As the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 reaches its semifinal stage, four footballing heavyweights—three European clubs and one from South American club are set to battle it out for a shot at global glory and a potential $125 million payday. The semifinals kick off this week at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which is also set to host the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here’s a breakdown of the teams, matchups, and what to expect.
Semifinal 1: Fluminense vs Chelsea
Tuesday, 12.30 AM IST (19:00 GMT)
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The opening semifinal will see Brazil’s Fluminense face off against English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea in what promises to be a South America vs Europe classic. Fluminense punched their ticket to the last four with a 2-1 victory over Al Hilal in Orlando. Goals from Matheus Martinelli and Hercules continued their impressive run in the tournament. Meanwhile, Chelsea earned their semifinal berth with a dramatic 2-1 win over Palmeiras. Cole Palmer opened the scoring early in the match, but Palmeiras’ teenage sensation Estevao, who is set to join Chelsea after the tournament—leveled the score in the second half. The winning moment came in the 83rd minute when Malo Gusto’s deflected shot found the net, sending Chelsea fans into a frenzy among the 65,000-strong crowd.
Semifinal 2: PSG vs Real Madrid
Wednesday, 12.30 AM IST (19:00 GMT)
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The second semifinal brings fans a European showdown between reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and five-time CWC champions Real Madrid. PSG produced a gutsy performance to beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarterfinals, despite finishing the match with nine men. Goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele kept PSG’s dreams of a historic quadruple alive. The match was played in front of 67,000 fans at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez forcing PSG to dig deep. On the other hand, Real Madrid edged out Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a thrilling quarterfinal encounter.
Rising star Gonzalo Garcia scored his fourth goal of the tournament, with Fran Garcia adding another before Kylian Mbappe sealed the win with a sensational overhead kick in stoppage time—his first goal of the tournament and a personal statement as he prepares to face his former club. Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid in June 2024, will now meet PSG for the first time since his transfer, adding another layer of drama to an already high-stakes encounter. The winners of the two semifinals will face off in the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday again at the MetLife Stadium. With the possibility of lifting the prestigious global trophy and taking home up to $125 million in prize money, the stakes couldn’t be higher.