Chelsea prevail after two-hour delay and VAR drama in wildest game of the CWC so far

A penalty scored almost four hours after kick-off, VAR drama, an extra time red card, a stunning free kick, a late burst of goals and a near-two hour weather delay headlined one of the most wild games of the FIFA Club World Cup so far.

Chelsea were 4-1 winners in the end against Benfica at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina but the scoreline does not tell the tale.

The London club sealed their progression to the quarter-finals with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the second period of extra time as their Portuguese opponents wilted late after a marathon match.

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Nkunku restored Chelsea’s lead, which they coughed up with a stoppage time penalty, after he mopped up a ricochet following shot from Moisés Caicedo, who was awarded player of the match.

Neto and Dewsbury-Hall then blew out the margin, perhaps flattering Chelsea as the three-goal blitz came in just nine minutes as the pace of the game rapidly sped up after the weather forced everyone to stay patient for a long time.

With Chelsea leading 1-0 and four minutes of regulation time remaining, referee Slavko Vincic marched both sides to the dressing rooms, where they remained for 115 minutes before an insane restart.

The threat of lightning had subsided but the match sparked to life with VAR awarding a penalty to Benfica for an unlucky handball in the box against Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto.

The French defender was in mid air having jumped for a header and was facing away from the ball, but it brushed his hand.

Angel di Maria, the Argentine World Cup winner, then slotted home a 95th minute penalty, his fourth goal of the tournament from the spot to lead the golden boot race and extend the match to extra time.

Just as the momentum felt with the Portuguese side, they handed back to their English Premier League opponents with substitute Gianluca Prestianni shown a second yellow card for crashing into the ankles of Levi Colwill with his studs up just two minutes into extra time.

They were reduced to ten men but still managed to threaten on the counter attack in the first phase before Chelsea caught fire.

Chelsea’s players and manager Enzo Maresca must have been livid with the whole situation as Benfica appeared to be out on their feet before the weather delay.

Stormy weather across the east coast of the United States impacted five group matches but this was the first knockout game to be impacted, and it left everyone frustrated.

Fans inside the stadium booed as the players headed for the dressing rooms, while Chelsea great John Mikel Obi said on DAZN to “just finish it, the five minutes it took to get everyone off, it could have been done”.

Chelsea had been extremely wasteful until James snuck an his free kick past Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin at the near post.

The right-back deceived his opponents expertly as he shaped up to send a cross to the far post from the dead ball on the left wing, but saw an opening and took it to put the ball into the back of the net.

James’ strike came four minutes after the hour mark and was welcome relief for Maresca, who was visibly frustrated on the sidelines, as several brilliant saves from Trubin and other instances of desperate defending denied the Premier League side.

For all Benfica’s determination, it took a moment of brilliance from the Chelsea captain to break them in the pre-weather delay phase of the game.

Chelsea's English defender #24 Reece James (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between Portugal's Benfica and England's Chelsea at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on June 28, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Source: AFP

Th 25-year-old England international was almost joined on the scoresheet by new signing Liam Delap but the offside flag came up as the former Ipswich Town forward danced around the last line of defence and Trubin before putting the ball in the back of the net.

Delap, James and Enzo Fernandez were substituted immediately afterwards in the 80th minute.

Maresca is still searching for answers in attack as Delap settles into a new system but outside of Cole Palmer’s solid showing, which included creating the play that led to their second goal, and James’ free kick heroics, no one looked particularly threatening until late in the game.

The Italian manager has an incredibly young side at his disposal, when defender Tosin Adarabioyo came off the bench in the 70th minute, he became the oldest player to appear for Chelsea this season, at just 27 years of age.

The youth policy is set to develop even further with news circulating before kick-off that Chelsea have agreed in principle for 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who they hoped to initially sign before departing for the United States.

Palmeiras prevail against Botafogo | 04:05

PALMEIRAS WIN BRAZILIAN BATTLE

Substitute Paulinho scored an extra-time winner to settle a Brazilian battle of attrition as Palmeiras edged Botafogo 1-0 on Saturday to win through to the Club World Cup quarter-finals.

The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling at the time but ultimately proved inspired.

The tie had reached the 100th minute when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner.

That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the last-16 showdown despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on.

“I am really happy. Luckily I managed to get the goal,” the former Bayer Leverkusen player, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year, told broadcaster DAZN.

“The coach is doing all he can to help me settle into the squad in this difficult time for me, because I had a serious injury which still causes me pain.

“There is no time to feel sorry for yourself in this competition. You have to make things happen and that is what I am doing.” Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now stay in Philadelphia for a last-eight tie next Friday against either Benfica or Chelsea, who meet later Saturday in Charlotte.

They had been the more dangerous side throughout in this meeting of the top two in last year’s Brazilian league, with almost all of the chances falling the way of the men in green.

Rio de Janeiro side Botafogo pipped Palmeiras to the domestic title and also won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in 2024.

They then lost their coach and several key players, but still managed to beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain during the group stage of the Club World Cup as they qualified for the knockout phase ahead of Atletico Madrid.

Nevertheless Palmeiras were the more lively of the two teams in a game played in warm midday conditions in Philadelphia.

All eyes were on Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who will join Chelsea once the tournament is over and is seen as Brazil’s next big thing.

He found it hard to make an impact in what was for long spells a disappointing game pockmarked by moments of quality.

Colombian midfielder Rios came close to scoring in first-half stoppage time with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that was deflected onto the roof of the net.

Estevao then came to life after the restart, forcing a good save from Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor and then putting the ball in the net only to be denied by an offside flag.

There was surprise around the stadium when the starlet was taken off just after the hour alongside striker Vitor Roque, with Luighi and Paulinho sent into the attack.

A Mauricio header from a Joaquin Piquerez cross was tipped over and Paulinho then blazed high from a good position as normal time ended goalless.

Into the extra half-hour they went. A Rios pile-driver was parried behind before the goal finally arrived thanks to the once-capped Brazil winger who played in the Atletico Mineiro side beaten by Botafogo in last year’s Libertadores final.

The substitute was then promptly substituted, his job done for the day. Botafogo pushed for an equaliser that would have led to penalties, but could not find it even after Paraguayan centre-back Gomez walked for a second booking in the 116th minute for grappling off the ball with Alexander Barboza.

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