English giants Chelsea marched into the quarter-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a commanding 4-1 victory over Portuguese side Benfica in a Round of 16 clash that was briefly halted by a lightning storm on Saturday, June 28.
The dramatic match, held at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, saw Chelsea survive a late scare to overpower their opponents in extra time.
Chelsea’s captain, Reece James, opened the scoring in the 64th minute with a sublime free-kick, sending fans into raptures and giving the Blues a much-needed breakthrough after a cagey first half.
However, the match took an unexpected twist in the final moments of regulation time.
Just five minutes before the end of normal time, a lightning storm forced officials to suspend the game. Fans and players were evacuated from the pitch for safety, causing a rare two-hour delay.
When play resumed, Benfica were awarded a penalty via VAR after a controversial decision in stoppage time.
Veteran winger Ángel Di María stepped up and calmly slotted it home, equalising for the Portuguese side and sending the game into extra time at 1-1.
But Benfica’s hopes of a comeback were dashed early in extra time when youngster Gianluca Prestianni was sent off in the 92nd minute, reducing the Portuguese side to 10 men.
Chelsea took full advantage of their numerical superiority. Christopher Nkunku restored the lead in the 108th minute with a well-taken finish.
Moments later, Pedro Neto made it 3-1, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall rounded off the rout in the 117th minute, capping a ruthless display from the Premier League side.
With this emphatic victory, Chelsea now advance to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup, where they will face Brazilian side Palmeiras.
Meanwhile, Benfica’s campaign comes to a disappointing end, despite Di María’s efforts and their brief lifeline late in regulation time.