Fluminense are through to the Club World Cup quarter-finals after beating Inter 2-0 in Charlotte on Monday. Renato Gaucho’s side started quickly and took the lead after only three minutes via an opportunistic header from German Cano. Inter fans might have hoped that an early setback would spur their side into a concerted response but there was little evidence of that in the rest of the first half.

Cristian Chivu’s team eventually managed to build some momentum in the second half but some obstinate Fluminense defending — and the woodwork — kept the Italian side at bay. And, as Inter pressed ever more desperately for an equaliser, Fluminense broke and sealed the game in injury time via a tidy finish from Hercules.

Before this current tournament began, no Brazilian club had beaten a European side in a competitive match since 2012. Things are a bit different in 2025. Fluminense will now face the winner of the game between Manchester City and Al Hilal in the quarter-finals.

Oliver Kay, Mark Carey and Conor O’Neill analyse the game.

How good is Jhon Arias?

It is intended as a rhetorical question, but it works both ways. The Fluminense winger has been one of the stand-out performers at this tournament, a fast, skilful, powerful winger who seems to threaten every time he gets the ball. After winning FIFA’s “Superior Player” award in two of his team’s three group games, he deservedly made it three out of four here.

Arias will turn 28 into September. This time four years ago, he was still playing in his native Colombia for Independiente Santa Fe. But he was an integral part of the Fluminense team that won their first-ever Copa Libertadores title in 2023, then the Colombia team that reached last year’s Copa America final, and he has excelled at the Club World Cup.

He is a joy to watch and, if is he is to spend his entire club career in South America, Fluminese’s gain appears to be Europe’s loss.

Oliver Kay

Why were Inter so poor?

You can blame it on the warm weather. You might even blame it on a poor playing surface in Charlotte, but there is little hiding from the fact that Inter’s overall performance was not up to standard.

Fluminense’s early goal dictated the pattern of the game in the early stages, often staying compact, counter-attacking when necessary, and drawing numerous fouls to kill any kind of momentum that Chivu’s side threatened to build.

For all that you can credit the Brazilian side for a streetwise performance, Inter did not circulate the ball quickly enough to threaten Fluminense’s back line, with too much possession played laterally and not enough penetration in the final third.

Defensively, Inter’s inability to comprehensively defend open-play crosses has been their undoing in the crucial stages of this season. While they progressed past Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League, Hansi Flick’s side provided a blueprint for Paris Saint-Germain to follow as they duly picked off Inter in the final — including well-worked goals from crosses.

Considering their back-five defensive line, it is surprising that there is such a lack of organisation at times, as Inter defenders get pulled out of position. Matteo Darmian committed the ultimate defensive sin by letting the ball bounce in the six-yard box to allow German Cano to score from close range. The fact that neither Stefan de Vrij nor Alesandro Bastoni were in the penalty area when the ball was crossed only adds to the narrative.

While you might point to an isolated poor performance from Inter, there have been signs of their defensive weakness for some time.

Mark Carey

In praise of Fluminense’s fast start

They may have been pre-match underdogs, but Fluminense’s blisteringly aggressive start at the Bank of America Stadium said otherwise, catching a disorganised Inter side cold.

Renato Gaucho’s side had reached this stage through defensive grit rather than swashbuckling attacking play, grinding out two goalless draws in the group stage. Inter could be forgiven then for expecting more of the same — that the Brazilians would sit deep, hold a disciplined defensive block, and concede possession against the Champions League runners-up.

Instead, they came flying out of the traps, pressing and harrying an Inter defence visibly rattled by their unexpected intensity.

Their intent was immediate, with the front three of Cano, Arias and Nonato instantly pushing forward from Inter’s kick off. This surprisingly bold approach almost brought instant reward, as Nonato harried centre-back De Vrij into a weak backpass toward Yann Sommer. Sommer scrambled to intervene, desperately stretching out his left foot to poke the ball away from the onrushing Cano.

But Cano did capitalise on De Vrij and Inter’s nervousness just minutes later. After some midfield pinball, De Vrij took a careless, casual swipe at the ball, which ricocheted off Matheus Martinelli and fell to the effervescent Arias on the right. The Colombian surged forward and whipped in a cross that deflected fortuitously into Cano’s path.

The forward finished the chance with a rarely-seen nutmegged header, a fitting reward for Fluminense’s bold and fearless start.

Conor O’Neill

How big a shock is this result?

Another Brazilian side, another upset, but was Fluminense’s win over Inter the biggest shock yet? While fellow Brasileirao sides Flamengo and Botafogo stunned Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain respectively in the group stage, Fluminense were arguably weaker than both of them.

Opta’s Power Rankings — a global system that rates over 13,000 clubs on a scale from zero upwards — places them 181st in the world, 23 spots below Championship side Watford, while Inter are ranked within the top 10.

With Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain making up three of the four quarter-finalists before tonight, the knockout stage had increasingly been shaping up as a European stronghold.

The surprises sprung by Brazilian teams, then, will come as welcome relief to FIFA executives eager to avoid the competition turning into a summer-time Champions League lite.

Conor O’Neill

What next for Fluminense?

Friday, July 4: Manchester City/Al Hilal, Club World Cup quarter-finals (Atlanta), 3pm ET, 8pm UK

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(Top photo via Getty Images)