Chelsea vs PSG
PSG vs Chelsea 0-3: FIFA Club World Cup final – as it happened
It’s a wrap
The live coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup final has ended.The monthlong, 32-team tournament concluded with English club Chelsea lifting the trophy. The Blues downed favourites PSG 3-0 in the final, thanks to Palmer, who scored twice and set up another.We hope you enjoyed our coverage, and thank you for tuning in.Until next time, this is Manasi Pathak signing off.
Cole Palmer inspired a stunning Chelsea performance as they downed European champions Paris St-Germain to win the first edition of the newly expanded Club World Cup.
The England attacking midfielder scored twice and set up a brilliant third goal for new signing Joao Pedro in a comprehensive 3-0 win over in-form PSG at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.Palmer placed a low shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 22nd minute after Malo Gusto ran in behind Nuno Mendes, adding a second with a neat dummy and identical shot from the edge of the box just eight minutes later.His defence-splitting pass allowed Joao Pedro to lob Donnarumma just before half-time to stun a team branded "the best in the world" b
y Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca before kick-off.
In the second half Khvicha Kvaratskhelia immediately tested Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, while his close-range save minutes later from Ousmane Dembele was even more impressive.Substitute Liam Delap also had a good shot saved as PSG were left with too much of a mountain to climb after missed opportunities by Joao Neves and Desire Doue when the scores were level in the first half.The game was all but over on 85 minutes when matters got worse for the Parisians, as midfielder Neves was sent off after a brief VAR check for pulling defender Marc Cucurella's hair.PSG manager Luis Enrique will also face questions after appearing to slap Chelsea forward Joao Pedro in ugly post-match scenes, with unused substitute Presnel Kimpembe having to pull away his coach.Enrique later said he was trying to separate fighting players "to avoid a situation getting worse", adding: "It was a result of the pressure at the end of the match."
Among the 81,118 people in attendance - the biggest of the tournament - was US President Donald Trump, who sat alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino as Chelsea took their earnings to about £90m as they became world champions.
What's the main talking point?
Palmer is literally and figuratively Chelsea's poster boy, and he will take all the headlines from this final.In New York's Times Square, there are giant billboards featuring the 23-year-old's image and he recreated the famous lunch-atop-a-skyscraper photo for Fifa with Ballon d'Or-tipped Dembele before kick-off.His fame could reach another level now and he has become the face of a resurgent Chelsea, the Club World Cup following the Conference League triumph in May to show the investment made by the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital regime can lead to glory.
What happened to PSG?
PSG's discomfort at losing heavily and comprehensively was shown in ugly post-match scenes.Manager Luis Enrique, who Maresca also previously labelled the "best in the world", appeared to strike Joao Pedro and could now face punishment.PSG had won the Champions League in a near-perfect season where they beat Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa and claimed a further three domestic trophies.
But they never gained control on the pitch in this final, which ultimately led to both players and manager collectively losing their heads off it.
Who stood out?
Every Chelsea player can walk off that pitch with pride. There were impressive performances from the exceptional Sanchez and Malo Gusto, who have faced much criticism in recent months.Winger Pedro Neto showed impressive work-rate to nullify one of the world's best full-backs in Achraf Hakimi and Joao Pedro scored his third goal in three games since joining Chelsea during the tournament.
What's next for both teams?
The Chelsea and PSG players have earned their holidays, with pre-season to be cut short at both clubs.
Maresca says his players will receive three weeks of holiday before they face Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan at Stamford Bridge in a mini-tournament on 8 and 10 August, with their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on 17 August.
PSG start 2025-26 with the Uefa Super Cup against Tottenham on 13 August.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The rout began with a sweep of a cultured left foot, and continued with a crippling counterattack. It was complete before halftime here at the 2025 Club World Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. One side exploded up and down the field, and out to a 3-0 lead; the other staggered, as if exhausted, disrupted and dumbstruck.
It was everything everybody expected PSG to do Sunday at MetLife Stadium.But, remarkably, it was Chelsea doing it.The Blues, who were +370 underdogs to win in regulation, needed only 43 minutes to race past PSG. They beat the European champion 3-0 and won the first edition of this expanded, lucrative, spectacular
yet controversial tournament.Cole Palmer, who’d been freezing cold from January through June, sank the favorites with two goals inside the first half hour, then an exquisite assist before halftime.Palmer's stealthy assault on the PSG goal began 22 minutes after the soccer began, after a pre-match show filled with Americana, after Michael Buffer boomed to a sold-out crowd of over 80,000: “Let’s get ready to rummmmbllllleeee!”
The sequence was slightly fluky. But the lead was arguably deserved. Chelsea started strong, stronger than anybody else had against PSG in months. And eight minutes later, Palmer made it 2-0.
This time, the 23-year-old Englishman made his own space at the top of the box. After Reece James blocked an Ousmane Dembélé pass, and Levi Colwill launched a counter, Palmer sensed his new teammate, João Pedro, steaming forward on an overlapping run. Palmer, with a subtle fake, sent PSG midfielder Vitinha retreating toward Pedro's run, away from the ball. Palmer carried on into the box, sat down another PSG defender with a hesitation, and found the same bottom left corner.
To chase the game, from then on, PSG continued to charge into the attacking half. Chelsea handled the pressure, and punished the Parisians for all the space they left gaping.At one end, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was flawless, darting off his line to punch away crosses, scrambling across his goal to claw away would-be PSG goals.At the other end, in the 43rd minute, Palmer slipped a clever through-ball into Pedro, who dinked a cute finish over PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.Chelsea fans, packed behind the far goal, erupted. Bodies leapt, and limbs punched the air And PSG never recovered.
For much of the 2024-25 season, and never more so than in Wednesday’s semifinal stomping of Real Madrid, the Parisians looked like a generational team. After that 4-0 win over Madrid — which followed a 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in the Champions League final, a 4-0 takedown of Atlético Madrid on the second day of the Club World Cup, and a 4-0 beatdown of Inter Miami in the Round of 16 — Spanish reporters began to toss around a weighty word: “imbatable,” unbeatable.
That, of course, was an exaggeration. No team is perfect. In soccer, no result is preordained, no conclusion foregone.And on Sunday, Chelsea drove home that point.By the latter half of the second half, PSG resorted to frustration fouls. João Neves was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair. At the final whistle, players from both teams skirmished. Donnarumma, who'd been heated since the first half, confronted opponents. PSG coach Luis Enrique appeared to shove his hand into Pedro's face.
Chelsea, meanwhile, bubbled with joy, and celebrated an unlikely title.
The Blues, for most of the month, felt like outsiders. They’d qualified for this Club World Cup via their win in the 2021 Champions League final, a match in which only one current player appeared. They arrived in the United States having finished fourth in the English Premier League, and having rolled through a third-tier continental competition, the UEFA Conference League. They were not favorites to win this tournament. Their only superlative was chief complainers. When they lost to Flamengo in the group stage, frankly, they didn’t seem like they were all that thrilled to be here.But they grew into the knockout stages. They took advantage of a relatively soft half of the bracket, beating Benfica, Palmeiras and Fluminense. And then, in the final, they did what nobody thought anybody could.Cole Palmer inspired Chelsea to a shock 3-0 FIFA Club World Cup final win against Paris Saint-Germain in New Jersey as the Premier League side became the first winners
of the new-look, expanded, 32-team tournament.England forward Palmer scored twice and created a third for João Pedro, as Chelsea overran the Champions League winners in the first half at MetLife Stadium.
PSG, heavy favorites going into the game following their 4-0 semifinal win against Real Madrid, missed two clear chances before Palmer opened the scoring on 21 minutes. After failing to hit back against Enzo Maresca's team, PSG's nightmare performance worsened when midfielder João Neves was shown a red card in the 86th minute, after VAR review showed that the Portugal international deliberately pulled the hair of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella.
You may have noticed the Chelsea and England star also went viral on social media over the weekend after being filmed on a scooter in Times Square on Friday night. The image summed him up -- a footballer and a person who is totally at ease, whether on the pitch or off it. But in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, he was as calm and composed as he was in Times Square, showcasing his incredible talent to take down Champions League winners PSG and claim the Club World Cup for Chelsea.
Palmer's two goals put Chelsea in control before he provided the assist for João Pedro to make it 3-0 before halftime for the Blues. Yet he was more than a goal scorer and creator -- he was also Chelsea's inspiration, defiantly leading the fight against a PSG team that has been, with justification, billed as the best team in the world.Palmer's first goal on 21 minutes was a classy left-foot finish from just inside the penalty area after he had been teed up by Malo Gusto. His second was a similar finish -- curled low into the far corner -- but there was much more to it than simply guiding the ball into the net. Palmer had cut in from the right flank and dummied his PSG marker before creating space and then rolling it beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma before racing off to do his trademark "Cold" Palmer celebration.It's been only two years since Palmer, then 21, told Manchester City he wanted to leave after growing frustrated by his lack of first-team opportunities. Pep Guardiola didn't fight to keep him, and Chelsea landed a £40 million bargain. Palmer has since become one of the biggest stars in the game, and he's now a world champion after delivering on the big stage in New Jersey.
PSG crumble after dominating through the competition
Paris Saint-Germain entered as the favorites to win the Club World Cup after passing every test on their way to Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium. Luis Enrique's team triumphed 2-0 against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals and 4-0 over Real Madrid in the semifinal, games that easily could have been finals had the bracket been different.
Inter Miami suffered, Bayern Munich struggled, Real Madrid failed and Chelsea appeared to be PSG's next victim, but just 22 minutes into the final, the tables turned in the Blues' favor.PSG, a team that once boasted about the importance of defending with every player on the field and the need for adaptability, fell apart at the sight of every Chelsea attack. Cole Palmer stunned three PSG defenders inside the box to score his first, then shimmied beyond Lucas Beraldo for a second. PSG's back line had not allowed a goal in the tournament since Botafogo scored on June 19 in the second group stage match, but slow reactions and lazy play put them in an early hole.It didn't get much better, with João Pedro adding a third and PSG unable to beat Robert Sánchez in the Chelsea goal. Passes were sloppy, defensive positioning was lacking and overall, the well-oiled machine built by Luis Enrique continuously broke down. Joao Neves' late red card for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair summed up PSG's frustration, with a great tournament undone by their woeful performance in the final. -- Lizzy Becherano
Enzo Maresca nails the Blues' game plan
We don't often see Chelsea captain Reece James on the pitch these days given his injury record, and when we do, it's usually not in midfield. Against Paris Saint Germain, though, Enzo Maresca's decision to deploy him alongside Moisés Caicedo proved pivotal.
James was effective in providing cover for Malo Gusto's marauding runs, which were critical to Chelsea's first two goals. (Before the second, his overlap gave Palmer the chance to freeze Vitinha and create space for the goal.) James also offered an option on the right when Palmer, who usually plays in attacking midfield, opted to drift inside. His physical presence helped neutralize PSG's heralded left-hand threat of Nuno Mendes and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia -- also, when necessary, he slid inside as a de facto third center back.Credit Maresca's reading of the match and what was required to nullify PSG's strengths. (And, while we're at it, let's remember he won the Club World Cup with a center forward, João Pedro, who wasn't even a Chelsea player until less than two weeks ago.)Credit James too for his tactical intelligence and ability to execute what was asked of him. He may not start every game, having been ravaged by injuries his entire career, but that's leadership, too: being ready to step in and give your team what it needs, when it needs it. -- Gab Marcotti
PSG not so perfect after all
Are Paris Saint-Germain still the best team in the world? Probably, even after losing the Club World Cup final against Chelsea. But what the defeat in New Jersey proved was that Luis Enrique's Champions League winners aren't so perfect after all, despite their outstanding performances on the way to reaching the final.
The absences in defense of Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández showed that when PSG's best players aren't available, their backup options aren't quite the same level. Without Pacho and Hernández available to play on the left of Marquinhos in central defense, PSG had to rely on Lucas Beraldo, and the 21-year-old was the weak link in their back four.
This was also a day on which Désiré Doué didn't live up to his usual standards. The winger had a great chance to put PSG 1-0 up in the first half but made a mess of the chance when instead trying to pass to Achraf Hakimi.
Make no mistake, PSG are unplayable when they are at their best, and few gave Chelsea hope of beating them. But the fact that they lost shows that perfection is still not there for Luis Enrique's side, and they still have improvements they can make.
It's a big payday for both clubs, though we don't know quite how big ...
at least not for now, and that's because of the way FIFA has allocated the prize money.
Every participating club draws from two pots: a "sporting performance pillar" (worth $475 million in total) based on results in the competition and a "participation pillar" (worth $525 million), which is sort of like an appearance fee. Based on their results, we know that Chelsea/GettyImages-2221916345.jpg)
will earn $85.625 million and PSG $75.625 million for what they achieved on the pitch.
What they'll get from the "participation pillar" is a bit murkier. The appearance fee is the same for teams from each confederation -- from Oceania's $3.58 million per club to South America's $15.21 million per club except for UEFA. All FIFA will say is that it ranges from $12.81 million to $38.19 million and is determined via a ranking "based on sporting and commercial criteria." However, FIFA hasn't told us just what that ranking is, and how much of it Chelsea and PSG will get.
That said, the 12 European participants will split around $346 million. We can safely assume that if commercial considerations come into it, Salzburg are at the lower end (and are probably the guys getting $12.81 million) and Real Madrid are the top (hello, $38.19 million). Chelsea and PSG should probably come in somewhere in the $25-30 million range, which means both clubs will probably clear the $100 million hurdle for the tournament. Attendance concerns consumed the narrative around the Club World Cup prior to the inaugural game on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Now, one month later, fans filled MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with a capacity crowd of 82,500.
Chelsea blue could be seen across the stands, though concentrated behind the left goal with flags over the railings and a tifo debuted at halftime. Supporters of the London club made clear their presence, but the stadium was filled with a variety of different football jerseys, from Brazil's Ronaldo jersey to Messi's Inter Miami pink, as a nod to the diverse fandom found in the United States.
Fans from around the globe dominated the group stage and round of 16, with Boca Juniors fans transforming Hard Rock into La Bombonera, River Plate supporters taking over the streets of Los Angeles and supporters from Brazil showing up in numbers at Times Square in New York -- but it was a different vibe for the final. The stadium erupted at every goal, expressed anger at each card shown by the referee and could be heard when players missed an obvious attempt to score.Fans even stayed back to watch Doja Cat, J Balvin, Tems and Coldplay perform in the halftime show, which FIFA hosted on a stage built into the stands as opposed to taking over the pitch for 15 minutes.At the final whistle, as Gala's dance hit (and apparent FIFA Club World Cup anthem) "Freed From Desire" echoed throughout the stadium, most attending the game danced. It didn't matter what jersey they were wearing or what country's flag they waved, as the stadium celebrated Chelsea's victory.
The Club World Cup has shown that there's a genuine excitement among U.S. soccer fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Despite constant doubt, some stadiums not being full, concerns over the heat and pitch complaints, the fans showed up Sunday. Luis Enrique said he was trying to separate players during a post-match brawl at the end of Paris Saint-Germain's Club World Cup final defeat against Chelsea after footage appeared to show the him pushing João Pedro to the ground.Chelsea's 3-0 win ended with bad tempered scenes following an 86th minute red card shown to PSG's João Neves for pulling the hair of Blues defender Marc Cucurella and the two sets of players clashed at the final whistle.Pedro, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi were all involved in a confrontation before Luis Enrique seemed to push the Chelsea forward in the face. But the former Barcelona coach said that while the scenes were "not what was best," he said that he was attempting to calm the situation.
"I have no problem expressing my feeling at the end of the game in a high level of pressure," he told reporters. "It's very stressful for all of us. It is going to be impossible to avoid that.
"Everybody was involved. It was not what was best and the end result of the pressure of the match."I have seen [Chelsea coach Enzo] Maresca. I saw he had pushed others and we had to separate all the players and I do not know where that pressure came from.
"But this is a situation we must all avoid. That goes without saying. My intention is that I wanted to separate the footballers, so the situations didn't become worse."Chelsea's Pedro said he thought some of the team may have temporarily lost their heads after the loss, but seemed to write the situation off while talking in the mixed zone."I don't need to say about them because it's normal. Everyone wants to win the game and, in the end, I think they lost their heads," Pedro said. "But this is football, this has happened and now we need to enjoy it because we won the tournament, that's it. I don't want to talk too much about them because you know how it works. Football is this."After falling to a surprise defeat, which denied PSG the chance to add a world title tot their Champions League crown, Luis Enrique said his team were not "losers.""We are not losers, there are no losers," he said. "We are the runners-up. A loser is somebody who gives up. In this high level of sport there are no losers whatsoever."Luis Enrique and PSG will get some needed time off with the conclusion of the Club World Cup. They return to action on the weekend of Aug. 17 when Ligue 1 play resumes.
Palmer destroyed PSG's defence in a sensational first half on Sunday, running up and down the right channel before slotting in a tidy left-footed goal in 22nd minute.
He doubled the score eight minutes later, again targeting the bottom-left corner of the goal as the legions of blue-clad Chelsea fans erupted in elation.
European and French champions PSG were coming off an extraordinary season but appeared overwhelmed yet again as Palmer set up Pedro with a neat flick with two minutes left in the first half."Today we found a position for him where there was more space to attack," Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said. "Obviously Cole played really well but the effort from all the players was fantastic.""The idea was go man-to-man because if you leave spaces to PSG they will kill you, so we tried to be very aggressive and suffocate them early on and that intensity was crucial in the first 10 minutes due to the scorching heat, that was really difficult conditions to play as the game progresses," Maresca explained.The Italian coach highlighted how his team had successfully targeted PSG's vulnerable flank, adding: "We had a lot of success exploring the left side of their defence, things worked perfectly for us due to the effort the players put."Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez won the Golden Glove for his two cleansheets in the tournament while Real Madrid's Gonzalo won the Golden Boot after scoring four goals in the LaLiga side's run to the semifinal.
Posted on 2025/07/14 02:04 PM