President Gianni Infantino who hoped to feature one of football's most prominent figures at the tournament. The Portugal captain revealed on Saturday that he had received "quite a few" offers from participating clubs to join them for the tournament beginning June 14, but has decided against accepting any of these invitations. "Some things make sense to talk about, other things don't, and, as a person says, you can't take part in everything," Ronaldo explained. "You have to think about the short, medium and long term. It's a decision practically made on my part not to go to the Club World Cup, but I've had quite a few invitations to go." Ronaldo made these comments in Munich, one day before Portugal's UEFA […]
Liverpool’s ยฃ170M Double Swoop: Former Boss Could Hold Key to Arsenal’s Triple Transfer Dream
Arsenal are reportedly exploring multiple transfer targets this summer, with Nico Williams remaining a priority following his standout performances for Spain at the European Championships last summer. The Athletic Club winger has attracted significant interest from top European clubs since the tournament. Arsenal previously pursued Williams last summer, but the Spanish international chose to remain at his boyhood club for another season. Recent reports suggest Arsenal have renewed contact with Williams, with sources indicating a potential deal may be more feasible this transfer window. However, with the club also targeting Martin Zubimendi and seeking a new striker, securing all three signings could prove financially challenging. Arsenal's striker search has focused on several candidates, with Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres among the preferred options. However, Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins has also emerged as a potential target, particularly given Villa's reported concerns […]
Liverpool Exploring Dual Move for Cherki and Wirtz Following Title Success
Following their Premier League title triumph, Liverpool are reportedly considering moves for both Lyon's Rayan Cherki and Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz during the summer transfer window. The Merseyside club are expected to have approximately ยฃ150 million available for transfers after securing the league title. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, suggested that Lyon's current financial difficulties could create an opportunity for Liverpool to pursue Cherki. Cherki, 21, has a ยฃ20 million release clause with one year remaining on his Lyon contract. The French club's reported financial troubles in Ligue 1 may necessitate player sales, potentially making negotiations more straightforward for interested parties. Manchester City are currently considered the frontrunners for Cherki's signature. However, reports indicate that Liverpool manager Arne Slot has met with the player personally in recent weeks, suggesting genuine interest from the […]
Be the first to leave a comment