Youthful Chelsea ready for Thiago Silva reunion at Club World Cup
Chelsea's young side are targeting a place in the final of the Club World Cup when they take on Fluminense in the last four on Tuesday, with the Brazilian team marshalled by former Blues defender Thiago Silva who is still going strong at the age of 40.
Silva was already a veteran when he signed for Chelsea in 2020 before going on to have an impressive four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.
Advertisement
One of the finest centre-backs of his generation, Silva arrived after eight years at Paris Saint-Germain and in his first season at Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League.
He played 155 games for the London club and left 12 months ago after helping oversee the development of some of the young talents now featuring regularly under Enzo Maresca.
"He's a legend of football, a top player," Marc Cucurella, a teammate of Silva's for two years, told English media, adding that the two had exchanged messages about their impending reunion.
"We have the opportunity to play against him again and hopefully we can do good things, win this game and play in the final."
Advertisement
Silva initially made his name at Fluminense, featuring in the team that reached the Copa Libertadores final in 2008 before losing to LDU Quito of Ecuador.
He returned there upon leaving Chelsea, once again pulling on the green, red and white of the Rio de Janeiro outfit who won the Copa Libertadores in 2023.
The evergreen Brazil international was then reunited earlier this year with Renato Gaucho, the coach in 2008 who is now in his sixth spell in charge.
An impressive run at the Club World Cup has seen Fluminense hold Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, eliminate Inter Milan in the last 16 and get the better of Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal in the quarter-finals.
Advertisement
"If you had asked me beforehand if we would have got this far I would have said we were a long way away from doing so," Silva told broadcaster DAZN after the victory over Al Hilal.
"We know the financial size of these teams, the difference is enormous, absurd. But often our collective, the family atmosphere that we have, gives us strength that you maybe don't think you have."
- Brazilian opposition again -
It is not just Silva raising the average age at Fluminense. There is also 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio, wing-back Samuel Xavier at 35 and 37-year-old Argentine forward German Cano.
Advertisement
But the man giving them the X-factor is 27-year-old Colombian winger Jhon Arias, unquestionably one of the players of the tournament.
"I have watched some games that they have played and you can see that they are very well organised. They have some very good players. The manager is doing a fantastic job," Maresca said as he prepares to face Brazilian opposition for the third time at the tournament.
They lost to Flamengo in the group stage but beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals in Philadelphia.
"The energy from Brazilian teams in this competition has been high -- probably the reason why is because they are at the start of their season while we are finished the season," Maresca added.
Advertisement
Chelsea now get their first taste of the MetLife Stadium, the hulking 82,500-capacity venue in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City.
Many of Maresca's players may not have been sure what to make of FIFA's new tournament which came at the end of a campaign in which they finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League.
But suddenly they stand one game from the final, in which they would face either Real Madrid or PSG.
With Silva gone, Maresca has been working with a young squad at Chelsea, and the average age of his starting line-up against Palmeiras last Friday was just 24.
Advertisement
There are more young players coming in too, with 23-year-old Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, formerly of Fluminense, making his debut in the quarter-finals.
Brazil prodigy Estevao Willian, 18, will join from Palmeiras ahead of next season and 20-year-old winger Jamie Gittens has just signed from Borussia Dortmund.
Moises Caicedo, the midfield linchpin who is still only 23, will return to the midfield against Fluminense after suspension.
as/dh
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Manchester United Are Eyeing A Move For This Chelsea Forward: What Will He Bring To Old Trafford?
Manchester United Are Eyeing A Move For This Chelsea Forward: What Will He Bring To Old Trafford? In a recent report, The Daily Mirror claimed that Manchester United are eyeing a move for Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku. It has been stated that the Red Devils would have to pay £35m if they want to get the French striker on board this summer. Nkunku served as a useful squad player at the West London club and managed to put in a run of productive displays for them in front of the opponent's goal. The 27-year-old played in 42 matches for the Blues last season, netting 14 goals and securing five assists across various competitions. Advertisement The French talent deserves some credit for averaging 2.44 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He was even tidy when distributing possession in the final third, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 89.5% in the English first division (stats via Nkunku is under contract at the West London club until the summer of 2029 which could make it difficult for Man United to snap him up on a cut-price deal this off-season. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 24: Christopher Nkunku #18 of Chelsea FC looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group D match between Esperance de Tunis and Chelsea FC at Lincoln Financial Field on June 24, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) What Will Nkunku Bring To Manchester United? Nkunku is proficient at finding some space for himself to get some strikes in at goal. He has got the eye to play some decisive passes in the final third and is a good dribbler with the ball at his feet. Advertisement The French sensation can be a decent finisher in the final third when he is playing regularly and with confidence on the field. Nkunku is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also fill in as a left-sided wide player or as a centre-forward if needed. He has already got some experience in the Premier League and won't take much time to adjust to life at Man United. We can expect Nkunku to bring more firepower to Ruben Amorim's attack. He is more than capable of securing a regular first-team spot at the Mancunian club next season. At 27, Nkunku has his peak years ahead of him which makes him a good option for the Red Devils to consider in this summer transfer period. He might even help Man United compete for a European spot in the Premier League next season.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angel Di María makes emotional return to Rosario Central after 18 years in Europe
ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — A teary-eyed Angel Di María was introduced as the latest signing by Rosario Central on Monday, 18 years after he left his boyhood club. Di María, who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, always wanted to return to Rosario, but he received death threats from drug dealer gangs. Advertisement Located 300 kilometers north of Buenos Aires, Rosario is a hub of violent crime and clashes between groups seeking to monopolize the drug trade. 'Coming home after so long is something very special. It was what I wanted. To play for Central again,' the 37-year-old Di María said. 'Being a champion with Central is the only thing I'm missing. 'I couldn't believe it when I was training today. It felt like it was the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed my first training session.' Di Maria joined Rosario Central when he was aged four, and made his professional debut with the club at 17 in 2005. After winning the 2007 Under-17 World Cup, he was sold to Benfica. Advertisement He went on to play for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica for a second time, and collected nearly 30 trophies. He scored against France in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar and won the last two Copa Americas. Di María is coming off a Club World Cup appearance with Benfica. He scored three goals for the Portuguese side which was eliminated by Chelsea in the round of 16. 'Right now, I'm not thinking about retirement," he said. 'I'm thinking about playing, about enjoying myself. About continuing at whatever level I've been doing.' ___ AP soccer: Hernán Álvarez, The Associated Press
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
🏥 On the mend: Jamal Musiala's surgery a success
FC Bayern Munich confirmed that the great talent of their squad underwent successful surgery after returning from the Club World Cup Register on DAZN to watch all FIFA Club World Cup matches for FREE. Finally, the diagnosis is a fibula fracture as a result of an ankle fracture and dislocation. Tomorrow, number 42 will start his first rehabilitation sessions. He is expected to return to action in the last matches of 2026, according to information from BILD. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Alex Grimm - 2025 Getty Images