Flamengo the latest South American side to surprise, earn respect at FIFA Club World Cup with win over Chelsea

PHILADELPHIA -- This is the summer of South American soccer, and everyone is invited to the party. Flamengo followed Botafogo's triumph over Paris Saint-Germain by toppling the reigning winners of the Europa Conference League, Chelsea, 3-1 on Friday. Manager Filipe Luis was able to keep his squad cool and composed during the heat after heading into half trailing by a goal, and they were able to immediately hit back and dominate the second half, becoming the first team to secure advancing to the round of 16 of the Club World Cup.

Following the match, Wesley, Flamengo's 21-year-old fullback, summed things up well, when he celebrated that Chelsea will remember who Flamengo are after this performance. But the Blues aren't alone in that; Philadelphia and the United States have gotten to see the deep roots of South American soccer and what it means. From fan fests -- both planned and impromptu -- all around the city to the singing on the train and into the stadium. The Club World Cup has become a showcase of South American fandom and soccer like none other.

It's a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, where this will go into the stratosphere with nations come and celebrate the pride they take in their teams. For now though, the Flamengo support was even winning over Chelsea fans after the match. The Blues faithful could be seen mingling with Flamengo fans as the party continued because everyone was happy to have enjoyed an excellent soccer match, even if only one team could win the clash. It's hard not to support a team when seeing the passion that these sides can bring to stadiums. Hours before kickoff, cheers of, "Dale, dale, dale ohh" and other chants rang out in Lincoln Financial Field, and they continued long into the night after their triumph.

The perfect record of South American teams may be gone after Boca Juniors lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich in Miami on Friday night, but what these teams have done in their 10 matches so far is nothing short of impressive. South American teams have won six matches, drawn three, and lost one, sporting a +9 goal difference in the process.

These aren't teams just squeaking by in the competition; they're riding the ravenous support that they're getting and dominating matches. Danilo acknowledged that they couldn't have done this without their fans, who were bouncing in the stands, helping spark a six-minute span during which Flamengo scored twice and Nicolas Jackson got sent off with a red card.

How Flamengo got the job done

Flamengo also couldn't have done this without Danilo, a vastly experienced player who added a goal and was also able to help settle Wesley after his mistake in the first half led to Pedro Neto's goal. That helped the team settle and eventually get the win.

"I just told him to keep playing the same way because mistakes can happen in this kind of game at a high level but the difference is when you're available to keep playing and keep going," Danilo said. "Wesley had a very good game even after that mistake, and I'm so proud of him."

He's only 21 and getting called into the Brazilian national team, so Wesley could be a centerpiece of the future of Brazil, while his manager, Filipe Luis, could become the next Brazilian manager to earn a role coaching in a top-five league. This match was a test for him and the squad, and they aced it with flying colors to take down Chelsea. Danilo added that this tournament "democratizes the playing field."

Knockouts begin to take shape

Clubs are at different points in their seasons, but the overall theme from all the players has been that they want to win. Not only is there significant prize money on the line, but there's also pride and potential transfer opportunities. For the teams outside of Europe, there's also the added aspect of playing for respect. With Inter Miami, Botafogo, and Flamengo all upsetting European powers, that respect is coming.

The goal now will be continuing this momentum, but the stage is set as the round of 16 starts to shake out. Palmeiras are in a good position to make it to the last 16, and while Botafogo still has work to do with Atletico Madrid up next, Brazil has a good chance to make it three for three, sending their clubs through.

Even if it's just them and Inter Miami as the representatives outside of Europe, that would still provide ample opportunities for keeping their runs in the tournament going. Anything can happen when players believe that they can win and have fan support behind them. We're seeing the fruit before our eyes and that's exactly what this expanded tournament was supposed to allow.