Chelsea secured their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup title in style with a dominant 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 final, held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Monday.
The Blues stunned the French champions — who had not conceded a goal in their last four matches — with a clinical first-half performance that saw them race into a commanding lead.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute, when Cole Palmer received a clever layoff from Malo Gusto, turned swiftly, and curled a stunning shot into the far corner. Just eight minutes later, the 23-year-old struck again, this time receiving a long pass, controlling it expertly, and bending another finish into the same corner — a copy-paste moment of brilliance.
Palmer wasn’t done yet. In the 38th minute, he turned provider, slicing through PSG’s backline with a perfect slide-rule pass to João Pedro, who nonchalantly chipped Gianluigi Donnarumma with a classy touch of Brazilian flair to make it 3-0.
PSG were shell-shocked and relieved to reach the half-time whistle, having been overwhelmed by Chelsea’s relentless pressing and attacking tempo. The break featured the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA-organized tournament, with electrifying performances from Coldplay, Doja Cat, J Balvin, and Tems lifting spirits at the stadium.
The second half saw fewer fireworks, though Chelsea continued to press. Substitute Liam Delap forced two outstanding saves from Donnarumma, preventing the scoreline from becoming even more lopsided.
PSG’s night went from bad to worse when João Neves was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair, reducing the French side to 10 men.
The victory adds to Chelsea’s silverware haul, coming just months after they won the UEFA Conference League in May. The triumph also marks a dream debut season for Italian head coach Enzo Maresca, who has quickly stamped his authority on a resurgent Blues squad.