Chelsea vs PSG Review
Chelsea became the first FIFA Club World Cup champions in the competition’s new format, decisively beating PSG 3-0 in the final held at MetLife Stadium. Cole Palmer scored two goals early on, preventing Luis Enrique’s team from achieving an impressive clean sweep of trophies in the 2024/25 season. Both teams faced defeats by Brazilian clubs during the group stages, but they fought their way through the knockout rounds to reach this prestigious match near New York City. Led by semi-final standout João Pedro, Chelsea launched an early attack that almost resulted in a goal when Palmer’s shot in the eighth minute deflected slightly off Lucas Beraldo.
PSG took advantage of their opponents’ defensive weaknesses, with only a last-minute interception by Marc Cucurella preventing Désiré Doué’s pass from reaching an unmarked Achraf Hakimi. However, Enzo Maresca had a solid strategy, and PSG struggled to cope with the relentless Blue attack. Palmer overwhelmed the opposition and thrilled the Chelsea fans with two impressive goals in just eight minutes. First, he calmly finished from Malo Gusto’s assist, and then he scored a stunning second after a dazzling solo run. The reigning European champions appeared dazed after the second goal.
Cole Palmer then set up João Pedro, who skillfully chipped a third goal over Gianluigi Donnarumma. PSG’s chances of making a comeback early in the second half were largely thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, who made incredible reflex saves to deny shots from Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha. Meanwhile, Donnarumma also performed admirably, stopping a powerful strike from substitute Liam Delap. Frustration mounted in Enrique’s dugout as Chelsea’s aggressive play in the attacking third effectively neutralized PSG’s efforts.
The situation worsened for PSG when João Neves received a straight red card for pulling on Cucurella’s distinctive hair with just six minutes remaining. After winning the UEFA Conference League in May, marking their first trophy since the CWC in 2021, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea added another trophy to their collection. They also secured over £90 million in prize money, while PSG missed the opportunity to become the first team since Barcelona in 2015 to win the CWC and UCL along with the domestic league and cup double.
