In the 2025 Club World Cup, anything can happen. In the latest round of 16 clash, Brazilian club Fluminense registered a huge upset after defeating Champions League finalists Inter Milan in a 2-0 win at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium.
Fluminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper, Fábio, made pivotal saves late in the game as Germán Cano and Hércules scored two crucial goals for the Brazilians into the quarterfinals.
Cano and Hércules Deliver Knockout Goals
Fluminense dreamt their way into an early lead in the 3rd minute by taking advantage of a jittery Inter defense. According to The Guardian, Jhon Arias's cross was deflected and puzzled the backline. Cano was quickest off the mark, heading the ball past Yann Sommer's legs to gift the Brazilians an early advantage.
Inter, with new head coach Cristian Chivu, bowed out of the tournament disappointingly, an early setback to his tenure after the departure of Simone Inzaghi just a month prior, following a 5-0 defeat against PSG.
Inter dominated most of the possession but were unable to turn opportunities into goals. The match slipped entirely from their grasp in stoppage time when Hércules, running unchecked on the edge of the box following a throw-in, struck a low shot into the bottom right corner, clinching the upset and sending the stands into raptures.
Inter's Late Push Falls Short
Even a frantic late onslaught could not breach Inter. Lautaro Martínez produced the closest, forcing Fábio, into pivotal interventions in the 80th and 82nd minutes. Martínez also struck the post shortly afterward, rounding out an infuriating evening for the Serie A giants.
Fábio's heroics gave Fluminense their third clean sheet of the competition, with veteran defender Thiago Silva, now 40, having a commanding performance at the back.
Fábio will try to break England goalkeeper Peter Shilton's Guinness World Record with 1,390 appearances, according to the BBC. The Brazilian only recorded 1,378 appearances. However, some questioned that Fábio should have been the record holder since he's already been playing in his country since 1997.
Historic Victory Before a Sparsely Packed Stadium
The Club World Cup quarterfinals will see Fluminense in action against the winner of Manchester City vs. Al Hilal. This is the most awaited showdown, which is a repeat of the 2023 final, which City won 4-0.
Even with the stakes, the game attracted only 20,030 spectators in a venue that seats almost 75,000, yet another low attendance for the tournament in Charlotte.
Martínez Issues Warning After Inter's Elimination
Following the game, Inter captain Lautaro Martínez didn't mince words. During a post-game interview with DAZN, he expressed his frustration not only with the game but with the mentality within the dressing room.
I gave everything on the pitch, in every training session, and I'm really sorry. I don't want to lose, and I feel bad for the team. But I want to say one thing: you have to want to stay at Inter. We're fighting for important goals, and whoever wants to stay here needs to show it. Whoever doesn't, should leave."
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