In the grand final of the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup under the new format, UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain faced off against Chelsea, winners of the UEFA Conference League, in a showdown between two European powerhouses—both boasting impressive campaigns throughout the tournament.
Paris Saint-Germain arrived in the final with dominant numbers: five wins in six matches, including three emphatic 4–0 victories, showcasing the French side's formidable attacking prowess. Their only defeat came at the hands of Brazilian side Botafogo in the group stage. Even so, PSG's recent form in knockout games had been nothing short of extraordinary: in their last five elimination matches across all competitions, they secured five wins with a combined score of 18–0—a stat that speaks volumes.
Chelsea, on the other hand, also notched up five victories with just one loss, which also came against a Brazilian team—Flamengo. While their attack proved effective, the English side showed signs of defensive fragility, conceding five goals during the tournament—four more than PSG, who allowed only one.
According to projections from Opta Analyst, the French side entered the final as clear favorites, with a 64.4% chance of winning the world title compared to Chelsea's 35.6%. The match also made history as the first-ever final of a major men's football competition between clubs from England and France—an unprecedented European classic at the pinnacle of the sport.
Chelsea made a few changes to the side that faced Fluminense in the semifinals. The team lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Reece James starting in place of Nkunku, while Colwill returned to the lineup after serving a suspension.
Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, stuck with their trusted 4-3-3 formation, fielding the same starting eleven that delivered a dominant 4–0 victory over Real Madrid.
Match Summary
As expected from a final of this magnitude, the match kicked off at a frenetic pace. In the opening 10 minutes, Chelsea came out aggressively, catching PSG off guard with high pressure and intensity. During that stretch, the English side registered two shots, one of them a dangerous effort from Cole Palmer. That attempt had an expected goals (xG) value of 0.12, according to FotMob—a stat that estimates the likelihood of a goal based on the quality of the shot.
Palmer would return to the spotlight in the 22nd minute, this time finding the back of the net with a stunning goal. Remarkably, the xG for the shot was just 0.09, highlighting the difficulty of the finish and underlining the quality of the strike.
The young forward wasn't done. Cole Palmer, in inspired form, struck again in the 30th minute, doubling his tally and flipping the momentum of the match. With PSG initially seen as the heavy favorites, the tide had clearly turned. Within just 30 minutes, Palmer had taken three shots and scored two goals—a clinical performance on the biggest stage.
But Chelsea's dominance didn't stop there. In the 43rd minute, Brazilian forward João Pedro added a third, finishing a delicate chip over the goalkeeper after a perfectly timed assist from Cole Palmer. The strike had an xG on target (xGOT) value of 0.82—an advanced metric that goes beyond xG by evaluating the quality of the shot after it's been taken. The original xG for the chance was 0.49, making the leap in xGOT a testament to João Pedro's exceptional finish.
Despite trailing 3–0 at halftime, PSG actually dominated possession, holding 70% of the ball and completing an impressive 345 passes with 91% accuracy. Chelsea, by contrast, completed just 126 passes at a 79% rate. Yet, while the French side controlled the tempo, they struggled to create danger, managing only two shots—both saved by Robert Sánchez. Chelsea, meanwhile, thrived in transitional moments, recording six shots, three of which were on target—and all three ended up in the net.
The second half began with Chelsea not registering a single shot in the first 15 minutes, while the French side managed four attempts—three of them on target. A standout moment came in the 52nd minute, when Ousmane Dembélé took a shot from close range with an xG of 0.25. However, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, one of the match's standout performers, made a brilliant save to preserve the clean sheet.
In the 67th minute, João Pedro was subbed off for Liam Delap, who nearly made an immediate impact. Just one minute after coming on, he unleashed a powerful strike from long distance—an extremely difficult chance, with an xG of just 0.05 and an xGOT of 0.28. The shot was saved by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Later, in the 80th minute, Delap had an unbelievable opportunity to seal the game. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez launched a long ball over the top, setting up Delap in a one-on-one situation with only the goalkeeper to beat. The chance had an expected goals value of 0.63. However, a poor finish from the young striker, combined with Donnarumma's excellent positioning, kept the scoreline at 3–0.
The match featured several heated moments between players from both sides. Tensions flared as early as the first half, notably between Fabián Ruiz and Cole Palmer. One of the most contentious matchups was between Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella and PSG midfielder João Neves. In one incident, Neves was caught pulling Cucurella's hair—a gesture deemed violent conduct by the referee, who issued a straight red card to the Portuguese midfielder in the 85th minute.
PSG once again dominated possession in the second half, though slightly less than in the first. They controlled 62% of the ball and showed marked improvement in their attacking play, recording three times as many shots as they had in the first 45 minutes. Despite this surge, PSG failed to find the net, with all four of their shots on target saved by the outstanding Robert Sánchez.
The match ended in a stunning 3–0 win for Chelsea—an unexpected result considering their lower possession (34%) and significantly fewer completed passes (243 compared to PSG's 544). Despite seeing less of the ball, Chelsea proved more clinical in both attack and defense.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was instrumental in the victory, saving all six of PSG's shots on target and providing security and confidence for his team throughout the match.
The clear man of the match was Cole Palmer. The midfielder was directly involved in all three of Chelsea's goals—scoring twice and assisting once. He completed 50% of his shots (2 on target from 4 attempts), had 48 touches, and lost the ball just once—highlighting his impeccable ball control. Palmer also led his team in successful dribbles, shots, and key passes, cementing his status as the key figure in Chelsea's triumph.
On PSG's side, João Neves stood out despite being sent off. The Portuguese midfielder completed 39 of 40 passes, won 12 of 15 ground duels, and led all players in defensive actions (tied with Gusto and Beraldo) and tackles.
Tactical Analysis
Although Chelsea began the match with high pressing, PSG's pressure throughout the game was relentless. The Parisian side forced 16 clearances from Chelsea, who cleverly relied on long balls to escape the pressure. This strategy paid off, as both of Chelsea's opening goals stemmed from direct long passes.
The first goal came from a long kick by goalkeeper Robert Sánchez—under pressure from Dembélé—finding Gusto on the right, who then assisted Palmer. The second goal followed a similar pattern, with center-back Colwill delivering a long ball to Palmer, who scored again.
The intensity of PSG's press is clearly visible in the PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action) zone map. In this kind of visualization, the redder the zone, the higher the defensive pressure; the bluer, the lower.
PSG's PPDA by zone against Chelsea.
The image clearly shows that in three-quarters of the pitch, PSG allowed Chelsea very few passes before applying defensive pressure—a testament to how suffocating their pressing structure was.
With the ball, PSG displayed intriguing tactical variations. In buildup play, the center-backs were consistently supported by Vitinha, who led the match in touches (115) and line breaks completed (27). The midfielder completed 91 of the French team's 544 accurate passes, accounting for approximately 16.7% of the total—a clear indication of his influence on the game. This impact is further highlighted by the distance he covered during the match: a team-leading 11,879 meters. His mastery in controlling the pitch is evident, as shown by the heat map below.
Vitinha's heat map showing his extensive coverage and influence.
The full-backs were highly involved offensively—especially Hakimi on the right, who frequently operated as a winger. This movement often caused Doué, the original right winger, to drift into central areas. The image below illustrates this dynamic clearly.
Hakimi's offensive movement and Doué's central drift.
Another key tactical highlight was the role of Pedro Neto (highlighted in blue). Though a forward by trade, the Portuguese winger was essential in Chelsea's defensive scheme, frequently tracking back to contain Hakimi's overlapping runs and preventing PSG from creating numerical superiority down that flank.
Additionally, Chelsea's midfield showed a well-structured shape: Caicedo (central) and Reece James (right) held deeper positions, while Enzo Fernández (left) pushed higher up. The team's passing network diagram effectively illustrates this structure.
The play below, which took place just minutes before the first goal, further highlights the positioning of the midfielders. Reece James, who typically operated as a right-back, is seen taking up a midfield role on the right side, while Enzo Fernández pushes forward, contributing more actively in the team's attacking phase.
Chelsea's midfield positioning before the first goal.
Conclusion
Against all odds, Chelsea emerged as champions of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup under the new format, defeating tournament favorites Paris Saint-Germain 3–0 in a final marked by efficiency, tactical discipline, and individual brilliance.
Despite entering the match with only a 35.6% chance of winning—according to Opta Analyst projections—Chelsea stunned the football world with a dominant first half, capitalizing on transitions and long passes to devastating effect. Cole Palmer's outstanding performance, with two goals and an assist, and Robert Sánchez's heroics in goal, were crucial in sealing the victory.
PSG, despite their strong campaign and statistical dominance in possession and passing, couldn't break through Chelsea's resilient defense. The Parisians will be left to reflect on missed chances and a red card that sealed their fate.
Chelsea's unexpected triumph reinforces the unpredictability of football and highlights the importance of strategy, efficiency, and seizing key moments. In this historic first edition of the revamped Club World Cup, the Blues stand alone at the top of the world.
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