It was the Final matchup that not many saw coming, and a result that was even more unexpected: Chelsea FC defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Final in front of more than 81,118 fans at MetLife Stadium on a warm Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.
Three goals in a dominant first half were enough to lead Chelsea to the upset victory, as they sat back and parked the bus in the second half.
Here are four thoughts from the upset victory in the Meadowlands.
Hudson River Blue Staff
1. Cole Palmer shows out, João Pedro scores again
It was never going to be an easy game for Chelsea, but the Londoners had a clear game plan: Press PSG from the start and suffocate the Parisians, then hit them on the counterattack.
It was all Chelsea from the opening whistle, with Cole Palmer nearly giving his side the lead in the eighth minute. His shot from the top of the box went just wide that time, but he wouldn't miss in the 22nd minute.
It began when Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto did well to get past PSG left-back Nuno Mendes and dribble into the box, blasting a shot off center-back Lucas Beraldo. The ball rebounded back to Gusto, who laid it off to Palmer. Chelsea's No 10 found just enough space for a left-footed finish into the bottom left corner that beat PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Cole Palmer with the ice cold finish | Courtesy DAZN Football
It was just the second goal PSG allowed all tournament. But the Parisians didn't learn their lesson, allowing Palmer to score a near-identical goal just eight minutes later, when he once again sent a perfectly-placed ball past the PSG goalkeeper.
This time, Palmer created his own chance, taking the ball on his own into the box. Still, it was the same outcome: a low sailing shot into the bottom left corner that whizzed past Donnarumma.
Cole Palmer scores his second | Courtesy DAZN Football
João Pedro joined in on the fun 13 minutes later, bagging his third career Chelsea goal after putting two past Fluminense last Tuesday. Palmer dribbled and played a through pass to João Pedro, who lifted the ball over Donnarumma to give his side a 3-0 lead at halftime.
João Pedro scores his second career Chelsea goal | Courtesy DAZN Football
PSG was understandably shell-shocked. The French side dominated possession, but the lethal speed and precise movement that lifted them to wins in previous FIFA Club World Cup matches were nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was Chelsea's press and quick build-up play that hurt PSG every time: The Londoners were giving Paris a taste of their own medicine.
2. PSG tries to fight back
Down 3-0 with 45 minutes left to play, PSG needed to start the second half with more intensity and aggression.
While the French side improved over their lackluster first half, they were completely outclassed by Chelsea.
Ousmane Dembélé came inches away from putting his team on the board, but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez made an outstanding save to deny the French forward in the 52nd minute.
PSG took six shots in the second half, putting four on target on their way to an xG of 0.41 per FotMob. It was better than the two shots put on target in the first half, which ended with an xG of 0.12. But PSG's numbers are nothing compared to those of Chelsea: While the Parisians ended the afternoon with an xG of 0.53, the Londoners had an xG of 2.03.
To put it simply, Chelsea's attack was better. Paris's star-studded offense, which has impressed all season, couldn't get it done against a Chelsea that defended soundly.
3. Chelsea fans show out, create solid atmosphere
Going into this game, it was unclear whose fans would show up at MetLife. Would the three tiers of seating be full of supporters in the navy blue of PSG, or the royal blue of Chelsea? As the crowd filtered in today, it became clear that it would be the blue of Chelsea, not PSG, that would color MetLife.
The Chelsea fans even brought a tifo.
The 81,118 in attendance were treated to a special pregame ceremony from Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini, as well as a halftime show from J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems, and Emmanuel Kelly. In fact, MetLife was at 98% of the stadium's capacity of 82,500because of the halftime show: The performance took place on a temporary stage in the third tier, which displaced a number of seats.
Temperatures reached 86 degrees on a sunny day in East Rutherford. But there were no storm delays or other weather-related mishaps, and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish. Hopefully, the same will be true when MetLife hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup final next year.
Oliver Strand
4. Chelsea shocks the world
Going into today's game, Chelsea was the massive underdog. After all, PSG had breezed by Inter Miami, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in the knockout stage, beating those teams by a combined score of 10-0. Chelsea, on the other hand, sometimes struggled in what looked to be an easier path to the final, defeating Benfica, Palmeiras, and Fluminense by a combined score of 8-2.
Many wrote Chelsea off, and for good reason: PSG was playing lights out, and it seemed like no team could stop them. Could Chelsea really succeed where Bayern and Madrid failed?
The answer is a resounding "YES." Chelsea handed PSG its first cup final loss of the season, putting an end to any possiblity of a five-trophy septuple. Paris might have defeated Premier League sides Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa earlier this season en route to its first-ever UEFA Champions League title, but couldn't get past Chelsea today.
Chelsea, the team that won the 2025 UEFA Conference League while finishing in 4th Place in the English Premier League, beat the odds to upset the kings of Europe, and now can claim to be the best on the planet after winning the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
