Chelsea Wins 4-1 Over Benfica in Weather-Delayed Club World Cup Match

Chelsea defeated Benfica 4-1 in a dramatic and weather-delayed FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 match in Charlotte, N.C., with Christopher Nkunku scoring the decisive goal in the 108th minute after extra time. The match was interrupted for nearly two hours due to a lightning storm, extending the game's duration to almost five hours. Reece James opened the scoring with a free kick before Benfica equalized on a contentious late penalty after the delay, and Benfica played much of extra time with ten men following a red card to Gianluca Prestianni. Nkunku capitalized on a rebound after a save by Chelsea's goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin to put Chelsea ahead, with Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall adding late goals. Despite dominating much of the match and maintaining more than 60% possession, Chelsea faced challenges due to weather and VAR decisions but managed to advance to face Palmeiras in the quarterfinals. The event struggled with ticket sales, as evidenced by many empty seats at the 75,000-capacity stadium during the game.