Chelsea forward Pedro Neto expressed his gratitude to teammate Nicolas Jackson after netting the opening goal in their 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC in the FIFA Club World Cup opener.
Neto broke the deadlock after receiving a precise through-ball from Jackson, shifting to his left before calmly slotting past LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The goal set the tone for a comfortable Chelsea win in Atlanta.
&ldquo;I feel very good,&rdquo; said Neto, who joined Chelsea from Wolves last year. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first year with the club, and I&rsquo;ve had to adapt to different positions. I&rsquo;m really happy with my performances and want to keep improving.&rdquo;
Speaking about the goal, Neto added, &ldquo;I have to be thankful to Nico for the pass. He joked that I didn&rsquo;t thank him during the celebration, so I&rsquo;ll say it now &ndash; thank you very much, Nico!&rdquo;
Neto was called up for the Club World Cup after finishing the 2024&ndash;25 season strongly, helping Chelsea secure fourth place in the Premier League.
&ldquo;We finished the season well. With the players and squad we have, we must stay confident in every game,&rdquo; he said.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca praised the Portuguese star&rsquo;s professionalism and potential. &ldquo;Pedro is very professional, works hard every day, and plays very well. I believe he&rsquo;ll keep improving in goals and assists. We&rsquo;re very happy with him,&rdquo; Maresca said.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Pedro Neto Shines in Chelsea’s Club WC Win Over LAFC

Pedro Neto credits Nicolas Jackson's assist as Chelsea beats LAFC 2-0 in Club World Cup opener.

Pedro Neto Shines in Chelsea’s Club WC Win Over LAFC

Pedro Neto credits Nicolas Jackson's assist as Chelsea beats LAFC 2-0 in Club World Cup opener.

June 17, 2025 | 11:23 IST