Honestly, if you were watching the Benfica vs Chelsea FIFA Club World Cup clash in North Carolina back in June 2025, you probably felt like you’d stepped into a fever dream. It wasn't just a soccer match; it was a four-hour test of patience, nerves, and lung capacity.
People mostly remember the scoreline—a 4-1 win for Chelsea after extra time—but that doesn't even begin to tell the story of the lightning, the two-hour delay, or the way Angel Di Maria almost broke Chelsea’s hearts one last time.
The Chaos at Bank of America Stadium
The weather in Charlotte was basically a wall of heat. It was thick.
Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, started the game looking like they were in a hurry to get back to the hotel. They pinned Benfica deep. Marc Cucurella was flying up the wing, and Pedro Neto was giving his fellow countrymen nightmares. Antonio Silva actually had to head a Cucurella shot off the line just to keep things level.
Then, Reece James happened.
In the 64th minute, James stood over a free-kick on the left wing. Everyone—including the Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin—expected a cross. Instead, James whipped it with so much pace and dip that it flew into the near post. 1-0. Chelsea were cruising.
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Then the Sky Fell In
With four minutes left in normal time, everything went sideways. Not because of a tactical shift, but because the sky turned black.
The referee, Slavko Vincic, saw a lightning bolt and immediately pulled everyone off the pitch. For nearly two hours, fans sat in the Bank of America Stadium wondering if they’d even finish the game. It’s one of those weird things that can only happen in a US summer.
When the players finally came back out, they looked stiff. Chelsea looked like a team that had already started celebrating. Benfica looked like they had spent two hours in the locker room getting angry.
- The Penalty: Deep in stoppage time, Malo Gusto had a momentary lapse, leaving his arms up. The ball hit his hand. VAR took a look.
- The Equalizer: Di Maria, the ultimate veteran, stepped up in the middle of a literal thunderstorm and slotted it home. 1-1.
Why the Red Card Changed Everything
If you’re looking for where Benfica lost the Benfica vs Chelsea FIFA Club World Cup match, it was right at the start of extra time. Gianluca Prestianni, who had been booked during the wild celebrations for the equalizer, decided to fly into a late tackle just two minutes after the restart.
Second yellow. Red.
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Playing with ten men in that humidity is basically a death sentence. Chelsea’s depth finally started to tell. Christopher Nkunku, who had come on as a sub for Liam Delap, reacted quickest when Moises Caicedo’s shot squirmed under Trubin. He poked it home in the 108th minute.
From there, it was a track meet. Pedro Neto scored a beautiful dinked finish against his old rivals, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added a fourth to make the result look far more comfortable than it actually felt for 110 minutes of play.
By the Numbers
| Stat | Benfica | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 4 |
| Shots | 14 | 21 |
| Possession | 41% | 59% |
| Red Cards | 1 | 0 |
The Tactical Nuance People Missed
Everyone talks about the goals, but Moises Caicedo was the real engine room that night. He covered nearly 14 kilometers, which is insane considering the humidity levels in North Carolina. While Benfica's midfield of Florentino Luis and Leandro Barreiro tried to clog the middle, Caicedo and Romeo Lavia just kept recycling the ball.
Maresca’s system relied heavily on inverted fullbacks, which sort of confused Benfica’s wingers. Di Maria is a genius, but tracking back against a marauding Marc Cucurella isn't exactly his specialty at this stage of his career.
It’s worth noting that this win propelled Chelsea on a run that eventually saw them crowned world champions. They beat Palmeiras in the quarters, Fluminense in the semis, and then brushed aside PSG 3-0 in the final. But honestly? This Benfica game was the closest they came to being knocked out.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you’re following the evolution of the new FIFA Club World Cup format, there are a few things this specific match taught us:
- Squad Depth is King: Chelsea’s ability to bring Nkunku and Dewsbury-Hall off the bench in extra time was the deciding factor.
- Weather Protocols Matter: In summer tournaments in the US, weather delays aren't just a possibility; they're a tactical hurdle. Teams need to learn how to "switch back on" after a 90-minute break.
- Discipline under Fatigue: Prestianni’s red card was a result of tired legs and high emotions. In a knockout format, those lapses are permanent.
The Benfica vs Chelsea FIFA Club World Cup game remains a blueprint for how to survive a chaotic tournament environment. For Chelsea, it was a stepping stone to glory. For Benfica, it was a "what if" moment that will haunt them for a while, especially considering it was Di Maria’s final competitive outing for the Eagles.
If you're tracking Chelsea's progress or looking back at the tournament, keep an eye on how they handle physical, high-pressing teams like Benfica in future editions. The gap between the European elite and the rest of the world is there, but on a stormy night in Charlotte, it felt very, very small.
Next Steps for You: Check out the official highlights from the 2025 tournament to see that Reece James free-kick for yourself—it’s easily one of the best goals of his career. You should also look at the historical head-to-head records between these two; Chelsea has actually won all six of their competitive meetings, including their most recent Champions League clash in late 2025.