I like it here - Chelsea Club World Cup hero Joao Pedro expresses affection for new teammates

Joao Pedro has expressed immense joy and gratitude after Chelsea's Club World Cup victory, a mere two weeks after joining the club. 

The 23-year-old Brazilian, who scored twice in the semi-final and once in the final against Paris Saint-Germain, immediately called his mother, Flavia, to share the triumph, crediting her unwavering support for his professional career.

“My family means everything to me, especially my mother, because I had difficult moments at the beginning of my career and she was there for me,” said the Chelsea forward.

“If she hadn't been by my side from the beginning, I don't think I would have got this far.

“So the first thing I did when arriving back into the changing room was to call her because she is very important to me and I know how happy she is that we have won this title.”

The forward then discussed dovetailing with new teammates, having been on holiday when the Blues struck a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Joao Pedro quickly adapted to his new surroundings, attributing his immediate impact to the welcoming environment and strong winning mentality within Enzo Maresca's squad. 

The ex-Brighton man noted the significance of the tournament for Chelsea, emphasising the team's collective desire to win. 

“I’m very happy because I was on holiday and they called me to come to my tournament, and in Brazil, this tournament is very important,” he said. “I think you saw in the final how important it was to everyone at Chelsea.

“It is a very good group with very good guys. Everyone wants to win; the mentality is good. Everyone has been very welcoming to me.

“I came to Chelsea to win trophies, and today we did. Now we need to rest and it will be time to go again next season. But will enjoy it first because we won the tournament.”

Chelsea return to pre-season in about three weeks to prepare for the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season. 

The Blues begin their campaign against Crystal Palace on August 17.