Club World Cup: Flamengo Punish 10-Man Chelsea in 3-1 Comeback Win

Chelsea’s hopes of securing early qualification into the knockout stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup were dashed on Friday after a frustrating 3-1 loss to Brazilian giants Flamengo in Philadelphia.

Despite taking the lead through Pedro Neto’s composed finish midway through the first half, the Premier League side failed to maintain control in a second-half collapse. Neto latched onto a long ball, beat the offside trap, and calmly slotted past the goalkeeper to give the Blues the advantage.

Flamengo responded after the break with renewed energy and intensity. Bruno Henrique found space in the box and leveled the score with a powerful header, shifting momentum away from Chelsea. The turnaround was completed minutes later when Danilo capitalized on a defensive lapse to fire the South American champions into the lead.

Chelsea’s night worsened when forward Nicolas Jackson, who had just replaced Liam Delap, was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Wesley. Down to ten men, the London side struggled to cope with Flamengo’s pace and movement.

Wallace Yan sealed the win for the Brazilians late in the game, rounding off a swift counter-attack to put the result beyond doubt.

Speaking after the match, Chelsea interim boss Mark Robinson said: “It’s a tough loss. We didn’t manage the game well in the second half and the red card cost us.”

With one win and one loss, Chelsea now face a nervy final group match to secure progression.