Fluminense stun Inter Milan with 2-0 victory at FIFA Club World Cup

In a major upset at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Brazilian side Fluminense pulled off a memorable 2-0 victory over Italian heavyweights Inter Milan in their round of 16 clash at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Right from the start, the underdogs showed intent as Germán Cano opened scoring in the third minute with a well-timed header that slipped past Inter’s defence into the net. Fluminense maintained the pressure with Jhon Arias almost doubling the lead in the 30th minute, forcing a solid save from Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Despite having 65% of the ball by the 56th minute, Inter Milan struggled without the services of key stars like Mehdi Taremi, Davide Frattesi, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Federico Dimarco had an early chance denied by Fluminense’s Fabio, and Stefan de Vrij’s 69th-minute attempt narrowly missed target. Inter came close late on, with Lautaro Martinez hitting the post in the 83rd minute.

Fluminense’s defence, expertly marshalled by Thiago Silva and Ignacio, remained unyielding. Ignacio had a second goal disallowed for offside after a VAR review in the 40th minute, but Fluminense remained composed. Their effort was rewarded in stoppage time when substitute Hercules sealed the win with a brilliant long-range effort.

Inter’s last-ditch attempt by Dimarco rattled the crossbar in the 96th minute, but it wasn’t enough to save them from a trophyless season. For Fluminense, unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions, the triumph builds on their momentum from the 2023 Copa Libertadores win.

The Brazilians now look forward to a quarter-final clash in Orlando on July 4 against the winner between Manchester City and Al-Hilal.