Cole Palmer produced a masterclass as Chelsea stunned European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to lift the first edition of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in New Jersey.
In front of a record crowd of 81,118 at the MetLife Stadium — including U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino — the Blues delivered a breathtaking first-half performance that left PSG reeling.
Palmer opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, slotting past Gianluigi Donnarumma after a brilliant run by Malo Gusto down the right.
Just eight minutes later, the 22-year-old struck again — this time with a clever dummy and another crisp low finish from the edge of the box.
The England international then turned provider, threading a pinpoint through ball to new signing Joao Pedro, who calmly lobbed Donnarumma for Chelsea’s third just before the break.
PSG responded after the restart, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele forcing saves from Robert Sanchez.
However, their hopes were dashed in the 85th minute when Joao Neves received a straight red card after a VAR check confirmed he had pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair.
To compound PSG’s misery, manager Luis Enrique appeared to slap Chelsea forward Joao Pedro in a heated post-match confrontation, prompting intervention from Presnel Kimpembe.
Chelsea, hailed by manager Enzo Maresca as underdogs before kickoff, leave the U.S. as world champions — and £90 million richer — after a dominant performance that stunned the team many considered the best in the world.