Cole Palmer leads Chelsea to a 3-0 victory over PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup final
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 14, 2025, 19:55 IST
( Image credit : IANS )
Cole Palmer's stellar performance, including two first-half goals, propelled Chelsea to a dominant 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final. João Pedro added another goal, securing Chelsea's first title since 2021. Palmer earned the Golden Ball, while tensions flared after the match, highlighting the high stakes of the competition.
Chelsea clinched its second FIFA Club World Cup title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, led by a standout performance from forward Cole Palmer.
Palmer scored twice in the first half to set the tone for the Premier League side, who added a third goal through João Pedro just before halftime. The victory marks Chelsea’s first Club World Cup win since 2021 and caps a resurgent season under first-year manager Enzo Maresca.
“This was a great feeling,” Palmer told FIFA after the match. “The gaffer put a great game plan out. He knew where the space would be, and I just had to repay him. He’s building something special.”
The 23-year-old’s brace — scored just eight minutes apart — silenced a Paris Saint-Germain side that entered the final having lost only once during the tournament. His opening goal came in the 23rd minute, followed by another clinical finish in the 31st, both showcasing his composure and positional awareness.
Pedro, a recent transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion, added a third in the 43rd minute, notching his third goal of the tournament and helping Chelsea head into the break with a commanding lead.
“We won the game in the first 10 minutes,” Maresca said postmatch. “We set the tempo and found a position for Cole [Palmer] where he had space to attack. The effort from all the players has been fantastic.”
Palmer’s performance earned him the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, while Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was awarded the Golden Glove. PSG’s Désiré Doué received the Best Young Player award.
The French champions struggled to respond in the second half and were reduced to 10 men after midfielder João Neves was shown a red card for pulling the hair of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella. According to the Associated Press, the result marked PSG’s heaviest defeat since a 4-1 loss to Newcastle in the 2023 UEFA Champions League group stage.
Tensions flared after the final whistle when João Pedro confronted PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and manager Luis Enrique. Security intervened to separate the players, and Maresca was later seen speaking to Donnarumma as the teams exited the field.
“There was a lot of pushing going on,” Enrique said through a translator. “This was just the end result of the pressure from the match.”
The trophy presentation drew global attention, with U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino joining the Chelsea squad on the field. Though met with some boos from the crowd, the celebration proceeded as players donned kits reading “World Champions 25” before lifting the trophy.
Chelsea’s win adds to an already successful campaign. The club finished fourth in the Premier League to secure a UEFA Champions League berth and won the UEFA Conference League in May with a 4-1 victory over Real Betis.
Palmer, who transferred from Manchester City in 2023, ends the season with 18 goals across all competitions.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, falls short of a historic quadruple. The Ligue 1 and Coupe de France winners will look to regroup ahead of their UEFA Super Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur on August 13 in Udine, Italy.
Chelsea will begin its Premier League campaign in less than five weeks, with expectations mounting as the Maresca era gains momentum.
Palmer scored twice in the first half to set the tone for the Premier League side, who added a third goal through João Pedro just before halftime. The victory marks Chelsea’s first Club World Cup win since 2021 and caps a resurgent season under first-year manager Enzo Maresca.
“This was a great feeling,” Palmer told FIFA after the match. “The gaffer put a great game plan out. He knew where the space would be, and I just had to repay him. He’s building something special.”
The 23-year-old’s brace — scored just eight minutes apart — silenced a Paris Saint-Germain side that entered the final having lost only once during the tournament. His opening goal came in the 23rd minute, followed by another clinical finish in the 31st, both showcasing his composure and positional awareness.
Pedro, a recent transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion, added a third in the 43rd minute, notching his third goal of the tournament and helping Chelsea head into the break with a commanding lead.
“We won the game in the first 10 minutes,” Maresca said postmatch. “We set the tempo and found a position for Cole [Palmer] where he had space to attack. The effort from all the players has been fantastic.”
Palmer’s performance earned him the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, while Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was awarded the Golden Glove. PSG’s Désiré Doué received the Best Young Player award.
The French champions struggled to respond in the second half and were reduced to 10 men after midfielder João Neves was shown a red card for pulling the hair of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella. According to the Associated Press, the result marked PSG’s heaviest defeat since a 4-1 loss to Newcastle in the 2023 UEFA Champions League group stage.
Tensions flared after the final whistle when João Pedro confronted PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and manager Luis Enrique. Security intervened to separate the players, and Maresca was later seen speaking to Donnarumma as the teams exited the field.
“There was a lot of pushing going on,” Enrique said through a translator. “This was just the end result of the pressure from the match.”
The trophy presentation drew global attention, with U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino joining the Chelsea squad on the field. Though met with some boos from the crowd, the celebration proceeded as players donned kits reading “World Champions 25” before lifting the trophy.
Chelsea’s win adds to an already successful campaign. The club finished fourth in the Premier League to secure a UEFA Champions League berth and won the UEFA Conference League in May with a 4-1 victory over Real Betis.
Palmer, who transferred from Manchester City in 2023, ends the season with 18 goals across all competitions.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, falls short of a historic quadruple. The Ligue 1 and Coupe de France winners will look to regroup ahead of their UEFA Super Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur on August 13 in Udine, Italy.
Chelsea will begin its Premier League campaign in less than five weeks, with expectations mounting as the Maresca era gains momentum.