Chelsea were forced to act quickly in the transfer market this summer to ensure new players were eligible for the Club World Cup.

Liam Delap arrived from Ipswich in a £30m deal before the competition started, allowing him to play in the group stages, while Joao Pedro completed his £55m move from Brighton in time to feature in the quarter-finals.

Fans have been given an early glimpse of what they can bring to the team.

Delap scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over ES Tunis, while Joao Pedro got off the mark with stunning effect against Fluminense.

Their respective touch maps from those two performances reflect the differences in their games...

Former Wales captain Gareth Bale and England striker Callum Wilson both praised Joao Pedro's performance for Chelsea against Fluminense.

Bale told DAZN: "It's not just the goals, it's the link-up play, it's the passing, it's the vision. It was a great all-round performance.

"This is the next step up in his career. He's on the right trajectory. We can see the ability he's got and hopefully he can keep kicking on."

Wilson added: "He's already a player with confidence but he will have wanted to hit the ground running straight away and that's exactly what he has done.

"What a signing he could turn out to be."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

"It was a dream," Joao Pedro told broadcaster DAZN after scoring his first two goals for Chelsea in his second appearance for the Blues.

"I don't think it could have gone any better.

"I'm happy to have scored my first goals. [The Club World Cup] would be my first title as well. I only came here a week ago, and now I'm going to play the final."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport

With 18 minutes gone, the Joao Pedro collected a half-cleared cross on the corner of the penalty area, took one touch to steady himself and arrowed a stunning drive past 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio and into the far corner to open the scoring.

His second was just as aesthetically pleasing as he ran onto Enzo Fernandez's throughball from near the halfway line, darted into the box and slammed a right-footed shot into the net via the crossbar 11 minutes into the second half.

With Chelsea set to receive £21.9m for reaching the final – where they will play either Real Madrid or Paris St-Germain – Joao Pedro's goalscoring exploits on Tuesday mean he has already repaid over a third of his £55m transfer fee.

Image source, Getty Images

We will have a look in more detail just how much money both English clubs - Chelsea and Manchester City - have made from the tournament.

But for now, let's talk football.

Stick with us as we assess the impact of Chelsea's march to Sunday's final, including who they will be playing, where and when.

But first, let's get some more reaction to Tuesday's semi-final victory over Brazilian side Fluminense and Joao Pedro's eye-catching display for the Blues...

Prize money has also been a constant talking-point since the Club World Cup was first mooted.

Fifa announced a £775m prize pot before the tournament, to be split between the 32 teams, with the tournament winners earning up to £97m.

Clubs were also set to take home a set figure for each round:

• Group Stages - £1.5m for a win/£800k for a draw
• Round of 16 - £5.8m
• Quarter-final - £10.1m
• Semi-final - £16.2m
• Final - £23.2m
• Winner - £30m

NB: These amounts have been slightly downgraded due to a change in the exchange rate between sterling and the US dollar.

Clubs have also received an award for participation - the fee depending on different sporting and commercial criteria.

European clubs earned more for taking part than clubs from other continents. The highest-ranked European clubs were set to receive £29.6m, and the lowest £9.9m.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea's Malo Gusto says he was struggling to breathe playing in 35C temperature in New Jersey, with humidity at 55% and a local heat warning out in the area.

"It's so difficult on the pitch. It was hard to breathe and we are happy to come through it and go through," said the Chelsea full-back.

"It's complicated to play in these kind of conditions. It doesn't matter, we've to stay focused on ourselves, stick to our plan and give everything.

"It's [the same] for all the teams. The most important thing is that we did the job. We will try to win this final and win the trophy."

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

There has been no escaping the heat, that's for sure, apart from matches held in stadiums with a roof and air conditioning.

Some games have been delayed by electrical storms, which will be a concern for organisers of next summer's World Cup.

But it was the baking sunshine and humidity that proved a factor in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Chelsea's Malo Gusto has been speaking about the impact of playing in those searing temperatures...

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

The question is, have those fears been realised?

Bayern Munich beat Auckland City 10-0 on the opening day of the tournament, but the majority of games have been competitive.

A Lionel Messi-inspired Inter Miami created an early surprise by making it into the knockout stages, while Al-Hilal arguably produced the shock of the tournament by knocking out Manchester City in the last 16.

Rio-based Fluminense, meanwhile, ensured a South American presence in the last four, but the final will be an all-European clash.

Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid are set to battle it out tonight for the right to play Chelsea in Sunday's finale.

Fears over player welfare are yet to play out, with the true test to come down the line as the coming season progresses.

How many of the top players on show in the semi-finals will be fit to compete in next summer's World Cup?

Criticisms of the Fifa's Club World Cup have been well-documented:

• It is an addition to an already cluttered footballing calendar
• The extra games, in a summer that international players would normally have off between continental tournaments, such as Euro 24, and next summer's World Cup in North America and Mexico, is putting players' health at risk
• Successful teams will have no time to prepare for the coming season
• There is too big a gap in quality between the strong European teams [three made the semi-finals] and the rest, meaning many games are not competitive.

Chelsea finished off the regular season by winning a first trophy under Enzo Maresca - the Uefa Conference League.

They are now one game away from a second title, with just the small matter of European champions Paris St-Germain or Real Madrid standing in their way.

The question is - has your view of Fifa's Club World Cup changed as the competition has progressed?

We want to hear from Chelsea supporters and neutrals.

Also Blues fans, what are your views on Joao Pedro - is he the forward you have been crying out for? Should he now start the final?

Send in your messages via WhatsApp or text using the contact details above.

Please include your name and which club you support.

Thanks.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Goalscorer Joao Pedro was outstanding and won the official man of the match award but so was winger Pedro Neto, who is also potentially his club's best performer across the whole competition and a contender to be crowned player of the tournament.

Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella were also good while Christopher Nkunku had arguably his best performance in 2025 despite continued links with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Image source, Getty Images

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Joao Pedro curled home his first goal for Chelsea in the 18th minute after former Blues defender Thiago Silva failed to clear Pedro Neto's cross.

The 23-year-old's second, a powerful shot which went in off the bar in the 56th minute, sealed victory.

Christopher Nkunku had multiple chances to add to the scoreline while at the other end, Marc Cucurella cleared Hercules shot off the line and substitute Everaldo had a shot saved.

Rio-based Fluminense may be aggrieved to have seen referee Francois Letexier overturn his own decision to give a first-half penalty for a handball by Trevoh Chalobah after a VAR intervention.

However, Chelsea always looked likely to progress once they opened the scoring in a mostly-full MetLife Stadium.

The only blot on Chelsea's night was a potential injury to midfielder Moises Caicedo, who appeared to injure his ankle in the 93rd minute and walked off the pitch before the match finished.

Image source, Getty Images

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Let's hear from BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella, who was at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to watch Joao Pedro power Chelsea into the Club World Cup final...

Chelsea's players have been toiling in 35C heat in the United States, adding an extra seven games to an already gruelling season with progression to the Club World Cup final.

But new signing Joao Pedro was not focusing on the negatives of Fifa's controversial tournament as he announced his arrival in Chelsea colours in stunning fashion.

After coming off the bench to make his debut in the Blues' 2-1 win against another Brazilian side - Palmeiras - in the quarter-finals, the £55m signing made his first start against boyhood club Fluminense in the last four.

With Chelsea set to receive an extra £21.9m for reaching Sunday's final, where they will play either Paris St-Germain or Real Madrid, his two goals effectively repaid over a third of his transfer fee.

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome to Wednesday's football news live page.

We plan to kick off with Chelsea's exploits in the Club World Cup, where Enzo Maresca's side booked their place in the final with a 2-0 win over Brazilian side Fluminense.

New signing Joao Pedro was the hero, scoring twice against his boyhood club.

We will sum up the action and bring you all the reaction before switching our attention to the latest transfer news around mid-morning.

Image source, Getty Images