Ranking potential FIFA Club World Cup finals: Chelsea vs. Real Madrid would be electric, but it’s not No. 1

The FIFA Club World Cup is now entering its final week of action as the two semifinals will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the final will take place at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Chelsea managed to win 2-1 against Palmeiras in the quarters while Fluminense knocked out Saudi side Al-Hilal. On the other side of the bracket, PSG will face Real Madrid for what’s probably considered one of the most anticipated matches of the season. Let’s now take a look at all the potential finals and rank them.

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4. Fluminense vs. PSG 

The Brazilian team have been the most surprising side of the tournament so far as Fluminense managed to knock out both Inter in the round of 16 and then Al-Hilal in the quarterfinal and can potentially now meet either PSG or Real Madrid on Sunday. PSG are the leading candidates to win the tournament after winning the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Champions League and the matchup against Fluminense would likely end up with Luis Enrique’s team lifting another trophy this year. It would also see Fluminense center back Thiago Silva play against the club where he spent most of his career.

3. Fluminense vs. Real Madrid

If Fluminense manage to beat Chelsea, they can potentially also meet Real Madrid in the final. There is a strong link between Real Madrid and Brazil, as former manager Carlo Ancelotti was named the new head coach of the national team, and his son Davide is currently in advanced talks with Botafogo to become their new manager. In addition, Real Madrid have plenty of Brazilian players like Vinicius Jr. and Eder Militao. Real Madrid failed to win any trophy this season and have appointed Xabi Alonso as the new manager and the former Bayer Leverkusen coach can kick off his new spell at the club with a trophy in a matchup where they would be heavily favored.

2. Chelsea vs. Real Madrid

Chelsea, if they manage to beat Fluminense first, can meet Real Madrid in the final. The team coached by Enzo Maresca have been really solid in the tournament so far,and are one of the strongest candidates for the final win as they are expected to win against the Brazilian team in the semifinal. The two teams have faced each other eight times in competitive matches in their history, the last one during the 2022-23 season when the Spanish giants won 4-0 on aggregate in the Champions League’s quarterfinals.

1. Chelsea vs. PSG

The final between Chelsea and PSG would also be a fascinating matchup. The two sides met eight times in history, lastly in the 2015-16 season when PSG won 4-2 on aggregate in the Champions League’s round of 16. They are both recently won Champions League crowns, boast many of the world’s top players and could produce quite the showcase in the biggest game of the tournament. This would be the matchup of clearly the biggest name from one semifinal against the current European champs.