Chelsea Survives Mayhem, Sends Benfica Packing in Club World Cup Battle
If you thought club football never delivers the drama—it just did in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. Chelsea didn’t just beat Benfica; they knocked them out in style, 4-1, after extra time, in a night packed with wild momentum shifts, lightning, and a test of nerves worthy of a blockbuster.
The first clue it wouldn’t be a normal match? Bank of America Stadium was buzzing with anticipation, the air heavy and humid. Neither team could break through for most of the game until Reece James sent a free-kick curling into the top corner in the 64th minute. Chelsea fans erupted—finally, the stalemate was over. But comfort is dangerous in knockout football. Benfica hung on, even when their teenage forward Gianluca Prestianni got sent off deep into injury time. Down to ten men, hope seemed slim for the Portuguese side.
Enter Ángel Di María. Cool as you like, he buried a penalty in stoppage time, dragging Benfica back into the game and sending it to extra time. At that moment, it looked like anything could happen—and then, nothing did. Not for nearly two hours, at least. The skies over Charlotte opened up with a furious lightning storm, forcing officials to halt the match. Players stretched, paced, and waited in locker rooms, with everyone wondering who would handle the surreal delay better.
The answer was Chelsea. As the game finally restarted, things exploded in the second extra period. Christopher Nkunku broke the deadlock, capitalizing on Benfica’s tired legs with a clinical finish. Not long after, Pedro Neto pounced to make it three before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall put the game out of sight, hammering in a fourth. Three goals in nine frantic minutes—if anyone thought the momentum was gone, Chelsea proved them wrong in the most emphatic way.
Weather Chaos, Tactical Shifts, and Mind Games
Benfica’s hopes were battered by the storm—literally and metaphorically. After the pause, they looked unable to match Chelsea’s renewed surge. Manager Enzo Maresca, still buzzing after the match, didn’t hide his pride, saying the reward was exactly what his players earned. Hard to argue. Weather delays can break focus, sap energy, and invite mistakes. But this Chelsea side looked like they used the interruption to regroup and reset, while Benfica, already a man down, suffered the opposite fate.
For Chelsea, this wasn’t just about survival. They took their chances and showed ruthless finishing under immense pressure. From James' spectacular free-kick to Nkunku, Neto, and Dewsbury-Hall’s late flurry, every goal felt like a statement: this team refuses to crumble. Benfica’s only comfort is knowing they forced a top side to dig deep, even after going down to ten men and enduring a bizarre, draining wait.
With this dramatic win, Chelsea books a spot in the quarterfinals against Brazil’s Palmeiras on July 5. If this clash taught us anything, it’s that the Club World Cup still has the power to stun us—and after a night like this, nobody will write off Chelsea’s shot at more glory.