Doug McIntyre
Soccer Journalist
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Thanks to some cool playmaking, Chelsea stands alone as champions of the world.
Cole Palmer twice busted out his signature shivering celebration as his two first-half goals led the English giants to a 3-0 upset over Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup.
It was a crisp performance for Palmer and Chelsea on a hot afternoon in front of 81,118 spectators — including President Donald Trump — at a sold-out MetLife Stadium.
Chelsea captain Reese James lifts the FIFA Club World Cup trophy after the team’s win over PSG. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
PSG, which beat Inter Milan in May to claim its first UEFA Champions League title, saw defender João Neves red-carded late in the game as the Parisians’ frustration boiled over. The tension carried on after the match when PSG coach Luis Enrique and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma got tangled up in a brief brawl with Chelsea forward João Pedro.
But the day – and the trophy – belonged to Chelsea. Here’s how Sunday’s finale unfolded:
Turning point
Despite temperatures hovering just below 90 degrees at kickoff, the match began with both European titans playing at a breakneck pace. Palmer missed the first good scoring opportunity for either team, blasting his shot past PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma but just wide of the top corner of the net.
On the opposite end of the field, the Italian backstop’s Chelsea counterpart, Robert Sánchez, made his first of several big saves during the contest, diving to smother Désiré Doué low on-target drive.
Palmer didn’t squander his next chance, though. The England international took a pass from teammate Malo Gusto and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of Donnarumma’s goal to give the Blues a lead they’d never relinquish.
Play of the game
Palmer’s second goal was almost identical to his first, but neither was as pretty as the backbreaking third scored by Chelsea striker João Pedro.
Palmer set the Brazilian up by slipping a seeing-eye pass between a pair of PSG defenders, but Pedro still had plenty to do. He made it look easy, calmly chipping the ball over Donnarumma.
It was the former Brighton star’s third goal in three appearances for the Blues, all this month at the Club World Cup after signing for Chelsea on July 2. The 23-year-old also had a brace versus Fluminense— his boyhood club — in the semis.
Key stat
Sunday’s emphatic win gave Chelsea its second Club World Cup title in its 120-year history. The Blues also won the 2021 title in early 2022 under the competition’s previous format, when just seven teams participated. They played just two games then, defeating Saudi outfit Al-Hilal in the semis and Brazilian side Palmeiras in the final in Abu Dhabi.
What’s next for Paris Saint-Germain?
PSG won’t have to wait long to play for another trophy; they’ll face another London club, Europa League champs Tottenham Hotspur, in the UEFA Super Cup final in Italy on Aug. 13. PSG will then their French title defense three days later away to Ligue 1 rivals Nantes.
What’s next for Chelsea?
Enzo Maresca’s squad won’t play again until early August, when they play a pair of preseason friendly matches in London against Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen and Italy’s AC Milan.
The Blues open their 2025-26 Premier League campaign when they host FA Cup holders Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Aug. 17.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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