East Rutherford, New Jersey
CNN
—
Chelsea delivered a shocking 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
And it was the Blues’ star Cole Palmer who led the way to the second CWC title in the English Premier League side’s storied history, the first since 2021.
Palmer netted an early brace with two almost identical goals just eight minutes apart midway through the first half.
The 23-year-old did his signature “cold” celebration in the New Jersey heat at MetLife Stadium much to the delight of Chelsea fans, who were looking for a way to cool off.
It had felt like European champions PSG had all but dominated the CWC besides the 1-0 loss to Botafogo in the group stage – the club’s only loss of the tournament coming into the final. But Sunday got worse and worse for the French side as the afternoon wore on.
João Pedro, making his second start for the Blues after a transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion, tacked on another goal in the 43rd minute, his third tally of the tournament.
Chelsea’s first half trio of surprises for PSG was followed by another unexpected twist during the halftime show when British rock band Coldplay appeared for a cameo performance which also featured J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems, and Emmanuel Kelly.
While the goal-scoring slowed down in the second half, Chelsea’s intensity did not suffer as they held PSG in check to cruise to the victory.
Les Parisiens finished the match with 10 players after midfielder João Neves received a red card after pulling Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella’s hair.
After the referee blew the whistle for full time, Chelsea players were wearing kits with “World Champions” and the number 25 and rushed onto the pitch to celebrate the trophy.
The CWC victory caps off an impressive season for the London-based club, who takes home its second trophy of the season.
The Blues clinched UEFA Champions League berth for next season after finishing fourth in the EPL and a 4-1 win over LaLiga side Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final in May.
Palmer finishes the season with an impressive 18 goals just two years after joining the club from Manchester City.
The forward called it a “great feeling” to win the tournament, while commending Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca for his leadership.
“The gaffer put a great game plan out,” Palmer told FIFA after the game. “He knew where there would space and tried to free me up as much as possible. I just had to repay him and score some goals. He [Maresca] is building something special. I feel we’re going in the right direction.“
The Italian 45-year-old Maresca, who joined the Blues from Leiceister City this season, gave credit to his players for the win.
“I have no words for the players,” Maresca said. “For me, we won the game in the first ten minutes. We set the tempo, we knew the way we wanted to play. Today we found a position for Cole [Palmer] where there was more space to attack. The effort from all the players has been fantastic.”
Despite its historic UCL win, it was a slightly sour way for the Paris-based club to end a season where they attempted to complete a quadruple after winning Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France as well.
According to the Associated Press, PSG had not lost by three goals since a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Newcastle in October 2023.
Frustrations from the game boiled over after the final whistle with a confrontation between Pedro and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and manager Luis Enrique.
After the scuffle cooled off, Maresca was seen talking to Donnarumma as he was heading to the locker rooms.
As tensions cooled, US President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino led the trophy celebration on the field, with scattered booing from some fans in the stadium.
Palmer was awarded the Golden Ball Award – given to the best player of the tournament.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez took home the Golden Glove award and 20-year-old PSG forward Désiré Doué was named the best young player of the tournament.
With Trump and Infantino in the middle of the stage, the Chelsea squad lifted the trophy to officially celebrate the win.
After the match, Enrique said he was trying to separate the players.
“There is a lot of tension, and a lot of pressure. … There was a whole bunch of pushing going on,” Enrique said through a translator, according to the AP.
“This was just the end result of the pressure from the match, and I do not have anything else to add.”
Chelsea now has less than five weeks until the 2025-2026 EPL season begins while PSG has a quick turnaround and will face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup at Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy, on August 13.
