EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (BN24) — Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain with a dominant first-half performance to capture the expanded FIFA Club World Cup title on Sunday, securing a 3-0 victory behind Cole Palmer’s brilliance and a composed finish from João Pedro.
Palmer, 23, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City two years ago, delivered a pair of nearly identical goals in the 22nd and 30th minutes at MetLife Stadium. Both came from just inside the penalty area, where the England international picked his spot with left-footed strikes past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
He wasn’t done there. In the 43rd minute, Palmer sliced through the Champions League winners’ defense again, threading a perfectly timed pass into the path of João Pedro. The Brazilian, signed last summer, made no mistake, calmly lifting the ball over the onrushing Donnarumma to put the match firmly out of reach before halftime.
Chelsea, who first lifted the Club World Cup in 2021 under the old seven-team format, claimed their second title in the competition’s history by dismantling a PSG side that arrived in the United States as heavy favorites.
Luis Enrique’s team had just capped a treble-winning season, crushing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final and routing Real Madrid 4-0 in the Club World Cup semifinals. They entered Sunday having outscored opponents 24-1 over their previous eight matches and conceding only once in the tournament.
But Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea flipped the script from the opening whistle, pressing aggressively to disrupt PSG’s rhythm and expose the French champions’ back line. Palmer exploited space on the edge of the box, while João Pedro’s composed finish underscored Chelsea’s clinical edge.
Whenever PSG threatened, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was equal to the task, making several key saves to preserve the clean sheet and deny any chance of a comeback.
PSG’s frustration boiled over in the dying minutes. Midfielder João Neves was shown a straight red card after VAR confirmed he had pulled Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella’s hair off the ball.
The final whistle confirmed Chelsea’s 3-0 triumph and a second Club World Cup trophy in less than four years, marking a statement win to launch their new season on the world stage.
