Martinelli motivated to return Fluminense to Club World Cup

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ remains etched in Fluminense's memory. One of the competition's four semi-finalists, the Tricolor enjoyed a month of ambitions and glory in the USA. It was such a memorable experience that, ever since returning from North America, the club have never stopped thinking about going back to the tournament.

In an exclusive interview with FIFA, midfielder Matheus Martinelli recalled the unique experience he and his team-mates enjoyed at the tournament, and he made his desire to take part in the competition once again very clear.

"It was a very special month, not just for me but for all my team-mates,” said Martinelli. “From the moment we arrived, everyone lived every training session, every journey we made there and every match to the fullest. It's a competition that everyone talks about and says, 'It'd be great if we had one of those every year.' It was special.

"Everyone who gets the opportunity should be able [to experience it],” he added. “I want to experience that again. And I think if you asked anyone here at Fluminense, they'd say the same."

To be at the next edition of the Club World Cup in 2029, Fluminense need to win one of the next three editions of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores. That dream could take another step towards becoming reality on Tuesday 8 September, when the Tricolor face Argentina's Platense at the Maracana in the quarter-finals of South America’s elite club competition.

"Every year, the Libertadores demands even more,” said Martinelli. “Teams are getting stronger and new investments are being made. We have to put everything into it. Every game is different.

"We know that to earn that place, we have to win the Libertadores. And it's not just my dream, it's the dream of the whole group, the entire staff and the coaching team. Everyone wants to win this competition and, therefore, secure our spot [at the Club World Cup], because it would be very special to play in that competition once again. We have to do everything we can to make it happen."

When Martinelli looks back on the 2025 Club World Cup, one particular day stands out for him: the quarter-final against Al Hilal on 4 July. He scored a superb goal to open the scoring in Fluminense's 2-1 win.

"That was a very special game. I managed to score, to help my team, and we came away with the win,” said Martinelli. “Reaching a Club World Cup semi-final... A lot of people didn't believe it was possible. They'd say, 'Fluminense might get through the group stage, but then they'll get knocked out.' But we believed in ourselves and did everything we could. And we made it all the way to the semi-finals. I was very happy."

That was not Martinelli's first global competition in a Fluminense shirt. In 2023, the year he helped the club win the Libertadores, he was part of the squad that finished runners-up in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™.

"I'd never played in a competition like that before, so everything was new,” he said. “Even before our first game, we went to watch the match that would determine our opponents. You could already feel the atmosphere in the stadium and get a sense of what it was going to be like. It was a really great experience for everyone."

After beating Egypt's Al Ahly 2-0 in the semi-finals, Fluminense lost 4-0 to Manchester City in the final. But even that result could not prevent Martinelli from making a positive impression. After the match, head coach Fernando Diniz revealed that Pep Guardiola had asked him about "the No8".

"[Diniz] told me about it after the game. We were saying goodbye before going away on holiday and he told me,” recalled Martinelli. “I was very happy because he's one of the top coaches in world football. He's won so many trophies, and it's not just about the titles but the way his teams play. I like it and I follow [his career]. I've always admired his teams, so it was very special for me."

Since breaking into Fluminense's first team in 2020, Martinelli has shared a dressing room with some of the biggest names in the club's history. More recently, he has played alongside two icons of world football wearing the colours of the Tricolor: Marcelo, in 2023 and 2024, and Thiago Silva, over the past three years.

"It was and is very special to work with players at that level. Not just them, but others too," he said, before comparing the leadership styles of the two veterans.

"Marcelo was a little more extroverted, always having a laugh and joking around. Thiago is a little more serious. He's more of a leader; he talks more, gives more instructions and demands more from you. He's talking to everyone throughout the game, making sure the team is well positioned both to attack and defend. I learned so much from those two. I won trophies with Marcelo and I hope to win some with Thiago now."

Martinelli's path into the senior side, however, was far from straightforward. Part of a highly regarded generation in Fluminense's academy, alongside players such as Luiz Henrique, Andre and Joao Pedro, he was one of the last of that group to be given his opportunity with the first team. Yet he is the one who has gone on to have the biggest impact at the club.

To date, he has made more than 300 appearances, winning the Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana and two Campeonato Carioca titles, as well as creating countless memories in the Tricolor shirt.

"I'm very proud of the history I've built and continue to build,” said Martinelli. “I've always been very clear about that in my life. I've always put everything in God's hands, along with my family and my work. I hope to build an even greater legacy, win more trophies and leave my name in the history of this great club."

Despite being immensely proud of what he has already achieved, Martinelli admits he still struggles to grasp what he represents to Fluminense.

"I never stop to think about it. Sometimes people tell me about it, and sometimes I can't really see the scale of it from inside the club,” he said. “But I always try to live in the present. Every day, I live this as if it could be my last. I love being out there in every training session and every match. I've always dreamed of this and it's what makes me happy. I always want to be on the pitch representing this badge in the best way possible.

"It would be very special for me to be recognised like that, as 'Martinelli of Fluminense'. For me, our biggest recent idol was Fred. There's German [Cano] too, Ganso... There are so many people. To be among them would be very special."