I’m happy to score - Joao Pedro reacts after leading Chelsea to Club World Cup final

Brazilian forward Joao Pedro described his full Chelsea debut as a "dream" after his match-winning brace against his boyhood club Fluminense secured the Blues a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

The 23-year-old, who only completed his transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion last week, was instrumental in Chelsea's 2-0 victory at MetLife Stadium.

Joao Pedro opened his scoring account for Chelsea with a delightful 20-yard strike that curled into the top corner in the 18th minute. He then doubled his tally, and Chelsea's lead, shortly after the break in the 56th minute with a thunderous drive following a powerful surge into the Fluminense box.

Notably, Joao Pedro opted for muted, almost apologetic, celebrations out of respect for his former club, where he played from around age 10 until leaving for Watford in 2020.

He said, "I think it was a dream first start – I don’t think it could’ve been better. I’m very happy. I want to help the team. I knew I could score today, and that’s what I did. The team controlled the game today, did really well today and now we’re focused on the final."

Reflecting on his two goals, the Brazil international explained, "[With the first goal,] I saw the ball coming to me, and then I just tried to make the control quickly because then I knew their players could come at me fast, and I was happy to get my shot on target. For the second, Enzo found me, and I had more time to think about what I could do. I was happy to score.”

Despite only joining Chelsea a week ago, Joao Pedro believes he has settled in quickly and is relishing his new role.

"I think we have a great team, great players and it’s a pleasure to play with them. I think this season can be a great season for us,” he added.

Chelsea will now face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.