EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey July 14— Chelsea lifted the FIFA Club World Cup trophy for the second time in their history after a commanding 3-0 victory over reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the tournament’s newly expanded format.
Cole Palmer was the star of the show, netting two first-half goals before their new marquee summer signing Joao Pedro sealed the win.
It was Pedro’s third strike of the competition, capping off a stunning performance at MetLife Stadium before a crowd of 81,118 spectators.
The Blues, who previously won the tournament in 2021, were presented their medals by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who watched the match alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
He allowed Malo Gusto to surge into the box, and though his initial shot was parried, Palmer pounced on the rebound, curling a precise finish into the bottom-left corner past PSG’s goalie Gianluigi Donnarumma.
This ended the 2025 UEFA Champions League winners PSG’s 436-minute streak without conceding.
Eight minutes later, Palmer doubled the London-based side’s lead with a moment of individual brilliance after Reece James intercepted Ousmane Dembele’s pass, and Levi Colwill launched a swift counterattack.
Palmer cleverly created space at the top of the box, deceived Vitinha with a subtle fake, and calmly slotted home again into the same corner.
Just before halftime, Palmer turned provider, slipped a perfectly weighted through-ball to Pedro, who delicately chipped the ball over PSG custodian Donnarumma to make it 3-0.
The French giants, who had already secured a historic quadruple this season winning the Champions League, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions, struggled to contain their frustration as the match slipped away.
Frustrated Parisians
In the 86th minute midfielder Joao Neves was shown a straight red card in the second half for pulling Marc Cucurella to the ground by his hair in an off-the-ball incident.
Tempers flared further at full-time, with Donnarumma accosting Chelsea players, and his tactician, Luis Enrique, appeared to shove João Pedro’s face.
In his post-match press conference, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca lavished praise on his squad: “Fantastic. Club World Cup champions—we are very proud. PSG are the best team in the world, and it was a top performance from us. I work every day to improve, to learn. Every session, every game, I try to do better.”
Maresca remarked that it has been a fantastic season, especially for the players.
“Because, from the day I joined, I said I was in love with this squad. But talent alone isn’t enough, you need a game plan, a shared mentality. Today, we showed exactly that.”
Triumphant Campaign
Chelsea’s path to glory wasn’t without challenges. In the early group-stage, they defeated Los Angeles FC, lost to Flamengo(3-1), and they grew into the tournament, defeating Esperance Tunis 3-0.
They saw off Benfica (4-1) in the Round of 16, humbled Palmeiras (2-1), and stunned Fluminense (2-0) en route to the final.
Their tactical maturity and clinical finishing proved decisive against a PSG side that had dominated European football this season.
Prize Money
The revamped FIFA Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams, distributed a staggering $1 billion in total payouts.
Chelsea earned over $110 million as champions, and further secured $85.625 million in performance bonuses on top of an estimated $25-35 million participation fee
As runners-up, the Parisians took home $75.625 million in prize money, with their total earnings also surpassing $100 million after additional bonuses.
