Chelsea will attempt to halt the unstoppable march of Paris Saint-Germain when both sides meet in the final of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday.
The highly anticipated clash, set to take place at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will mark the culmination of a month-long tournament. With PSG in scintillating form, the final promises high drama — and a historic prize.
The French giants arrived in the United States brimming with confidence after claiming the UEFA Champions League title with a ruthless 5-0 win over Inter Milan in Munich. Since then, Luis Enrique’s side have dominated the tournament, scoring freely and brushing aside elite opposition.
PSG dismantled Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, before eliminating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. But it was their 4-0 rout of Real Madrid in the semi-finals — in a reunion with former star Kylian Mbappe — that showcased their dominance and underlined their credentials as world football’s most in-form side.
Now on the brink of completing a stunning treble — French league, UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup — PSG are eyeing football immortality.
“That is the objective we have had since the beginning, but it is always very difficult to achieve — very few teams can do what we are trying to do,” said PSG boss Luis Enrique after the semi-final.
The match is expected to draw a packed crowd, with former U.S. President Donald Trump among the high-profile attendees.
Despite being underdogs, Chelsea are not backing down. After lifting the UEFA Conference League and securing a fourth-place Premier League finish, they head into the final with belief and nothing to lose.
“If everyone thinks we are going to lose, then we have nothing to lose,” said defender Levi Colwill. “We have to go out there and play our football, be confident and hopefully surprise everyone.”
The Blues’ journey to the final included tough battles against Brazilian sides Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense, as well as victory over Benfica. Reece James, speaking ahead of the match, downplayed PSG’s favourite tag.
“They are one of the hottest teams in the world right now, but this is a final — a one-off game,” he said. “Everyone has them down as favourites, but I’ve seen favourites fall short in finals before.”
While PSG boast a perfect record against English opposition in 2025 — including wins over Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal — Chelsea are banking on team spirit and tactical discipline to pull off an upset.
Still, concerns remain over extreme temperatures, with Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez describing a 3:00 pm local time kickoff as “very dangerous” given the searing summer heat in the U.S.
Regardless of the result, both finalists are guaranteed to return home with over $100 million in prize money. The financial windfall is particularly significant for Chelsea, who were recently penalized by UEFA for breaching financial regulations.
Sunday’s final not only decides the Club World Cup champion but also caps off what FIFA is already calling a successful debut for its revamped global tournament.
