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Pedro Neto paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva after Chelsea's emphatic 3-0 triumph over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.
The 25-year-old winger was instrumental in Enzo Maresca's team as they clinched a historic win at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sunday evening. Cole Palmer opened the scoring before the half-hour mark, coolly slotting the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma into the bottom corner.
Not long after, the 23-year-old midfielder replicated his earlier effort with another sublime finish from just outside the penalty area. Joao Pedro added the third goal of the match just before half-time.
Despite Luis Enrique's tactical adjustments in the second half, he couldn't find a way through Maresca's solid defensive line-up.
Following the match, Neto dedicated the win to Jota, who tragically died in a car accident earlier in the month. Neto and Jota shared a close bond, having been teammates at Wolves and for the Portuguese national team.
Neto expressed his emotions on social media with a series of photos from the Club World Cup final, captioning them: "WORLD CHAMPIONS [trophy and blue heart emoji].
"I have no words to describe this feeling. What a support [shooting star and praying emoji]. Thank you very much, Blues. This one's for you, partner D [dove and white heart emoji]."
Marc Cucurella joined in the outpouring of support for Neto, commenting: "You deserve it my friend [blue heart and clapping emoji]."
Speaking post-match in the States, Neto dedicated their victory to his friends: "I said I would win it for Diogo and Andre. This one is for them and their families, and we are really happy."
Neto, in a heartfelt messagea shared ahead of the final, reflected on Jota's influence: "When I step onto the pitch on Sunday, know that I want to win this competition for Diogo Jota.
"He will always be with me. He will always be remembered. My thoughts are still with him, his brother Andre Silva, and their families. It's such a difficult moment."
Recalling his arrival in the UK, Neto expressed gratitude towards Jota: "Diogo immediately stood out to me when I came to England. I was very young and arriving in a new country, and he was one of the key players at Wolves. But he helped me and my family a lot, and I learned so much from him about life and football."
"Diogo was part of our group of Portuguese players — there were quite a lot of us! Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Vinagre, Rui Patricio, myself, and Diogo. We were so close and spent a lot of time together off the pitch.
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"We are still in contact now, and these guys, and the memories I have, will stay with me for the rest of my life. It's why it's so tough to now be without Diogo."
Neto honoured Jota's character and camaraderie: "He was a warrior, a guy who would always be ready to fight for you. Yet he had this big smile and his laugh... it is one of the things that I will always remember.
"When I heard the news, I spoke with the coach, and everyone was very supportive. We had the game against Palmeiras and it didn't make sense for me not to play. With the personality Diogo had — something else that will always stay with me — I think he would've wanted us to play.
"I have this feeling that Diogo is still protecting everyone who was close to him. It's why I want to be a warrior for him. Sunday is no different. It will be my second final with Chelsea, and we can be crowned world champions. That is the focus. I want to win. I want to win it for Diogo."
English (US) ·