Chelsea suffered a significant second-half collapse, leading to a damaging 3-1 defeat against Flamengo at the FIFA Club World Cup in Philadelphia. What began with promise for the Premier League side, as Pedro Neto skillfully delivered a cool finish under the goalkeeper's legs in the 13th minute, quickly unraveled in a disastrous six-minute spell after half-time. Substitute Bruno Henrique equalized for Flamengo, followed swiftly by Danilo putting the Brazilian team in front, both goals coming from similar far post tap-ins.

A pivotal moment in the match was the straight red card issued to Nicolas Jackson, just four minutes after he entered the game as a substitute. Referee Ivan Barton quickly showed the card after Jackson's studs made contact with Lucas Ayrton’s shin in an ugly challenge. This incident effectively destroyed Chelsea's hopes of a comeback. Wallace Yan then rounded off the scoring, sealing a decisive 3-1 victory for the Rio de Janeiro club, who are currently leading the Brazilian league.

Jackson's disciplinary record has come under intense scrutiny following this incident, marking his second red card in four matches. On his 24th birthday, Jackson's introduction changed the match for Chelsea, but only for the worse, ensuring any chance of a comeback was extinguished. He later issued an apology on Instagram, stating, "I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card ... and honestly, I'm so angry at myself." He insisted it was not intentional but accepted full responsibility, vowing to reflect and grow. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged Jackson's difficult moment, noting it happened again after a similar challenge against Newcastle, though he was less certain this particular red card was warranted. Maresca dismissed any link between Jackson's disciplinary issues and the arrival of rival striker Liam Delap, emphasizing that the red card had nothing to do with Jackson's future at the club. Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella also commented on Jackson's sadness, advising him to learn and improve, recognizing his importance to the team despite the suspension.

The defeat leaves Chelsea needing a win over African club ES Tunis in their next match on Tuesday to qualify for the last 16. This result also increases the chances they will face the winner of Group C, which could be Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Flamengo, meanwhile, look likely to finish top of Group D, maintaining South American clubs' impressive undefeated streak in the newly-expanded Club World Cup, which has seen them win both their matches. Chelsea's overall performance was criticized as disjointed, despite Maresca making four changes and tweaking the formation. Poor individual performances were noted, particularly from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who was prone to errant passes, and Liam Delap, who was quiet on his first start, leaving Maresca with significant headaches ahead of the final group stage match. Flamengo dominated across various metrics, including possession, shots, tackles, duels won, and passes.

In other tournament action, Bayern Munich secured their spot in the knockout phase with a battling 2-1 win over Boca Juniors in Miami. Harry Kane opened the scoring for Bayern, but Boca equalized through Miguel Merentiel. Michael Olise sealed the victory for Bayern with six minutes remaining. This marked the first time either a Brazilian or Argentinian team had lost in 10 matches since the tournament started. Earlier, Benfica crushed Auckland City 6-0 in Orlando, with Angel Di Maria scoring two penalties, boosting their hopes of progressing and eliminating the only Oceania representative. This game was also affected by a two-hour weather delay at half-time. Benfica now faces Bayern in Charlotte, with a draw securing their progression and eliminating Boca.