EAST RUTHERFORD: Cole Palmer led a scintillating first-half masterclass as Chelsea dominated Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-0 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday to win the first edition of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup.
Palmer scored twice in the first half and provided an assist for Joao Pedro in a newly expanded tournament’s decider that stunned the European and French champions.
The England attacking midfielder placed a low shot inside the left post, beating goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 22nd minute when PSG fullback Nuno Mendes gifted possession to Malo Gusto, who found Palmer.
Palmer doubled the advantage in the 30th minute with individual brilliance. Capitalising on a precise through ball from Levi Colwill, he cut inside before faking a pass to dummy a defender and finishing it perfectly.
It was Palmer’s day as he then threaded in a fine pass to Pedro, who clipped the ball over Donnarumma from 10 yards out to make it 3-0.
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PSG’s misery was completed when Joao Neves was sent off after a brief VAR check for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in the 85th minute.
Altercations spilled past the final whistle, and PSG coach Luis Enrique appeared to grab at Pedro’s neck while he and Donnarumma confronted Chelsea players.
Chelsea, who won the 2021 Club World Cup that featured only eight teams, knocked out Portugal’s Benfica and Brazilian sides Palmeiras and Fluminense to face PSG in the final.
The attendance was commendable, with 82,500 people gathered to watch the decider. US President Donald Trump was also among the spectators, who sat alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino as Chelsea earned approximately ÂŁ90 million for their participation and triumph in the tournament.
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