Palmer’s double leads Blues to historic win at MetLife Stadium
Chelsea delivered a dominant performance in the Club World Cup 2025 final, dismantling Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Cole Palmer was the star of the night, scoring twice and assisting João Pedro in a first-half blitz that left the European champions stunned.
Palmer struck twice with near-identical left-footed finishes from just inside the penalty area in the 22nd and 30th minutes. He then played a perfect through ball for João Pedro, who coolly chipped PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 43rd minute, sealing Chelsea’s third goal before the break.
The 23-year-old forward, who joined the Blues from Manchester City two seasons ago, capped off an exceptional campaign with 18 goals for the club.
PSG see red, tempers flare in heated finish
PSG’s night went from bad to worse when João Neves was shown a red card in the 84th minute for yanking Marc Cucurella by the hair. A tense finish followed, with six yellow cards handed out and a heated scuffle involving PSG coach Luis Enrique, goalkeeper Donnarumma, and Chelsea’s João Pedro at the center circle.
The Parisians, who had previously outscored opponents 16-1 in the tournament, came into the final chasing a quadruple, having already claimed Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and their first-ever UEFA Champions League title. But their hopes were crushed by a Chelsea side brimming with energy and precision.
Chelsea secure second world title and record prize purse
Backed by an electric crowd of 81,188—the tournament’s highest attendance—Chelsea captured their second Club World Cup crown, having first lifted the trophy in 2021. U.S. President Donald Trump was in attendance and faced boos from sections of the crowd as he walked onto the pitch for the post-match ceremony. Alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump presented the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James and posed with the players.
Chelsea, who finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League this season, walked away with an estimated prize haul between $128.4 million and $153.8 million, depending on a participation bonus that FIFA has yet to publicly disclose.
PSG suffer rare heavy defeat
The 3-0 loss marked PSG’s worst defeat since October 2023, when they were beaten 4-1 by Newcastle in a Champions League group-stage clash. Despite coming into the final as overwhelming favourites, the French champions were outclassed and outplayed by a Chelsea side that capitalised on every opportunity and kept their composure throughout.
| FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Prize Money | |
| Position | Prize money |
| Champions | £30 million |
| Runners-Up | £21.8 million |
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