By Ben TC Brooks
New Jersey, U.S.A. – [July 14, 2025] – Chelsea completed a resounding 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s July 13, 2025 final to win the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
Under the lights of MetLife Stadium, Reece James hoisted the trophy as U.S. President Donald Trump looked on and applauded from the VIP section.
Cole Palmer emerged as the hero for the English side, firing in two near-identical left-footed strikes from the edge of the penalty area in the 22nd and 30th minutes.
He then orchestrated Chelsea’s third just before halftime, threading a defense-splitting pass to Joao Pedro, who deftly chipped home past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 43rd minute. It was Pedro’s third goal in only his second start for the Blues this season.
“It feels amazing,” Palmer said after being named player of the match. “People wrote us off before kickoff, so we showed great spirit against such a strong opponent.”
The 23-year-old forward, who transferred from Manchester City two years ago, has now notched 18 goals in this campaign.
PSG, who had been eight goals shy of an unprecedented quadruple after claiming Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and their first Champions League crown, were reduced to ten men in the 84th minute.
Midfielder Joao Neves received a straight red card for tugging Marc Cucurella down by his hair, sparking a tense finish that saw coaches and players from both sides need to be pulled apart near the center circle.
A crowd of 81,188, the tournament’s highest attendance witnessed Chelsea’s energetic display, arguably boosted by an extra day of rest compared to PSG, who had played their semifinal a day later.
In the stands, alongside US President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his wife Leena Al Ashqar rose for the U.S. national anthem before kickoff.
Chelsea had ended last season fourth in the Premier League and lifted the UEFA Conference League trophy, setting them up to contest and ultimately win the Club World Cup for the second time (their first triumph came in the seven-team 2021 edition).
Depending on an as-yet undisclosed FIFA participation fee, the Blues collected between $128.4 million and $153.8 million in prize money.
Paris Saint-Germain had not suffered a three-goal defeat since losing 4–1 to Newcastle in the Champions League in October 2023.
Chelsea broke that run in the 22nd minute after goalkeeper Robert Sánchez sent a long clearance upfield.
Nuno Mendes, under pressure, miscued a header about 15 yards past halfway toward his own goal. Malo Gusto’s follow-up was blocked by Lucas Beraldo but bounced back to Cole Palmer, who slotted home to end PSG’s 436-minute shut-out streak.
Just six minutes later, Palmer added a second: he chased down a lofted pass from Levi Colwill, cut inside and fired past the goalkeeper.
With under five weeks to go until the 2025–26 Premier League season kicks off, Chelsea return home confident they can mount a title challenge against Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.
