EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — 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. — Mark Ogden
Cole Palmer reminds us he is the real deal
Palmer is a special talent. He didn’t need to steal the show in the Club World Cup final to prove that, but he did that anyway and more than justified having his image bearing down from billboards throughout New York City over the past week.
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 Joao 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 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 only been 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. — Ogden
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 Joao 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, Joao 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 Hernandez 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. — Ogden
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 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 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. — Marcotti
Electric atmosphere as Club World Cup comes to an end
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 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. — Becherano
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