Martinelli repays Renato's trust

• Midfielder scored Fluminense's opener against Al Hilal
• Martinelli has turned the Flu fans' boos into cheers
• He will be suspended for the semi-final against Chelsea

Renato Gaucho backed Matheus Martinelli from the moment he took charge of Fluminense FC. Nearly three months after scoring the winner in Gaucho's first match, the midfielder was on target again, this time opening the scoring in Fluminense's 2-1 win over Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ quarter-finals.

"I'm really happy with how the whole team has been doing. It's been incredible," Martinelli said. "As long as we keep working together and giving our all, good things are going to happen. I caught that one sweet with my left foot. It was like a Thiago Neves shot!"

"We’re not the biggest team and we don't have the most money, but what we do have is a lot of heart," he added. "We go out there ready to fight for each other on the pitch. There's such great team spirit and it's an amazing foundation to work from."

That supportive team spirit is something that Martinelli has always felt from coach Renato Gaucho, right from when he took charge at Fluminense back in April.

His first game in this latest spell with the club was in front of 20,000 fans on a rainy Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. Fluminense took the lead but Red Bull Bragantino equalised, and with the minutes ticking away, that looked to be the final score. Frustrated by the result, some of the Flu faithful saw Martinelli as a scapegoat and began to boo the midfielder, but he didn’t let that get to him.

With nerves of steel, he repaid the coach's faith in keeping him on the pitch with a 92nd-minute winner.

Tickets | Watch games live and free on DAZN

"We want the fans at the Maracana supporting us to the end," Gaucho said after the match. "Martinelli got some boos, but he ended up scoring the winner. Those same fans that were on his back were cheering him by the end.

"Even with all that, he still got us three points. He didn't do it alone, but he certainly helped. I know he has some flaws, but we can work on those. The kids from Xerem are the future of this club. We want the fans to support us. With hard work, we'll get the results."

That support during the coach's first match would set the tone for what followed. An ever-present contributor under Gaucho, Martinelli has started all five of Fluminense’s Club World Cup matches, and for him, playing at this level is nothing new.

He was part of the squad that lifted the CONMEBOL Libertadores in 2023, and he started the final against CA Boca Juniors. He’s made more than 250 appearances in the Tricolor shirt, but Friday’s goal in Orlando may just have been the most important moment of his career.

By scoring against Al Hilal, the midfielder gave Fluminense fans a memory to treasure. It was a moment of redemption both for himself and for a team that few tipped to even reach the semi-finals before the Club World Cup began.

"That goal meant a lot to me," Martinelli said. "I'm so happy with the way we performed out there and that we've made it to the semi-finals. Plenty of people doubted us, but we're having a great tournament.

Having picked up two yellow cards, Martinelli will miss the semi-final against Chelsea FC, but he knows the team has the strength and spirit to shine, no matter who is on the pitch.

"This squad is full of quality and whoever comes in will be just as important to the team," he said. "We're ready for a big performance in the semi.

"Anyone who wears this shirt wears it with pride. That’s what Fluminense is all about."