Substitute Bruno Henrique inspired Flamengo to a remarkable 3-1 comeback victory over Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday, continuing the strong run of form for South American teams at the tournament.

Pedro Neto gave Chelsea a first-half lead, but Flamengo—spurred on by a passionate majority among the 54,019 fans at Lincoln Financial Field—dominated after the break, scoring three unanswered goals to seal a memorable win in Group D.

Henrique Heroics Spark Flamengo’s Turnaround
Henrique, 34, entered the fray in the 56th minute and made an immediate impact. Just six minutes later, he equalised before setting up Danilo to make it 2-1. Chelsea were then reduced to ten men when Nicolas Jackson was sent off, and Wallace Yan added a late third to seal the result.

Flamengo, who now have two wins from two at the competition, sit atop Group D and are on the cusp of qualification for the last 16. The win also extended the unbeaten streak for South American clubs to nine matches at this year’s tournament, following Botafogo’s shock win over Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.

Chelsea Fall Apart Despite Early Lead
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made four changes following their 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC, including handing a first start to £30 million signing Liam Delap.

Delap nearly opened the scoring early on, forcing a save, but it was Pedro Neto who capitalised on a slip from Wesley to fire Chelsea ahead in the 13th minute—his second goal in as many games at the tournament.

Despite Flamengo enjoying spells of pressure, Chelsea held their lead into the break. But the second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum.

Flamengo Take Control After Interval
Flamengo nearly levelled in the 54th minute when Gerson intercepted a poor pass by Reece James but failed to finish, and Gonzalo Plata could not convert at the far post.

Then Henrique took over.

On 62 minutes, Plata nodded a Gerson cross back across goal, and Henrique reacted fastest to steer home the equaliser, sending Flamengo fans into raptures.

Just three minutes later, Flamengo took the lead. Henrique headed down a corner kick, and Danilo, the former Real Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus defender, fired into the net from close range.

Jackson Sees Red, Wallace Seals It
Chelsea’s situation worsened when Nicolas Jackson was shown a straight red card in the 68th minute for a reckless studs-up challenge on Ayrton Lucas. The tackle, widely condemned, left Chelsea with a mountain to climb.

Though Enzo Fernández came close to finding an equaliser, it was Flamengo who had the final say. In the 83rd minute, a deflected shot from Plata fell kindly to substitute Wallace Yan, who coolly slotted home to make it 3-1.

The result leaves Chelsea needing at least a point in their final group game against Esperance de Tunis to progress to the knockout stage.