Chelsea wins the Club World Cup: 3 things we learned
Cole Palmer scored twice in the final against PSG
Cole Palmer scored a brace and added an assist as Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 on Sunday to win the Club World Cup.
The blazing heat couldn’t stop Palmer from tallying twice in a seven-minute span to give Chelsea the early lead before a near sellout crowd of 81,118 at MetLife Stadium just outside New York.
Palmer gave the London club the lead after 22 minutes, slotting the ball into the right corner past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Palmer’s second goal came after he shimmied past PSG’s defense and put the ball past a diving Donnarumma in the same corner.
There was more Palmer magic in the 42nd minute when the lanky attacking midfielder dribbled 40 yards unchallenged, then fed the ball to Joao Pedro, who exquisitely chipped it into the net.
PSG, who won the Champions League in May to complete the treble, found itself on the other side of a lopsided result after playing some impressive soccer over the past six months. Instead, the French club struggled to get in the game as Chelsea’s backline and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez were highly effective all afternoon.
The match, which President Donald Trump attended with first lady Melania, was the culmination of a competition that had come under fire for its timing and size.
With the Club World Cup in the books, here are three things we learned:
A preview of the 2026 World Cup
The Club World Cup wasn’t just FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s pet project, but also served as a dry run for next summer’s World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
There were a few issues that arose over the tournament’s 63 matches — primarily the weather. From the sweltering heat that made playing unbearable at times to thunderstorms that forced games to be temporarily halted, the climate has been a big talking point.
“I played at the 1994 World Cup and it was hot then. In some cases, it was even hotter,” former Italy striker Roberto Baggio recalled on Saturday during a media briefing at New York’s Trump Tower.
While Baggio defended the organizing of the month-long competition, Infantino admitted the Club World Cup will give FIFA the chance “to look at what we can do better” in preparation for the World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup will be played in 16 venues, but only four cities — Vancouver, Dallas, Atlanta and Houston — are indoors. Those venues are now likely to be used solely for games with midday kickoffs.
Europe remains king
European clubs have all the power and money. If there was ever any doubt (and there shouldn’t have been), this competition proved it once again.
Ironically, it had been the Europeans who complained most about having to compete this summer.
Even expanding the Club World Cup couldn’t stop FIFA from ensuring that the final wasn’t an all-European affair between two very deep-pocketed clubs. As a result, a European team won a 12th straight Club World Cup and 17th in the last 18 attempts — the only exception being 2012 when Brazilian side Corinthians beat Chelsea.
At this edition, Fluminense defied the odds and reached the semifinals — only to lose 2-0 to Chelsea. Manager Renato Portaluppi even labeled his team “an ugly duckling” because they had managed to go deep in the completion despite this huge financial chasm.
“Our finances don't equal 10% of the budget of these other clubs,” he said. “They are in the position to sign all of these major players and, obviously, when you have these major players, all on a single team, your chances of winning are much higher, which is why I called ourselves ugly ducklings.”
Give Dembele the Ballon d’Or
Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Dembele’s 2024-25 season has been spectacular — and the stats back him up. All he needs now is the recognition that comes with it.
The 28-year-old French striker has been explosive on the wings, aggressive on every ball and relentless in the final third. He’s also been instrumental in PSG’s recent success — recording 35 goals and 16 assists in 54 matches during this campaign — while dazzling all of us in the process.
This past season has undoubtedly been the best of his career. He’s found consistency, stayed injury-free and took on a leading role once his countryman Kylian Mbappe left for Real Madrid last summer.
Over the past four months, Dembele has increasingly been considered Ballon d’Or-worthy. He was the frontrunner heading into the Club World Cup final and he continues to be now that the tournament has come to an end.
The nominees will be named in September and Dembele’s name will certainly make the shortlist. Chances are very good he will beat out Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and be named the planet’s best player of 2025.