Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Benfica in the Club World Cup quarter-final will be remembered not just for the goals but for the chaos surrounding it.

The Blues advanced to the semi-finals in style at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the victory came after one of the most bizarre and testing match interruptions in recent memory.

With Chelsea leading 1-0 through a trademark Reece James free-kick and just four minutes left on the clock, play was suddenly halted due to a severe thunderstorm warning.

Fans were evacuated from the stadium, and players were ushered off the pitch amid safety concerns.
What followed was a staggering 113-minute delay — nearly two hours of waiting as the storm passed over.

Reece James, who wore the captain’s armband on the night and opened the scoring, has now revealed what the Chelsea players did to stay focused and ready.

“It was about recovery, keeping the legs going on the bike, listening to some music to keep the vibes going,” James said after the game.

The England international also admitted the challenge of cooling down and then having to restart in such intense conditions: “It takes a lot out of the players to cool down and then restart that engine again, but we’re happy we got the job done.”

Once play resumed, Chelsea were briefly rocked by a late Benfica equaliser, forcing the match into extra time. But the Blues responded in emphatic fashion, scoring three more goals through Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to seal the win.

The resilience shown by Maresca’s side — and the cool-headed leadership of James — will be a major confidence booster as Chelsea look ahead to the Club World Cup semi-finals.

And if they do go on to lift the trophy, they’ll know it was earned through more than just football — it was about patience, mental strength, and yes, even music and exercise bikes in a storm-drenched locker room.