Chelsea delivered a commanding 4-1 victory over Benfica in the FIFA Club World Cup on June 28, 2025, overcoming a near two-hour weather delay to advance to the quarter-finals. The Blues showcased their attacking prowess with goals from Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, capitalizing on a fatigued Benfica side in extra time.
Despite Ángel Di María’s late penalty for Benfica, Chelsea’s defensive resilience, led by Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo, and Robert Sánchez’s four saves ensured a dominant performance. Below are the key match statistics and records, focusing on goals, assists, defensive stats, cards, and individual player performances.
Match Details.
Benfica have conceded four goals in a single FIFA Club World Cup match for the first time since their 5-0 loss to Basel in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League, marking their heaviest defeat in a major international competition since that campaign.
Benfica recorded only one shot on target in their match against Chelsea, their lowest in a FIFA Club World Cup game this season, with Ángel Di María’s penalty in the 94th minute accounting for their sole goal.
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Highlights.
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku has now scored 14 goals in all competitions this season, his highest tally in a single campaign for the club, surpassing his previous best of 11 goals in the 2023/24 season. He also contributed five assists, becoming the youngest Chelsea player (27 years) to reach 14 goals and five assists in a season since Eden Hazard (24 years old) in 2014/15.
Benfica have now gone winless in their past eight games against English opponents (three draws, five defeats) since a 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League in March 2014, their longest such streak since 1992-2000 (10 games).
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández has recorded six goals and nine assists in all competitions this season, his highest goal and assist tally in a single campaign. At 24 years old, he is now the youngest Chelsea midfielder to achieve 6+ goals and 9+ assists in a season since Frank Lampard (26 years old) in 2004/05.
Benfica’s Ángel Di María has now scored four goals in the FIFA Club World Cup this season, all from penalties, making him the competition’s top scorer as of June 28, 2025, though he is unlikely to retain the Golden Boot with Benfica’s elimination. He is the first Benfica player to score four penalties in a single major international tournament since Eusébio in the 1967/68 European Cup (also four).
Chelsea recorded eight shots on target against Benfica, their highest in a FIFA Club World Cup match this season, with Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finding the net in a dominant extra-time display.
Benfica’s defense conceded three goals in extra time against Chelsea, their highest goals conceded in extra time of a competitive match since a 4-3 loss to Sporting CP in the 2014/15 Taça de Portugal. Nicolás Otamendi and António Silva were unable to contain Chelsea’s late surge, with Otamendi recording only one clearance, his lowest in a FIFA Club World Cup match this season.
Chelsea have now won all four competitive matches against Benfica (2011/12 Champions League, 2013 Europa League final, and 2025 Club World Cup), maintaining a 100% record against the Portuguese side, a feat unmatched against any other opponent in major international competitions.
Two of Reece James’ three goals in 2025 have been on direct free-kicks (also vs. Bournemouth in January), with those being Chelsea FC’s only two direct free-kick goals this calendar year.
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin faced five shots on target, saving one, marking his lowest save percentage (20%) in a FIFA Club World Cup match this season. This performance ended his streak of three consecutive clean sheets in international competitions.
Chelsea received two yellow cards in their match against Benfica, with Moisés Caicedo earning a booking that resulted in a one-match suspension for the quarter-final against Palmeiras. Caicedo now has two yellow cards in the tournament, the highest among Chelsea players.
Benfica have now scored 84 goals in Liga NOS this season, averaging 2.47 goals per game, their highest goal-scoring rate since the 2015/16 season (2.59 goals per game). However, their loss to Chelsea marked the first time they failed to score from open play in a FIFA Club World Cup match since 2006.
Chelsea’s defense conceded just one goal against Benfica, a penalty by Ángel Di María, ending their run of two consecutive clean sheets in the FIFA Club World Cup. Robert Sánchez made four saves, including a crucial stop on Di María’s curling effort in extra time, achieving an 80% save percentage, his highest in the tournament this season.
Sources: ESPN, Chelsea FC, Opta, BBC
