Chelsea FC have etched their name in history as the first-ever champions of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, producing a scintillating 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in a one-sided final at the MetLife Stadium on Monday (IST).
England youngster Cole Palmer was the star of the show, netting twice and assisting another in a devastating first-half performance that left PSG shell-shocked. The French giants, reduced to ten men late in the match, were chasing a historic quadruple but were outclassed from the start by an energetic and clinical Chelsea side.
Palmer opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after a smart run from Joao Pedro down the right, finishing with precision into the bottom corner. Just eight minutes later, he repeated the act — dancing through PSG’s midfield and curling home a second from the edge of the box.
Before the half-time whistle, Palmer turned provider, threading a perfect through ball for Joao Pedro, who coolly chipped Gianluigi Donnarumma to make it 3-0 and seal Chelsea’s grip on the match.
Despite PSG showing signs of threat early — with Marc Cucurella denying Achraf Hakimi a clear opportunity — they were unable to mount any real challenge against a well-drilled Chelsea defence. The situation worsened in the 84th minute when Joao Neves was shown a red card for pulling Cucurella’s hair in frustration.
With 17 goals across the tournament, Chelsea finished as top scorers, edging PSG, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich (all with 16), underscoring their attacking intent under head coach Enzo Maresca.
The Italian tactician made two changes from the semi-final victory over Fluminense FC, bringing in Levi Colwill and Reece James. His bold decisions were vindicated as the Blues looked dominant throughout.
Liam Delap nearly added gloss to the scoreline late in the game after coming off the bench, but Chelsea had already done enough to claim the title in style.
This victory not only adds a new piece of silverware to the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet but also signals Chelsea’s growing stature on the world stage as they prepare to challenge on multiple fronts in the 2024–25 season.
Final score:
Chelsea FC 3 (Palmer 22’, 30’; Joao Pedro 44’)
Paris Saint-Germain 0
Red card: Joao Neves (84’, PSG)
