A Fabian Ruiz double helps Paris Saint-Germain thump Real Madrid to set up FIFA Club World Cup final against Chelsea.
Fabian Ruiz scored twice, Ousmane Dembele tallied a goal and an assist, and Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Real Madrid as well as Kylian Mbappe from the FIFA Club World Cup by sailing to a 4-0 semifinal win.
PSG built a 3-0 lead in 24 minutes, deflating the heavily pro-Madrid crowd on Wednesday. Goncalo Ramos, who subbed on for Dembele early in the second half, added a goal for good measure in the 87th minute.
Gianluigi Donnarumma parried one early shot by Mbappe and finished with two saves, but the PSG defence was otherwise unbothered en route to their fifth clean sheet in six tournament matches.
Wednesday marked Mbappe’s first time facing PSG, for whom he scored 256 goals over seven years before joining Madrid a year ago. After coming on as a substitute in the past two matches, Mbappe started up front alongside Gonzalo Garcia, but was held off the scoresheet.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was out of Real Madrid’s squad, reportedly due to a training injury.
PSG’s Fabian Ruiz scores their first goal [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Coming off its first European title, PSG will play for the championship on Sunday.
Real fared no better than Inter Milan, overrun by PSG 5-0 in the Champions League final. The 15-time European champions looked sluggish after travelling to Florida for training between games, and PSG had 76.5 percent possession in the first half.
A crowd of 77,542 was at MetLife Stadium on a scorching day, with a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) at kickoff and humidity that made it feel like 38C (101F).
PSG’s attack wasted no time, however, forcing Courtois to make two difficult saves during the first five minutes. But in the sixth, Dembele robbed Raul Asencio of the ball in the centre of the box, tapped it away from Courtois’s diving reach and set up Ruiz for a one-timer into the back of the net.
PSG’s Ousmane Dembele scores the second goal [Image Photo Agency/Getty Images]
Dembele made Madrid pay again when he closed in on Antonio Rudiger, who proceeded to whiff on a pass attempt in the defensive half. Dembele bolted away and beat Courtois in the bottom left corner for a 2-0 lead less than nine minutes in.
After Mbappe’s third shot of the day was blocked, PSG ran out on a clinical counterattack. Achraf Hakimi sprung free down the right side on a give-and-go with Dembele, and Hakimi’s cross set up Ruiz’s second goal in the 24th minute.
Paris Saint-Germain will face Chelsea on Sunday in the final. Chelsea won the title in 2021, while PSG will try to become the first team from France to capture the trophy.
PSG has earned $88.4m to $113.8m for reaching the final, the amount depending on a participation fee.
Kylian Mbappe speaks to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal [Michael Regan/FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images]
Jewel Thais-Williams, the founder of the pioneering Black lesbian and queer nightclub Jewel’s Catch One in Los Angeles, has died. She was 86.
Thais-Williams’ death was confirmed by KTLA and by several friends and employees of the club. No cause of death was immediately available.
For decades, the Mid-City nightclub — known to regulars as The Catch — was L.A.’s hallowed sanctuary for Black queer women, and a welcoming dance floor for trans, gay and musically adventurous revelers. Artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Madonna and Whitney Houston sashayed down Catch One’s winding halls, while the indomitable Thais-Williams fended off police harassment and led care programs during the height of the AIDS crisis.
The Catch was singularly important to the development of Black and queer nightlife in L.A., and belongs beside New York’s Paradise Garage and Chicago’s Warehouse in any account of the most important nightclubs in America.
“It was a community, it was family,” Thais-Williams told The Times in a 2018 interview. “To be honest myself, I was pretty much a loner too. I always had the fears of coming out, or my family finding out. I found myself there.”
Thais-Williams, born in Indiana in 1939, opened Jewel’s Catch One in 1973. She didn’t have ambitions to open a generationally important nightclub, just a more resilient business than her previous dress shop. However, her experience of being shunned as a Black woman by other local gay clubs bolstered her resolve to make the Catch welcoming for those left out of the scene in L.A.
Jewel’s Catch One on West Pico Boulevard.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
“I didn’t come into this business with the idea of it becoming a community center,” she said in 1992. “It started before AIDS and the riots and all that. I got the first sense of the business being more than just a bar and having an obligation to the community years ago when Black gays were carded — requiring several pieces of ID — to get into white clubs. I went to bat for them, though I would love to have them come to my place every night.
“The idea is to have the freedom to go where you want to without being harassed. The predominantly male, white gay community has its set of prejudices. It’s better now, but it still exists.”
Jewel’s Catch One became a kind of West Coast Studio 54, with disco-era visionaries like Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Sylvester, Rick James and Evelyn “Champagne” King performing to packed rooms. Celebrities like Sharon Stone and Whoopi Goldberg attended the parties, glad for wild nights out away from the paparazzi in Hollywood.
Thais-Williams “opened the door for so many people,” said Nigl “14k,” the Catch’s manager, doorperson and limo driver for 27 years up until its sale in 2015. “A lot of people that felt not wanted in West Hollywood had nowhere to go. But people found out who she was and put word out. She was a great friend and a shrewd businessperson who allowed people to just be themselves.”
The club’s many rooms allowed for a range of nightlife — strip shows, card games and jazz piano sets alongside DJ and live band performances [along with Alcoholics Anonymous meetings]. The boisterous, accepting atmosphere for Black queer partiers contrasted with the constant surveillance, regulation and harassment outside of it.
“There was a restriction on same sex dancing, women couldn’t tend bar unless they owned it,” Thais-Williams said in 2018. “The police were arresting people for anything remotely homosexual. We had them coming in with guns pretending to be looking for someone in a white T-shirt just so they could walk around.”
A fire in 1985 claimed much of the venue’s top floor, closing it for two years. Thais-Williams suspected that gentrifiers had their eye on her building.
“It’s very important not to give up our institutions — places of business that have been around for years,” she said. “Having a business that people can see can offer them some incentive to do it for themselves. I’m determined to win, and if I do fail or move on, I want my business to go to Black people who have the same interest that I have to maintain an economic presence in this community.”
Thais-Williams’ AIDS activism was crucial during the bleakest eras of the disease, which ravaged queer communities of color. She co-founded the Minority AIDS Project and served on the board of the AIDS Project Los Angeles, which provided HIV/AIDS care, prevention programs and public policy initiatives.
With her partner, Rue, she co-founded Rue’s House, one of the first dedicated housing facilities in the U.S. for women living with HIV. The facility later became a sober-living home. In 2001, Thais-Williams founded the Village Health Foundation, a healthcare and education organization focused on chronic diseases that affected the Black community.
Jewel Thais-Williams in 2015.
(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)
“Jewel is a true symbol of leadership within our community,” said Marquita Thomas, a Christopher Street West board member who selected Thais-Williams to lead the city’s Pride parade in 2018. “Her tireless efforts have positively affected the lives of countless LGBTQ minorities, [and her] dedication to bettering our community is truly inspiring.”
After decades in nightlife, facing dwindling crowds and high overhead for a huge venue, in 2015 Thais-Williams sold the venue to nightlife entrepreneur Mitch Edelson, who continues to host rock and dance nights in the club, now known as Catch One. (Edelson said the club is planning a memorial for Thais-Williams.)
“People in general don’t have appreciation anymore for their own institutions,” Thais-Williams told The Times in 2015. “All we want is something that’s shiny because our attention span is only going to last for one season and then you want to go somewhere else. The younger kids went to school and associated with both the straight people and non-Blacks, so they feel free to go to those spots. The whole gay scene as it relates to nightclubs has changed — a lot.”
After the sale, the importance of the club came into sharper focus. A 2018 Netflix documentary, “Jewel’s Catch One,” produced by Ava DuVernay’s company Array, highlighted The Catch’s impact on Los Angeles nightlife, and the broader music scene of the era. When Thais-Williams sold it, the Catch was the last Black-owned queer nightclub in the city.
In 2019, the square outside of Jewel’s Catch One was officially named for Thais-Williams.
“With Jewel’s Catch One, she built a home for young, black queer people who were often isolated and shut out at their own homes, and in doing so, changed the lives of so many” said then-City Council President Herb Wesson at the ceremony. “Jewel is more than deserving to be the first Black lesbian woman with a dedicated square in the city of Los Angeles for this and so many other reasons.”
L.A.’s queer nightlife scene is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic, broader economic forces and changing tastes among young queer audiences. Still, Thais-Williams’ vision and perseverance to create and sustain a home for her community will resonate for generations to come.
“Multiple generations of Black queer joy, safety, and community exist today because of Jewel Thais-Williams,” said Jasmyne Cannick, organizer of South L.A. Pride. “She didn’t just open doors — she held them open long enough for all of us to walk through, including this Gen-X Black lesbian. There’s a whole generation of younger Black queer folks out here in L.A. living their best life, not even realizing they’re walking through doors Jewel built from the ground up.”
“Long before Pride had corporate sponsors and hashtags, Jewel was out here creating space for us to gather, dance, organize, heal, and simply exist,” Cannick continued. “We owe her more than we could ever repay.”
Thais-Williams is survived by her wife and partner for 40 years, Rue.
Joao Pedro hits a brace on debut against former club Fluminense to send Chelsea into FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final.
England’s Chelsea defeated Fluminense of Brazil 2-0 to reach the final of the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup, with Blues debutant Joao Pedro netting twice against his boyhood club.
The Brazilian forward, who was at Fluminense from age 10 until leaving for Watford in 2020, curled his new club in front at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday from the left side of the box in the 18th minute.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Londoners from Brighton for $81.5m last week, sealed the win in the drilled effort that went in off the underside of the bar early in the second half.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro scores their first goal past Fluminense’s Fabio [Mike Segar/Reuters]
Temperatures were soaring in New Jersey, which will stage next summer’s FIFA 2026 World Cup, ahead of the 3pm kickoff.
A crowd of 70,556, which was only 10-15 percent short of capacity, attended the game, despite the 34 degrees Celsius (93F) at kickoff, with humidity that made it feel like 40C (104F).
FIFA had, however, cut ticket prices from $473.90 to $13.40 last week.
It did not take long for the action on the field to reach similarly heated levels soon after Pedro’s opener, when Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah handled in his own area.
Video Referee Assistant (VAR) intervened, and the original awarding of the penalty was overturned. Fluminense were incensed, but Chalobah’s arm was in a natural position by his side.
Fluminense’s best opening came moments earlier, when Marc Cucurella was forced to clear Hercules’s shot off the line in the 27th minute.
Former Chelsea defender Tiago Silva, who appeared 113 times for Brazil, lined up against his former club since departing the London club last October.
The 40-year-old was far busier than his former teammates in their defensive lines, with his keeper, Fabio, drawn into a number of saves.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro scores their second goal [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]
There was little the oldest player in the tournament, at 44, could do about either of Pedro’s strikes, the second a brilliant finish following a counterattack early in the 56th minute. Cole Palmer set the move in motion by dribbling past three players before laying off for Enzo Fernandez, who in turn laid on to Pedro.
Much like his first goal, where he took two steps to start to celebrate, then stopped and clasped his hands, Pedro showed respect to his former club by muting his response to both strikes.
Chelsea will now seek to secure a second FIFA Club World Cup, following their 2021 victory.
European teams will win their 12th straight Club World Cup title, and 17th in 18 tries, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil’s Corinthians over Chelsea.
The London-based club has earned $88.4m to $103.8m for reaching the final, the amount depending on a participation fee FIFA has not disclosed.
Who: Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) What: Semifinal 2, FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Where: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States When: Wednesday, July 9 at 3pm local time (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from noon (16:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
The last two winners of the UEFA Champions League clash for the remaining spot in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) when Real Madrid play Paris Saint-Germain in an epic face-off at the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium, just outside New York.
Real are hoping to add a record sixth CWC crown to their collection while PSG need to win this trophy to complete a rare quintuple of major titles in a single season.
The contest has some extra spice thrown in with superstar Kylian Mbappe, an ex-PSG player, lining up against his old club for the first time since signing with Real Madrid last year.
Here is all to know before the second CWC semifinal:
How did Real Madrid reach the semifinals?
Los Blancos finished atop Group H with two wins and one draw.
Real opened their CWC campaign with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in Miami, before thumping Mexican side Pachuca 3-1 in a rematch of their FIFA Intercontinental final last December. The Spaniards ensured a smooth passage into the knockout rounds with a 3-0 demolition of RB Salzburg in the final group fixture on June 27.
In the round of 16, Real played out a tough 1-0 win against timeless rivals Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium. They then prevailed in a five-goal thriller to eliminate Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a 2024 Champions League final rematch, capped off by Mbappe’s spectacular match-winning bicycle strike in the 94th minute.
Mbappe’s bicycle strike against Borussia Dortmund in stoppage time put Real Madrid through to the semifinals [File: Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images via Reuters]
How did PSG reach the semifinals?
PSG finished atop Group B with two wins and one loss.
They opened their Club World Cup with a dominant 4-0 victory against Atletico Madrid at the famous Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
In their second group fixture, the European champions suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Botafogo after a first-half goal from Igor Jesus proved to be the match-winner for the Brazilian side.
PSG bounced back in their final group match to defeat hosts Seattle 2-0 at Lumen Field to comfortably qualify for the knockout stage.
In the last 16, the French side demolished Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
In the quarterfinal, they hit top gear, crushing the challenge of German champions Bayern Munich to win 2-0 and cruise into the last four of the tournament.
Mbappe vs Dembele: The battle of the high-scoring forwards
Real Madrid have netted 11 goals in the Club World Cup so far, while PSG have 12; both teams have been boosted by the return of their injured star strikers, with Ousmane Dembele and Mbappe scoring in the quarterfinals.
The two forwards, who were teammates at PSG until Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid in June 2024 and play together for the France national team, enjoyed incredible offensive statistics in the 2024-25 season.
Mbappe’s superb goal against Dortmund on Saturday was his 44th for Real Madrid in 58 appearances this season.
Dembele, meanwhile, blossomed after Mbappe’s departure from the Paris club, switching from the wing to the attacking talisman role in coach Luis Enrique’s system, scoring 34 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions in 2024-25, and carrying PSG to domestic and European titles.
“I’m feeling really good. It’s the best season of my career,” Dembele told PSG’s official website. “I signed for PSG to have moments like this. It’s been an exceptional year, for me personally and for the team as a whole. It’s magnificent. But we want more. Once you’ve tasted it [championships], you want more.”
Once teammates, now rivals. Dembele, left, and Mbappe celebrate PSG’s French Cup Final victory over Olympique Lyonnais at Stade Pierre Mauroy, Decathlon Arena on May 25, 2024, in Villeneuve d’Ascq, France [Jean Catuffe/Getty Images]
Head-to-head
The last time these two sides met was in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in 2022 when Mbappe still played for PSG.
Real Madrid won the knockout match 3-2 on aggregate before going on to lift their 14th European title – but PSG were a very different team then, and that was before Enrique took charge of the French side.
How many Club World Cup titles have Real Madrid won?
Real Madrid have won the FIFA Club World Cup a record five times. Their last victory was in 2023 when they beat Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal 5-3.
They also won the trophy in 2015 and 2017, 2018 and 2019.
They also hold the most tournament wins (12) and the most total goals scored in the competition (40).
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr scores the match-winning fifth goal against Al Hilal in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final on February 11, 2023, in Rabat, Morocco [Michael Steele/Getty Images]
What titles have PSG already won this season?
PSG achieved their best season in club history in the 2024-25 campaign, winning a perfect four-out-of-four titles: Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophee des Champions and the UEFA Champions League trophy.
In doing so, PSG became the first French side to win a continental treble and also a continental quadruple.
If they win the FIFA Club World Cup, they can add a fifth trophy to their spectacular season, completing a rare quintuple of titles in one season.
Manchester City, in 2023, were the last club side to win five titles in a single season: Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup.
Team news: Real Madrid
Gonzalo Garcia, who has led the Real Madrid attack in Mbappe’s absence and scored four goals in five appearances, will likely hand back the starting job to the French superstar against PSG. Earlier in the tournament, Mbappe was hospitalised with gastroenteritis but is now believed to be ready to lead the line from the opening whistle.
“He is still not perfect, not 100 percent, but he is getting better every day,” Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said of Mbappe after their quarterfinal victory over Dortmund.
Centre back Dean Huijsen, who picked up a late red card against Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinal, will not play due to suspension.
Real continue to be without the injured trio of David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick.
Team news: PSG
Enrique will be without suspended defenders William Pacho and Lucas Hernandez after both were sent off in PSG’s 2-0 quarterfinal win over Bayern Munich. Lucas Beraldo is expected to be named Pacho’s replacement in the starting XI.
Up front, Dembele is a strong probability to make his first start of the tournament after coming on as a substitute against Munich, with Bradley Barcola moving to the bench.
PSG remain relatively injury-free with only Nordi Mukiele unavailable.
Injured during the group stage of the Club World Cup, Dembele, left, came on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal and is now pushing for a starting position against Real Madrid in the semifinal [Jason Allen/ISI Photos via Getty Images]
Possible lineups:
Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler, Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
Xabi Alonso, Real coach: “The tactical battle with Luis Enrique will be a big test for us. We will prepare for the upcoming game [PSG] in a positive spirit after today’s [quarterfinal] victory.”
Luis Enrique, PSG coach: “It doesn’t matter who we play in the semifinals. All that matters is that we are there and that we want to get to the final.”
Antonio Rudiger, Real defender: “PSG are a very, very tough team to play against,” Real defender Antonio Rudiger told FIFA. “They’ve shown they’re one of the best teams in Europe, so it’ll be a hard match. But we’re Real Madrid and we’re ready for the challenge.”
Xabi Alonso, centre, faces the biggest test of his young Real Madrid managerial career against European champions PSG in the Club World Cup semifinal at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
When: Tuesday, July 8 at 3pm local time (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from noon (16:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Chelsea will be hoping to seal their spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) final with victory against Brazil’s Fluminense in the opening semifinal on Tuesday.
The Blues are striving to become the first side to win the CWC for a second time but face a formidable task against the Rio de Janeiro giants, who are unbeaten in the tournament.
Here is all to know before their semifinal showdown at MetLife Stadium, just outside New York:
How did Chelsea reach the semifinals?
Chelsea finished second in Group D to another Brazilian super club, Flamengo.
The London-based club opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over Los Angeles FC, before stumbling to a tough 3-1 loss against Flamengo. They qualified for the knockout stage with a 3-0 defeat of Esperance de Tunisie.
Enzo Maresca’s side faced the Group C winners Benfica in the last 16, beating the Portuguese side 4-1 after extra time.
The Blues then played a second Brazilian club in the quarterfinals, beating Palmeiras 2-1 to qualify for the final four.
Cole Palmer, right, scores the first goal for Chelsea against Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, July 4, 2025 [Lee Smith/Reuters]
How did Fluminense reach the semifinals?
Fluminense, who qualified for the CWC as winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores, were unbeaten in Group F, finishing second behind Borussia Dortmund with one win and two draws.
They played out a 0-0 scoreline with Dortmund in their tournament opener, then defeated South Korean side Ulsan HD 4-2. In their final group fixture, they played out 0-0 against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
In the knockout phase, Fluminense upset Inter Milan 2-0 in Charlotte, then ended the fairytale run of Saudi club Al Hilal in the quarterfinal, winning 2-1 and booking their place in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Did Fluminense captain Thiago Silva play for Chelsea?
The inspirational 40-year-old, regarded by many as one of the greatest defenders of all time, is the former skipper of Chelsea, having played more than 150 matches for the English club from 2020 until 2024.
Silva was a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge and won three trophies during his time with Chelsea, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Silva is expected to be in the starting XI against his old club.
Fluminense’s Thiago Silva will suit up against his old club Chelsea in Tuesday’s Club World Cup semifinal [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Head-to-head
This will be the first competitive meeting between Fluminense and Chelsea.
When did Chelsea win the FIFA Club World Cup?
Chelsea won the 18th edition of the CWC in 2021, hosted in the United Arab Emirates.
The Blues won the final 2-1 against Palmeiras at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The tournament was originally planned to take place in late 2021 in Japan, but was moved to February 2022 in the UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea lifts the trophy after the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 final against Palmeiras at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE, February 12, 2022 [Francois Nel/Getty Images]
Is this the first CWC appearance for Fluminense?
Fluminense made their Club World Cup debut at the 2023 tournament in Saudi Arabia, making it all the way to the final in Jeddah where they lost to Manchester City 4-0.
Team news: Chelsea
Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill and Liam Delap after both received their second yellow cards of the tournament against Palmeiras in the quarterfinal.
Moises Caicedo will rejoin the Blues squad after serving his suspension.
On the injury front, Romeo Lavia and Reece James were both held back against Palmeiras and are questionable heading into Tuesday’s match. Omari Kellyman is unavailable for selection.
Team news: Fluminense
Fluminense will be without Juan Pablo Freytes and Mathues Martinelli – who scored the game-winner against Al Hilal in the quarterfinal – after both received their second yellow cards of the tournament in their last-eight final against the Saudi club.
Key defender Rene returns to the club from suspension and is expected to reclaim his place in the starting XI at the expense of Gabriel Fuentes, whom coach Renato Gaucho might redeploy in an attacking midfield role against Chelsea.
Talisman Jhon Arias should again lead Fluminense’s forward line.
Central midfielder Otavio was a pretournament scratching after suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon tear in May.
Jhon Arias has enjoyed a breakout tournament for Fluminense at the FIFA CWC 2025, providing the Brazilian side with a constant attacking threat [File: Carl Recine/FIFA via Getty Images]
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said: “I watched some games that they [Fluminense] have played. And you can see that they are very well-organised. They have some very good players. The manager [Gaucho] is doing a fantastic job.”
“And again, it will be the same [in the semi] final. The energy from the Brazilian team in this competition has been high … Probably … because you are starting now the season, while we are finishing the season. So, the energy is normal. It is different. And we try to deal with that in a different way.”
Renato Gaucho, who has helped Fluminense defy the odds to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al Hilal in the quarterfinals, spoke after his side qualified for the semifinal against Chelsea.
“It is another step forward, thanks to everyone’s efforts. Participating in the Club World Cup is a unique opportunity … We do not know when we will have the chance to participate again. I dedicate this qualification [victory over Al Hilal] to our fans, and I imagine the wonderful atmosphere in Rio de Janeiro, just as it was wonderful here in the stadium, it was a deserved victory.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca during training in Miami, Florida, US, on July 3, 2025 [Marco Bello/Reuters]
The Money Saving Club team are on hand to bring you all the latest news, tips and deals that can help parents stretch their budget for the summer holidays
There are plenty of easy tricks to help you stretch that budget this summer(Image: Getty)
The school summer holidays are nearly upon us, and while that means plenty of quality time with the kids, it also means having to come up with plenty of ways to enjoy that quality time with the kids.
Any parent will know the pressure of trying to navigate hiked up prices during the holidays, trying to find days out, alternatives for rainy days and generally trying to keep the kids entertained for six to seven weeks.
As well as having to get creative, that all comes with plenty of costs and it can feel like your summer budget quickly disappears even if you’re minding the pennies and trying to limit how often you end up eating out or dashing to the cinema when the British weather doesn’t play nicely.
That’s where the Money Saving Club can step in to help. The dedicated team seek out all of the best deals, money-saving tricks and latest news that they hand pick and send in a weekly newsletter, to help you stretch that holiday budget.
There’s something for everyone with a holiday planned this summer(Image: Getty Images)
It’s free and easy to sign up – simply click here, enter your email address and then select the topics that are most relevant for you. Each week you’ll receive an email direct in your inbox with a round-up of the latest news and tips that have caught the team’s eye, whether it’s a warning from an expert over changes to government schemes, or an easy trick a fellow mum or dad has discovered that has been a game-changer for their household bills.
Although you can choose from a wide array of topics, this summer you may want to closely follow their round-up of all the latest travel and shopping news, especially if you’re trying to stick to a tighter budget due to the cost of living.
The Money Saving Club team round-up the latest news and tips they think you’ll love, with something for everyone whether you’re opting for a staycation or taking the kids abroad.
We’re talking discounted days out, free activities for the families, and simple money-saving hacks shared by fellow parents. If you’re heading abroad, they offer plenty of tips including how to cut costs on holidays and swerve fines or hidden costs, how to save before you head abroad and even how to get the best value for your money while you’re away.
Of course alongside that there are plenty of day-to-day tips and tricks including cheap and cheerful ways to stay cool in those pesky heatwaves, or the latest money news and deadlines you’ll want to be aware of whether it’s to cut your bills or sign up to a government scheme that can help you with your finances.
You can sign up to the Money Saving Club here to receive your weekly dose of money tips direct in your inbox, with topics including travel, shopping and discounts, utilities and plenty more.
As players continue to ask the Grand Slams for more prize money, the chair of the All England Club has suggested those questions would be better directed to the regular tour events.
Representatives of top 10 players met officials at Wimbledon last week to discuss increasing prize money and having a greater say in the running of the Grand Slams.
The Professional Tennis Players’ Association, meanwhile, has begun legal action against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
It claims prize money is artificially restricted and the 11-month season is “unsustainable”.
Players have frequently pointed to the vast revenues generated by the Grand Slams, and feel they deserve a significantly larger return.
“For a lot of players, it’s playing for Slams that provides the income for [financing a year on] the whole tour – so the sport needs to look at itself,” Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, told BBC Sport.
“Something like golf, where they earn the majority of money on the tour and less at the majors, is flipped over in tennis.
“As much as we’re asked to look at ourselves, I do think the tour events need to look at themselves as well.”
People have been left scratching their heads after trying this tricky brainteaser that only 1% of people can answer successfully – do you have what it takes to solve it?
The brainteaser was featured on ITV’s The 1% Club(Image: ITV)
If you can solve this baffling riddle, you could be able to consider yourself among the top 1% of brains in the country – as a staggering 99% will fail to get the answer correct.
Solving brainteasers is a fantastic way to boost your cognitive function and give your brain a much-needed workout, which is as important for your body as regular exercise is for keeping you physically fit. Puzzles can improve your problem-solving skills, improve your pattern recognition, and can even help to stave off the onset of some degenerative diseases such as dementia – so they’re definitely worth a go if you have a spare couple of minutes.
This particular puzzle was set by the question writers on the ITV game show The 1% Club. In the show, the questions start off easy, with ones that 90% of people can solve, and go all the way down to the dreaded 1% question that’s deemed so difficult that 99% of people fail to get it right.
And one recent 1% question that was asked on the show was later shared on TikTok, where it left people scratching their heads as they struggled to solve it.
The question was this: What new word links the capitalised words below?
“My SON TED ate raw FOOD and got SICK, then went to BED with me by his SIDE.”
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You’ll need to think outside the box for this one. There are numerous ways the words could be “linked”, and you’ll need to work out what the connection is. Do they all have something in common? Can they all have letters added to the beginning or the end to create new words?
Don’t worry if it looks confusing. The puzzle is designed to be complicated, and there’s no shame in not being able to solve this one. Part of the fun of completing these brainteasers is learning what the pattern is, so that the next time you take one of these on, you’ll know what to look for!
If you think you can give this one a crack, though, keep studying it for as long as you need. Contestants on the show only get a short 30 seconds to solve each question, but you don’t have to be that strict with yourself unless you really want to show your skills.
Whenever you’re ready to see the answer, scroll down to find out if you were right.
Answer
The answer is the word “sea”. Each capitalised word in the sentence can be preceded by the word “sea” to make a new word, such as season, seated, seafood, seasick, seabed, and seaside.
Several people in the comments of the TikTok video were tripped up by the confusing question, with some coming up with strange answers that were far from accurate.
One person said: “Son and Ted are both human (they can get sick), Food and Sick (also connect because bad food can cause sickness, Bed and Side (can also be connected with health), the issue is Sickness is not a new word!”
Another simply responded: “Bedside.”
However, many others believed the answer was “obvious”, with some even saying they couldn’t see why the question was deemed too difficult for all but 1% of people.
Jarry has fallen down the rankings because of an ear condition which affects his balance and vision, but has reminded everyone of his talent over the past fortnight.
After coming through three Wimbledon qualifying matches, he won another three in the main draw – starting with a stunning win from two sets down over eighth seed Holger Rune.
Opportunities against the world number 143’s serve are difficult to obtain – he hit 46 aces – and Norrie clinically took his chance in the first set to break for 5-3 before serving out.
A tight second set offered even fewer chances to either man, but it was again Norrie who struck at a crucial time.
Upping the aggression in his return of serve at the start of the tie-break led to a mini-break that he never relinquished, with a pinpoint cross-court winner on set point proving bold and brilliant.
The third and fourth sets were similarly balanced. With Jarry serving big and Norrie scrapping, it always felt likely they would be decided by tie-breaks.
Norrie led 4-2 in both but could not convert his advantage as Jarry roared back, but he reset wonderfully to eventually end his opponent’s resistance after striking early in the decider.
It sparked jubilant scenes in a partisan atmosphere on Court One, where Norrie has now won nine of his 10 career matches.
“It was a nice moment. It feels a little more deserved coming back from the injury and trying to push back into the top of the game,” said Norrie, who will climb back into the top 50 next week.
“All the hard work, it’s paid off. I’ve been a dedicated professional and have a good team around me. These moments are the icing on the cake.”
An epic all-European clash and an upstart Brazilian side takes on London’s finest in the final four.
Three European teams and one from South America have their sights set on the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) 2025 trophy as the tournament enters the semifinal stage on Tuesday.
The final two clubs qualified for the final four on Saturday. UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) spectacularly defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarterfinals despite being reduced to nine men. Five-time CWC winners Real Madrid played out a five-goal thriller to beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 to seal their semifinal spot.
Here’s how the Club World Cup semifinals line up:
⚽ First semifinal : Fluminense vs Chelsea
When: Tuesday at 3pm (19:00 GMT) Where: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The opening semifinal pitches Brazil’s Fluminense against English Premier League side Chelsea.
Fluminense continue to impress at the CWC with goals from Matheus Martinelli and Hercules securing their place in the last four with a 2-1 win against Al Hilal in Orlando, Florida.
Chelsea scored the go-ahead goal on Malo Gusto’s 83rd-minute shot, which went in after a pair of deflections, beating Palmeiras 2-1 on Friday night to secure their spot in the semifinals.
Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead in the 16th minute, but Estevao, an 18-year-old who will transfer to Chelsea after the CWC, tied the score against his future club in the 53rd. Gusto’s match-winning shot after a short corner kick that appeared to deflect off defender Agustin Giay and goalkeeper Weverton sent the Chelsea fans among the 65,782 spectators into a frenzy.
The match will take place at the 88,000-seat MetLife Stadium just outside New York City.
Cole Palmer of Chelsea scores the opening goal during the quarterfinal against Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field on July 4, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Chris Brunskill/Fantasista via Getty Images]
⚽ Second semifinal: PSG vs Real Madrid
When: Wednesday at 3pm (19:00 GMT) Where: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The second semifinal features a mouthwatering European heavyweight matchup between PSG and Real Madrid.
Nine-man Paris Saint-Germain advanced after defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 with goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele keeping the French side on track to achieve a historic quadruple of major titles in one season.
Luis Enrique’s side needed to dig deep in front of 67,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, after late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez.
Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring his team’s second goal in the quarterfinal against Bayern Munich on July 5, 2025 [Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP]
Meanwhile, Gonzalo Garcia scored his fourth goal of the Club World Cup and Kylian Mbappe his first as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the final quarterfinal on Saturday.
Garcia put Madrid ahead from close range early on during a hot afternoon at the MetLife Stadium, and Fran Garcia then doubled their lead before the midway point.
Dortmund never seriously threatened a comeback before a remarkable late flurry of activity with Maximilian Beier pulling one back in the 93rd minute and superstar forward Mbappe registering Madrid’s third goal with a stunning overhead kick.
Mbappe, who has battled illness for most of the CWC, will face his previous club PSG for the first time since he departed the Paris-based side for Real Madrid in June 2024.
A map of the 11 host cities staging the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 [Al Jazeera]
The final will be played on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium, which will also the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The winning team in the Club World Cup could pocket as much as $125m in prize money.
“As hard as it was to do it, I had to push myself to focus on what my job and role was. I tried to do it as best as I could, but it was difficult and I am not going to lie about that.
“[Jota] was one of my close friends – and I am sure that’s what he would have wanted me to do. I’m sure we would have had a laugh and joke about the assist as well. He was there with me, I am sure.”
Alexander-Arnold said the Portuguese forward was “someone who lit up the room when he was in it”.
“I shared the dressing room with him for five years – amazing memories on and off the pitch,” he added.
“It goes without saying he will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in all our memories for the amazing man and the player he was.”
Alexander-Arnold said it had been “very emotional and heartwarming to see the footballing world come together to show their love and support for [Jota], his brother and their family”.
“I’ve been around him, his brother, his family, his amazing wife, his amazing parents and his amazing children. It’s truly, truly heartbreaking to wake up to news like that,” added the England international.
“It’s something you never expect.”
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe was among the players who paid tribute to Jota on Saturday, with the France forward indicating number 20 after scoring an acrobatic late goal, in recognition of Jota’s Liverpool shirt number.
Frenchman Ousmane Dembele also paid a tribute to the Portuguese by copying his Fifa gaming celebration after sealing a 2-0 win for Paris St-Germain against Bayern Munich, which set up a last-four meeting with Real Madrid.
Désiré Doué scored in the 78th minute, and Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to another trophy with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup on Saturday, a game marred by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala.
With PSG two men down after a pair of late red cards and Bayern throwing everyone forward, Ousmane Dembélé added an insurance goal deep into stoppage time to send the French powerhouse on to the semifinals Wednesday.
Dembélé, whose goal was set up by Achraf Hakimi’s brilliant dribbling through five Bayern defenders, celebrated by sitting with his legs crossed to honor Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who was killed along with his brother in a car wreck early Thursday. A moment of silence was held before the opening kick.
“We do what we have to do to take the victory,” Hakimi said. “We are really happy. We know Bayern is one of the teams that plays similarly to us. They are a strong team. It was a really good effort today, a really good game.”
PSG, which claimed its first Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan five weeks ago, broke a scoreless deadlock when João Neves stole the ball from Harry Kane near the halfway line to send the French team sprinting toward the Bayern goal.
Neves got the ball back off a give-and-go and found Doué lurking just outside the top of the area. His left-footed shot caught Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer flat-footed as it skidded inside the right post.
But PSG had to hold on for dear life to preserve the win after Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández were both sent off with red cards. Pacho was called for a reckless challenge and Hernandez earned red for doling out an elbow.
Bayern had two apparent goals flagged for offside, including a header by Kane. In the waning seconds, the German club was awarded a penalty kick, only to have it waved off after a video review.
Musiala’s injury marred the outcome. As he chased a loose ball near the end line in first-half stoppage time, PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma darted off his spot and dived for it — only to crash into the left ankle of the 22-year-old German.
As Musiala rolled over, his foot dangled awkwardly, the ankle appearing to be cleanly broken.
Donnarumma walked away with the ball but kneeled down in horror when he looked back and realized the seriousness of the injury.
A stretcher was immediately summoned to take Musiala off the field.
Real Madrid beats Borussia Dortmund
Kylian Mbappé’s spectacular bicycle kick was among three goals in second-half stoppage time, and Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois used his fingertips to palm away the potential tying goal on the game’s final play.
Gonzalo García and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2-0 lead.
Courtois used all of the lengthy arm on his 6-foot-7 frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the final whistle.
Chelsea wins, reaches semifinal
Chelsea scored the go-ahead goal on Malo Gusto’s 83rd-minute shot that went in after a pair of deflections, beating Brazilian club Palmeiras 2-1 on Friday night in Philadelphia for a spot in the Club World Cup semifinals. Chelsea will meet Fluminense on Tuesday at noon.
Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers as the French forward continues comeback in Real Madrid’s 3-2 win against Dortmund.
Kylian Mbappe’s spectacular bicycle kick was among three goals in the second-half stoppage time, as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match.
The drama was not restricted to the late goals, with Real keeper Thibaut Courtois using his fingertips to palm away the potential levelling goal from the game’s final play.
Gonzalo Garcia and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2-0 lead.
Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier scored three minutes into stoppage time, and Mbappe, who entered in the 67th, restored a two-goal lead with his bicycle kick one minute later.
Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty kick in the eighth minute of added time after he was fouled by Dean Huijsen, who received a red card and will miss the semifinals.
Courtois used all of the lengthy arm on his 200cm (6ft 7in) frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the final whistle.
Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois saves a shot from Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer [Vincent Carchietta/Reuters]
Madrid advanced to a semifinal match against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, a day after Chelsea meets Brazilian club Fluminense.
On a sunny afternoon, in 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) at the 3pm kickoff, Gonzalo Garcia scored in the 10th minute and Fran Garcia in the 20th.
Garcia, a 21-year-old who made only five Spanish league appearances in the past two seasons, was given the start by new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso over Mbappe, who is still regaining fitness after acute gastroenteritis.
Garcia has four goals, tying Benfica’s Angel Di María and Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo for the tournament lead.
Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia scores their first goal past Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel [Hannah McKay/Reuters]
Mbappe came on for Jude Bellingham, who missed a chance to play against his brother, Jobe, who was suspended for yellow-card accumulation.
Madrid beat Dortmund 2-0 in the 2024 Champions League final and overcame a two-goal halftime deficit in a 5-2 victory in this season’s league phase. Los Blancos were eliminated by Arsenal in this year’s Champions League quarterfinals.
Madrid has won five consecutive games against Dortmund and is unbeaten in seven since a 2014 Champions League quarterfinal defeat.
American midfielder Gio Reyna did not get off the bench and finished the tournament with one 13-minute appearance for Dortmund in five matches.
This game drew 76,611 fans to MetLife Stadium, the site of next year’s World Cup final. Seats looked filled, except for a completely empty suite level on one side.
There was a moment of silence before kickoff for Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and his brother, Penafiel’s Andre Silva, who died in a car crash on Thursday.
PSG will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals after winning a lively game against the German champions.
Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to another trophy with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup, a game marred by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala.
After Desire Doue broke the deadlock with a 78th-minute strike in Atlanta on Saturday, PSG soon found themselves down to nine men after a pair of late red cards.
But with Bayern throwing everyone forward in search of an equaliser, Ousmane Dembele added an insurance goal deep into stoppage time to send the French powerhouse into the semifinals, where they will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey on Wednesday. PSG’s keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a pair of exceptional first-half saves.
In the 27th minute, he sprang to his right to parry Michael Olise’s goal-bound effort from just beyond the corner of the six-yard box. In the 41st, he sprawled the opposite direction to keep Aleksandar Pavlovic’s effort, an intended early cross that was inches in front of Musiala near the penalty spot, from creeping inside the right post.
Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer was also called into action during the first half, thwarting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s effort from close range at the near post with an outstretched arm in the 32nd minute. Four minutes into the second half, he dove left to deny Bradley Barcola on the break.
But Musiala’s sickening injury marred the end of the half. As he chased a loose ball near the byline in first-half stoppage time, Donnarumma darted off his spot and dived for it, only to crash into the left ankle of the 22-year-old German.
As Musiala rolled over, his foot dangled awkwardly, the ankle appearing to be cleanly broken.
Donnarumma walked away with the ball, but knelt down in horror when he looked back and realised the seriousness of the injury. A stretcher was immediately summoned to take Musiala off the field.
Both teams walked towards the locker rooms in stunned silence, with the PSG keeper appearing to be close to tears. He was booed throughout the second half by Bayern fans each time he touched the ball.
PSG, which claimed their first Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan five weeks ago, broke the impasse late in the second half when Joao Neves stole the ball from Harry Kane near the halfway line to send the French team sprinting towards the Bayern goal.
Neves got the ball back off a give-and-go and found Doue lurking just outside the top of the area. His left-footed shot caught Neuer flat-footed as it skidded inside the right post.
But PSG had to hold on for dear life to preserve the win after Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez were both sent off with red cards.
Referee Anthony Taylor dismissed Pacho in the 82nd minute for his dangerous challenge on Bayern’s Thomas Muller, and sent off Hernandez in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for an elbow in the face of Raphael Guerreiro.
Bayern had two goals overruled for offside in the game, including a late header by Kane.
As Bayern pressed for an equaliser, PSG broke on a counterattack and Dembele doubled their advantage deep into stoppage time following some brilliant setup work by Achraf Hakimi, who beat three defenders, then fed Dembele for a first-time low finish that left Neuer little chance.
In the waning seconds, the German club was awarded a penalty kick, only to have it waved off after a video review.
PSG’s captain, Marquinhos, lauded PSG’s attitude to see out the game.
“It is always difficult to play with two fewer players, but today, the team showed the attitude and desire to get the job done,” Marquinhos told DAZN.
“That second goal was really important, especially in a huge competition like this.”
PSG right back Hakimi said his side had beaten one of the best teams in the competition and a big “rival”.
“We are really happy and proud of the team effort. We had a tough team against us, I think we did what we had to do to take the victory,” Hakimi told DAZN.
Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1 to reach the semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup where they will face Fluminense.
A late own goal off Palmeiras defender Agustin Giay lifted Chelsea to a 2-1 victory in Philadelphia, sending the Premier League side into the Club World Cup semifinals.
A shot by Chelsea’s Malo Gusto from the right side deflected off Palmeiras’ Richard Rios and Giay. Goalkeeper Weverton was unable to control the caroming ball before it went into the net.
Chelsea will play Fluminense on Tuesday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Brazilian side defeated Al Hilal 2-1 earlier on Friday.
Palmeiras’ Weverton scores Chelsea second with an own goal [Susana Vera/Reuters]
Cole Palmer scored his first of the tournament in the 16th minute for Chelsea before Estevao, who will join Chelsea after the tournament, tied it in the 53rd minute.
Palmer had been criticised by the Chelsea fans for his lack of production despite leading the team in shots on goal during the tournament.
He proved his worth on the goal, taking a pass from Trevoh Chalobah and dribbling from just outside the box to 15 yards out before scoring with a left-footed strike.
“I’ve been working on … the shot in training. I just saw the space and went there,” Palmer told DAZN after the match.
“The manager just said to keep calm and do lots of passes, and we should be all right.”
Chelsea fans didn’t know whether to cheer or cry, however, when Estevao tied it with a brilliant, tight-angle shot for the equaliser.
Estevao of Palmeiras scores his team’s first goal past Robert Sanchez of Chelsea during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarterfinal [Carl Recine/FIFA via Getty Images]
He made a verbal agreement with Chelsea in May 2024 but was not permitted to move to England until he turned 18 on April 24, delaying his transfer to the current window.
The clubs arranged that he would remain with Palmeiras until their tournament run ended.
“You can see he [Estevao] is a top player, so we are excited for him [to join Chelsea after the tournament],” Palmer said of his soon-to-be teammate.
Joao Pedro made his Chelsea debut in the 54th minute, two days after his signing from Brighton & Hove Albion of the Premier League was confirmed.
The Brazilian had 10 goals and six assists for Brighton last season.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer scores their first goal of the game [Lee Smith/Reuters]
Pedro’s new manager at Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, was glowing about all aspects of the win.
“It has been a tough game, as we expected,” the Blues boss told DAZN.
“We needed lots of energy. At the end, congratulations to the players because they were very good.
“I’m happy because we won, and also happy because Estevao scored. The perfect night.”
Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund, while Paris-Saint Germain take on Bayern Munich in the other quarterfinals on Saturday.
Brazil’s Fluminense earn hard-fought 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal to book place in semifinals.
Substitute Hercules scored his second goal in as many second-half appearances to send Fluminense into the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Al Hilal in Orlando, Florida.
The tournament underdogs struck first on Friday through Matheus Martinelli in the first half before Al Hilal hit back after the break when Marcus Leonardo found the net.
But Fluminense refused to be denied and regained their lead in the 70th minute through Hercules to secure a memorable win over Al Hilal in the first meeting between the two clubs.
The Brazilian side, who entered the tournament as one of the biggest long shots, will now face the winners of Friday’s other quarterfinal clash between fellow Brazilians Palmeiras and English Premier League side Chelsea.
Al Hilal exit despite a fourth tournament goal for striker Leonardo.
The Saudi side was the last from Asia remaining, having pulled off the tournament’s biggest upset with a 4-3, extra-time victory over Manchester City in the second round on Monday.
Martinelli put Fluminense in front in the 40th minute with a brilliant strike. His first touch took Gabriel Fuentes’s pass beyond a charging Al Hilal defender, and his second unleashed a ferocious left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to the top right corner from about 15 yards (14 metres).
A minute into first-half stoppage time, Fluminense keeper Fabio sprawled to his left to push Kalidou Koulibaly’s powerful header beyond the post.
After nearly levelling before halftime, Koulibaly won another dangerous header six minutes into the second from a corner.
This time it landed at the feet of Leonardo, who balanced himself and scooped a finish from close range past Fabio and two defenders on the line.
It remained level four minutes later when Bounou sprawled to his right to take the ball off the feet of German Cano, who was trying to dribble round him after intercepting a pass deep in the attacking half.
Hercules put Fluminense in front for good in the 70th when he was rewarded for his own persistence.
After his first long-range shot was deflected high into the air, he continued his run forward as teammate Samuel Xavier won the next header.
It landed at the feet of Hercules, whose wonderful first touch put him in shooting position before his second sent a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner, prompting jubilation from yet another largely pro-Brazilian crowd at this tournament.
Al Hilal pressured Fluminense in the dying stages, but could not create a clear chance on Fabio’s goal.
Fluminense head coach Renato Portaluppi praised his players after the match.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game, but I am so pleased with the way my players reacted,” Portaluppi told DAZN. “I am so happy that we have gone through to the semifinals.”
Asked about what he said to Hercules when he came off the bench for the second half, he replied: “I told him just to keep doing what he has to do. He would have the opportunity to score, and when it came, he took it.”
Meanwhile, it was a tough day for Al Hilal’s Portuguese players competing just a day after the Liverpool FC and Portugal national team star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain.
They were honoured with a pregame moment of silence, and cameras showed Al Hilal starters and Portuguese compatriots Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo in tears during the tribute.
Record FIFA Club World Cup winners Real Madrid meet fellow Europeans, Borussia Dortmund, in the quarterfinals.
Who: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund What: FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Where:MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States When: Saturday, July 5 at 4pm local time (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 6pm local (22:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Record FIFA Club World Cup winners Real Madrid face the side they beat to claim the 2024 European crown, Borussia Dortmund, for a place in the semifinals.
Real lifted the Champions League trophy two seasons ago with a 2-0 win at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom, now Dortmund have the chance to exact revenge by ending Real’s hunt for a sixth FIFA title.
That set up a blockbuster round-of-16 tie with fellow European giants Juventus. Gonzalo Garcia’s 54th-minute header was enough to seal a 1-0 win for the Spaniards against the Italians.
Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia scores his side’s winning goal against Juventus [Marco Bello/Reuters]
How did Borussia Dortmund reach the quarterfinals?
Dortmund also opened with a draw – a 0-0 stalemate against Fluminense – but secured wins against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai.
Their top spot in Group F lead to a round-of-16 meeting with Mexico’s Monterrey. Serhou Guirassy netted in the 14th and 24th minutes, with German Berterame tightening matters in a 2-1 win for the German club.
What happened in Real Madrid’s last meeting with Borussia Dortmund?
The sides have already had one rerun of the 2024 Champions League final when they met in the League Phase of last season’s competition.
Dortmund, however, missed out on the chance to get one back on Real, who ran out 5-2 winners in the match in Spain.
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe comes on as a substitute [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Real Madrid team news
Kylian Mbappe continues his return from an illness which kept him out of the group stage of the tournament. The French forward did, however, make his first appearance at this year’s CWC when he came off the bench in the 68th minute of the win against Juventus.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham serves a one-match ban following a second booking of the competition in the win against Monterrey. It means there will be no head-to-head with his brother, Jude.
Head-to-head
This is the 17th meeting between the sides, with Real winning on eight occasions and Dortmund claiming the spoils in three of the encounters.
The Spaniards haven’t lost in the last six meetings, claiming four wins in that time. The run included the Champions League final two seasons ago when Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior’s goals secured the trophy for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid’s Nacho lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Champions League [Lee Smith/Reuters]
How many Club World Cups have Real Madrid won?
Real Madrid have lifted the trophy, in its various guises, on a record five occasions, with their 2023 victory against Al Hilal being the last.
That does not include lifting the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December after their victory against Pachuca, despite that competition taking on the former format of the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso’s pre-match thoughts
“I’m really delighted with the result [against Juventus], going through, and with the performance as well. We had to work, it was going to be tough, but we were professional and did really well.”
Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac’s pre-match thoughts
“We know [Xabi Alonso] very well. He worked two and a half years in Germany, and he did a fantastic job. Now he’s implementing everything he had at Bayer Leverkusen at Real Madrid. So we’re expecting the same what we had in Leverkusen, only with different players. We’re looking forward to it, but you have to play football for 90 minutes, and if we put everything on to the pitch, I think that we will have a good chance.”
Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain face German giants Bayern Munich in FIFA’s Club World Cup quarterfinals.
Who: PSG vs Bayern Munich What: FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals Where:Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States When: Saturday, July 4 at 12pm (16:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 9am local (13:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Fresh from lifting the UEFA Champions League for the first time, Paris Saint-Germain will continue their plight for a first FIFA Club World Cup when they face German giants Bayern Munich.
The Parisian lifted both the French league and cup along with their European success this season, while Bayern won their 34th Bundesliga title.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the all-European clash for a place in the final four.
How did PSG reach the quarterfinals?
PSG lost their final group stage match 1–0 to Brazil’s Botafogo, but progressed with earlier wins against Atletico Madrid and Seattle Sounders.
A meeting with former star Lionel Messi awaited in the round of 16, where the Parisians beat Inter Miami 4-0 with Joao Neves netting twice.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves scores their first goal [Alex Grimm/Reuters]
How did Bayern Munich reach the quarterfinals?
The Germans opened with a 10-0 thrashing of New Zealand side Auckland City, before confirming their progress with a 2-1 win against Argentina’s Boca Juniors.
Benfica shocked Bayern with a 1-0 win in the final group-stage match, which left the Munich-based club to face Flamengo in the round of 16.
Bayern raced into an early two-goal lead before running out 4-2 winners with a Harry Kane double.
Have Bayern Munich won the Club World Cup?
Yes. Bayern had lifted FIFA’s club competition on two occasions – beating Morocco’s Raja Casablanca in 2013 and UANL of Mexico in 2020.
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich celebrates a goal in the corner during a 2025 FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 match against Flamengo [Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images]
Who will PSG or Bayern face in the semifinal?
The winner of this match will play the winner of quarterfinal four – between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund – in the last four.
The final quarterfinal match follows the conclusion of the PSG and Bayern tie, and will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Head-to-head
This is the 15th meeting between the sides, with Bayern winning eight and PSG six of the matchups so far.
Their first meeting came in 1994, with PSG winning both matches in the Champions League group stages.
The teams were also pitted together in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon, with Bayern winning 1-0 thanks to a header from former PSG player Kingsley Coman.
PSG team news
PSG could hand Ousmane Dembele his first start of the tournament, following his substitute appearance in the 4-0 win against Inter Miami.
Bayern Munich team news
Jamal Musiala managed 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the win against Flamengo and could feature once again as he continues his comeback from injury.
Leroy Sane has left the club, having completed his move to Galatasaray, while Coman could miss out with a knock.
PSG coach Luis Enrique’s pre-match thoughts
“At this stage of the competition, it will be difficult no matter who the opponent is. Now is the time to think about resting, we need to prepare well for the match, but we have the time to do so. We’re very happy.”
Bayern striker Harry Kane’s pre-match thoughts
“We have to believe [we can win the Club World Cup] for sure. We’re going up against a tough opponent in the next round, no doubt, Champions League winners. We have to be ready for that, but we feel like, on our day, we can beat anyone. It would be a dream come true to go all the way and win it, but there’s games before that.”
Manchester City, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid and Porto have already been sent packing, while both teams from Argentina – Boca Juniors and River Plate – have also been eliminated.
Brazil’s Flamengo and Botafogo fell at the last-16 stage, but the country’s remaining two sides hope to march on.
“This tournament is a priority in the way an Olympic athlete will do all of his training and programming to peak at a specific time,” Vickery tells BBC Sport.
“Certainly for Palmeiras, who really want to win it. This is an absolute priority for them and they have programmed to be at their peak now.”
Could the climate, which the Brazilian teams are used to, be helping give them an edge?
Both Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have mentioned the extreme heat since the tournament started.
“It is almost impossible to train or to make a session because of the weather,” said Maresca last week, while Guardiola said before last Thursday’s match with Juventus that his players must be prepared to “suffer” in the challenging heat of Orlando.
The soaring temperatures across the United States have led to matches across the competition implementing water breaks during games.
But not all players have struggled in the heat.
“We’re used to it,” Botafogo right-back Vitinho, who spent two years at Burnley, said of the high temperatures.
Another factor to consider is that all four teams from Brazil had broken away from their domestic season, which runs from March until December, to take part.
While they appear fresh and sharp, teams from Europe went into the Club World Cup on the back of long seasons.
PSG’s first game against Atletico Madrid in Pasadena on 15 June came 15 days after their 5-0 mauling of Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich.
Vickery adds: “A few weeks ago the Flamengo president was saying to a mate of mine ‘we’re flying in mid-season’.
“For the European clubs… is it the end of their season? Is it pre-season? The European clubs, their planning hasn’t been to peak now.”
Vickery believes there is something else to factor into the conversation about Brazilian clubs doing well.
“There is more money in Brazilian football [than before]” he says. “The standard has risen over the last few seasons. One reason is because of the influx of foreign coaches.
“Of the four Brazilian clubs here – two have Portuguese coaches [Abel Ferreira – Palmeiras and Renato Paiva – Botafogo].
“There’s plenty of Portuguese and Argentine coaches in Brazilian football and it’s brought more ideas. Even Filipe Luis, the Brazilian coaching Flamengo, his back-up staff are all Spanish.
“There’s an openness to new ideas that there wasn’t a few years ago.”
Mendonca adds: “The timing of this competition is very good for South American teams. They are in the middle of their season, they are very well prepared physically.
“They have better conditions now to keep their talented players and even bring back some players. Flamengo, for example, signed Jorginho after leaving Arsenal, while Danilo and Alex Sandro have come from Juventus.
“Also Botafogo, they have kept Igor Jesus for this competition. After this he will go to Nottingham Forest.
“These are aspects that explain why Brazilian teams are performing very well.”
British number one Jack Draper’s wait for a breakout Wimbledon run continues after a shock second-round defeat by 36-year-old Marin Cilic.
Fourth seed Draper lost 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 to Croatia’s Cilic, who reached the SW19 final in 2017 but is now ranked 83rd in the world.
It means the 23-year-old Englishman has still not reached the third round in any of his four appearances at the All England Club.
Draper was widely considered as the fourth favourite for the men’s title – behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
But, in the first Championships of the post-Andy Murray era, Draper has suffered another frustrating early exit.
“Obviously, [I feel] really upset. Probably one of the toughest losses I feel,” an emotional Draper told a news conference.
“I thought Cilic played an incredible match from start to finish. [He] didn’t let up. He deserved the win.”
The US Open semi-finalist was pushed back behind the baseline from the start against Cilic, who dominated the opening two sets with his huge serve and deep returns.
Draper was now in a position which he had never been in before – needing to win a professional match from two sets down.
A drop in Cilic’s pace enabled the home favourite to take control of the third set, but Draper still did not look completely comfortable in the fourth as his wily opponent recovered to edge a tense contest.
Heavily puffing his cheeks out as he left Court One was a sign of the difficulties he had endured on a testing evening from which he will hope to learn.
