Chelsea's Malo Gusto has expressed his confidence in the team's "mental strength" as they continue their quest for Club World Cup glory. The London side are set to face Fluminense in the semi-final in New York, with a place in the final at stake.

Gusto believes that mental fortitude has been a key factor in Chelsea's journey to the semi-finals. He emphasized the importance of self-belief as they enter the latter stages of the tournament. "During this competition, our mental strength has been the most important thing," Gusto said. "That's why we are in the semi-final because we've shown that on the pitch during all the games that we have had".

Chelsea secured their spot in the semi-finals after a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras in the quarter-finals. Gusto played a crucial role in the win, as his cross resulted in a late own goal. Cole Palmer had earlier opened the scoring for Chelsea, but Estevao, who will be joining the Blues this summer, equalized for Palmeiras.

Gusto acknowledged the challenges posed by the competition, including tough weather conditions and strong opponents. "We know the weather is tough, the pitch too, all the teams are very good, many things are around the game and we have to deal with it," he said. "That's why this competition is so hard to play and that's why we are so happy to get this far". He believes that overcoming these hurdles demonstrates the team's ability to achieve anything.

Looking ahead to the semi-final against Fluminense, Gusto stressed the importance of maintaining focus and believing in their abilities. "It's not enough yet, we still have a semi-final to play, to try to get to the final and try to win this trophy," Gusto stated. "Now we just have to believe in ourselves and to give our best". He also highlighted the need to stay focused on the team and improve with each game. "We play a lot of games so one game can be bad and then the second can be much better," Gusto explained. "The most important thing is to deal with that and to just stay focused on the team and trying to give our best, to make yourself better game by game".

Chelsea are considered joint-favourites to win the 2025 Club World Cup. A supercomputer gives Chelsea a 33.27% chance of winning the tournament. They are on what is perceived to be the "easier" side of the knockout draw. If Chelsea beat Fluminense, they will face either Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the final.