English side Chelsea has been crowned the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup champions after their emphatic 3-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
Chelsea came in as the underdogs at the MetLife Stadium, United States of America (USA).
But there was nothing in their performance, especially in the opening half, that they weren’t the favourites.
Cole Palmer scored twice in an eight-minute spell in the opening half and then played through Joao Pedro just before the break to set up the Blues for a deserved triumph over the European champions.
Luis Enrique’s side, who were chasing a quadruple of major trophies during the 2024/25 campaign, were rocked by Chelsea’s first-half onslaught and looked a shadow of the team who demolished Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
The Londoners’ devastating performance provided a fitting climax to a hugely successful tournament and cements their status as one of the teams to beat in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League next season.
“It’s a great feeling. The gaffer put a great game plan out,” reflected Palmer, who was named Player of the Tournament.
“He knew where there would be space and tried to free me up as much as possible. I just had to repay him and score some goals. He (Enzo Maresca) is building something special. I feel we’re going in the right direction.”
The champions will receive $40 million (R711 million), with PSG getting $30 million (R534 million).
“It’s not just when you win that you do a good job. What we did this season was something we’d never done before,” said PSG captain Marquinhos.
“Thirteen years ago in Paris, I’d never competed for titles like this. Of course, we wanted to take this trophy home, but that doesn’t erase what we did this season.”
The next FIFA Club World Cup will take place in 2029.
Additional information by Fifa.com.
