Just a week after joining Chelsea, 23-year-old forward João Pedro announced his arrival in style — scoring two stunning goals to send his team into the Club World Cup final.
It was a career-defining night. Two sensational goals on one of the biggest stages. A dream debut in the starting XI for his new club. Naturally, the expectation was for Pedro to burst into a joyous celebration. But instead, the young Brazilian raised his hands in apology. His expression? Sincere regret — both on and off the pitch.
For Pedro, this wasn’t just any match. Making his full debut for Chelsea in the Club World Cup semi-final, he found himself up against Fluminense — the club of his childhood, the team that raised him. His emotional ties ran deep.
And yet, professionalism won the night. Pedro’s brilliant brace knocked Fluminense out of the tournament and sent Chelsea to the final.
The first goal came in the 18th minute at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Pedro Neto made a darting run down the left and whipped in a cross that deflected off a defender. The ball fell perfectly to Pedro, who controlled it just outside the box and unleashed a curling shot into the net. The Fluminense goalkeeper had no chance.
Neto put his hands on his head in disbelief — but Pedro didn’t celebrate. Instead, he raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. His teammates surrounded him in celebration, but he stayed calm, emotionless — eventually putting his hands together in an apologetic pose.
The second goal in the 56th minute was even more spectacular. Enzo Fernández played a brilliant ball from midfield to the left wing. Pedro latched onto it with pace, cut inside, and fired a rocket of a shot between two defenders. The ball struck the crossbar and went in — unstoppable for the keeper.
Once again, Pedro ran with arms raised — the same gesture, no celebration.
After the match, the 23-year-old explained why he chose not to celebrate:
“They (Fluminense) gave me everything. They introduced me to the world. I’m here today because they believed in me.”
“I’m truly grateful. But this is football, and I have to be a professional. I apologize to them — I had to do my job.”
Pedro was born in São Paulo. His father, José João de Jesus — known in Brazilian football as “Chicão” — was also a footballer, playing for Botafogo. But life took a dark turn. When Pedro was still a child, Chicão was sentenced to 16 years in prison for involvement in a homicide. He was released after eight years but arrested again a year later for publicly threatening people with a firearm.
By the time Chicão first went to prison, he had separated from Pedro’s mother, who moved with young Pedro to Rio de Janeiro. At the age of 10, Pedro joined Fluminense’s academy and began building himself as a footballer. He made his professional debut for the club before he turned 18.
Even before his debut, Pedro had already signed a deal with English club Watford. After turning 18, he moved to England, spent three seasons with Watford, and joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023. His time there was mixed — moments of brilliance, but also inconsistency and off-field issues.
Then on July 2, Chelsea signed him on an eight-year deal. Just two days later, he made his club debut in the Club World Cup quarter-final. He came off the bench and nearly scored. In the semi-final, given his first start, he made no mistake.
While his goals brought personal joy, Pedro was happier about the team’s success.
“Since I was in the starting XI today, I had more chances to show myself and score. But the most important thing is that the team won, and we all played well.”
