Cole Palmer delivered a scintillating first-half performance as Chelsea demolished Paris St Germain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on 13 Jul 2025.
The English attacking midfielder scored twice and provided an assist for Joao Pedro in a devastating display that left the European and French champions shell-shocked. Chelsea won their second Club World Cup title, having previously claimed the trophy in 2021 in its old format.
US President Donald Trump watched on as Chelsea captain Reece James lifted the trophy after the comprehensive victory.
Ice-Cole Palmer Destroys PSG Defence in Sweltering Final
Temperatures soared above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (~29.4 degrees Celsius) in East Rutherford, but Palmer had ice in his veins as he bagged two goals in eight minutes during the first half.
Chelsea struck first in the 22nd minute when PSG fullback Nuno Mendes gifted possession to Malo Gusto. While his initial effort was blocked by Mendes, Gusto collected the rebound and found Palmer unmarked in the middle.
The midfielder made no mistake, slotting a tidy finish just inside the left post.
Palmer doubled the lead after the 30th-minute cooling break with a goal of sublime quality. Latching onto a precise through ball from Levi Colwill, he cut inside before faking a pass to dummy a defender and firing into the bottom-left corner.
The Chelsea talisman then turned provider, running up the channel before finding Joao Pedro. The Brazilian took the ball in his stride, beat the offside trap and chipped his finish beautifully over goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with two minutes left in the first half.
Palmer earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. The man of the match in Chelsea’s 4-1 Conference League final win over Real Betis in May showed again that he performs his best work under the biggest spotlight.
A product of the Manchester City academy, Palmer made his senior debut with the team in September 2020 but never received the minutes on the pitch he believed he deserved. He moved to Chelsea three years later with the promise of more playing time.
He wasted no time becoming Chelsea’s new hero, firing in goals in his first season with the club. Sunday’s final marked another chapter in his success story, with Man City eliminated from the tournament in the round of 16.
Maresca’s Tactical Masterclass Frustrates European Champions
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca gave a tactical masterclass against PSG coach Luis Enrique. Prior to the match, Maresca said he was expecting a “game of chess” against the Spanish coach, but it was a quick checkmate for the Italian.
Maresca’s team employed a relentless high press and emulated the tactics used by Brazilian outfit Botafogo, who had beaten PSG 1-0 in the group stage. Botafogo were the only team to score against Luis Enrique’s side in the previous eight games.
Their press caused PSG all sorts of trouble. When Maresca’s side couldn’t regain possession, they sat deep, frustrating the European champions who were unable to play their usual game.
The direct and pacey football typically associated with PSG became Chelsea’s game on 13 Jul 2025. Palmer, Gusto and Joao Pedro picked apart the PSG defence, especially on the left side.
Other than an early golden opportunity for PSG’s Desire Doue that was wasted, the first half belonged entirely to Chelsea. After they opened their three-goal lead, the French side could never recover.
PSG’s misery was completed when Joao Neves was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in the 83rd minute. PSG’s players grew in frustration as the match progressed.
The encounter turned into an ill-tempered match at the end, with players going at each other after the final whistle. The flare-ups quickly dissipated as Chelsea’s players went to celebrate with their fans.
“It’s a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it’s good,” Palmer told DAZN.
“The gaffer put a great gameplan out. He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible and I just had to repay him and score some goals.”
“I like finals. It’s happened again,” Palmer added. “I just try and do my job every time I go on to the pitch and hopefully it can continue.”
“Today we found a position for him where there was more space to attack,” said Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca. “Obviously Cole played really well but the effort from all the players was fantastic.”
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