Chelsea became the first English side to reach the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup following a 4-1 win after extra time against the 10-man Benfica in North Carolina.
Reece James scored the opening goal of the game in the 64th minute on Saturday, with a spectacular free kick from a tight angle on the left wing.
Angel Di Maria levelled the match in the fifth minute of stoppage time from the penalty spot after a soft handball decision against Malo Gusto.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall restored and sealed Chelsea’s advantage in extra time to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Palmeiras.
The result was the least the Blues deserved after dominating the match from start to finish.
The end was heavily delayed, however, when the players were removed from the field of play at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte by the referee due to a nearby lightning storm.
The delay was nearly two hours in length, despite only four minutes remaining of the match when the players left the field. Chelsea’s players were visibly annoyed by the decision to halt the game so close to the full-time whistle, and with victory in sight.
Unusually high temperatures for the time of year contributed to the inclement conditions. Both the cause and the effect are a concern ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup also being staged by the United States next summer.
It is the sixth time a Club World Cup match has been halted due to bad weather.
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