Cole Palmer delivered a stellar performance on Sunday night, scoring twice and assisting another as Chelsea stunned UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup. The dramatic final took place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with former U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania among the crowd of 81,118.
Despite coming into the final as clear favourites, PSG were dismantled by a clinical Chelsea side that dominated from the outset. Luis Enrique’s men had crushed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals, but they were on the receiving end this time. Palmer opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after Malo Gusto’s effort rebounded to him, and the 22-year-old made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
Eight minutes later, Palmer struck again. Exploiting space on the right, he curled a composed finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma to double Chelsea’s lead. Before PSG could respond, Palmer turned provider, setting up recent signing Joao Pedro for a third just before half-time.
PSG, who had conceded only once in their previous eight matches, looked rattled and failed to mount a serious comeback. Their frustration boiled over late on when Joao Neves was shown a red card for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair off the ball, following a VAR review.
The victory capped a remarkable season for Chelsea. Alongside their Club World Cup success, they lifted the UEFA Conference League and secured fourth place in the Premier League. Their triumph in the expanded global tournament also comes with a financial windfall of approximately $125 million.
For PSG, the defeat was a bitter end to a campaign that had seen them dominate domestically and finally conquer Europe. While the financial rewards remain significant, missing out on the Club World Cup title was a blow to their ambitions of global supremacy.
The final also featured the first-ever half-time show in a FIFA tournament, adding a Super Bowl-esque atmosphere to a memorable night in New York. But ultimately, it was Palmer and Chelsea who stole the spotlight, making history on the world stage.
