PSG and Chelsea set for historic Club World Cup final showdown

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea will lock horns in the final of FIFA’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a dramatic and hotly debated tournament hosted in the United States. The midday final, set to take place under sweltering conditions at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, marks the culmination of a month-long spectacle that has delivered the kind of tension and surprises more commonly seen at a FIFA World Cup.

This edition, billed by FIFA as a revolution in club football and a prelude to the 2026 World Cup, has lived up to the billing, with major upsets including the early exits of Manchester City and Inter Milan. But at the end of it all, it’s two of Europe’s richest and most powerful clubs—PSG and Chelsea—who remain.

PSG have been flawless throughout, winning seven of eight matches without conceding a single goal. Fresh from a historic first Champions League title, Luis Enrique’s youthful, high-energy side overwhelmed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals, pressing relentlessly and capitalising on early mistakes. Key performers like Vitinha, fullbacks Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, and the resurgent Ousmane Dembele have underlined PSG’s transformation following the departures of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe.

Luis Enrique, chasing his 12th win in as many one-off finals, is aiming to guide PSG to their first world title, adding to an already impressive debut season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, arrive as underdogs after a rocky domestic season that ended with a Conference League win. Manager Enzo Maresca’s side has grown stronger as the tournament progressed, capped by a semi-final triumph over Fluminense—thanks in part to the inspired mid-tournament signing of Joao Pedro.

As PSG aim to confirm their global ascendancy and Chelsea seek a new beginning under Maresca, Sunday’s final promises to be a defining moment in this new chapter of club football.