By Amofokhai Williams
Chelsea Football Club delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, claiming their second Club World Cup title.
Cole Palmer’s brace and assist, combined with Joao Pedro’s stunning chip, overwhelmed the European champions in a match that showcased Chelsea’s tactical brilliance under manager Enzo Maresca.
The Blues struck first in the 22nd minute when Palmer got a shot away from the edge of the box and scored into the bottom left corner, assisted by Malo Gusto’s dynamic run.
Eight minutes later, Palmer doubled the lead, latching onto a precise through ball from Levi Colwill before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.
Just before halftime, Palmer set up Joao Pedro, who spotted goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma off his line and chipped the ball into the net,” securing a 3-0 lead.
PSG, despite their formidable form, struggled to respond.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was exceptional, making a “reflexive save” to deny Desire Doue’s strike in the 18th minute and a “superb save” to stop Joao Neves’ header in stoppage time.
In the 52nd minute, Sanchez thwarted Ousmane Dembele’s shot, ensuring Chelsea’s clean sheet.
The second half saw Chelsea maintain their dominance, with Liam Delap nearly adding a fourth goal.
Delap tricked his way to edge of the area and unleashed a howitzer of a shot towards the top right corner, only for Donnarumma to make a fine reflex save.
PSG’s frustration culminated in the 86th minute when Joao Neves received a straight red card after a VAR review confirmed he pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair, leaving PSG with ten players.
Chelsea’s victory, witnessed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump, who joined the trophy presentation, marks their second Club World Cup triumph, following their 2021 win over Palmeiras.
The Blues, who defied the Opta supercomputer’s 64.4% prediction favouring PSG, earned over $85 million from FIFA’s $1 billion prize pot.
Maresca praised his team’s “tactical discipline,” noting that their high pressing and rapid counterattacks exploited PSG’s vulnerabilities.
Palmer, awarded the Golden Ball, told DAZN, “It’s a great feeling. Everyone doubted us, but we knew we could do it.”
PSG’s Luis Enrique faced criticism for post-match tensions, including an alleged attempt to strike Joao Pedro.
