Palmer stars as Chelsea stun PSG to win Club World Cup final
But having been three goals ahead midway through the first half in the semis, this time the roles were reversed as PSG found themselves 3-0 down by the break.
Palmer opened the scoring midway through the first half and struck again to make it two on the half-hour mark, before taking advantage of passive defending to set up Joao Pedro for the third on 43 minutes.
A bad day for PSG was summed up when Joao Neves was shown red following a VAR review four minutes from the end for pulling Marc Cucurella by the hair off the ball.
It was a scoreline that few could have predicted as Chelsea capped what has been a long but memorable season -- they are the first ever winners of the 32-team Club World Cup having also won the UEFA Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League.
They will also take away around $125 million in prize money, meaning the prospect of a drastically curtailed summer break before returning for next season will surely feel worth it.
For PSG, meanwhile, the financial rewards are similar but there will be genuine disappointment at falling short of adding this title to their Champions League triumph and French league and cup double.
Nevertheless, conquering Europe was always the main aim this season for Luis Enrique's team, who now have exactly a month to digest this and take a holiday before returning to action in the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur.
Trump in attendance
There was a real sense of occasion at the MetLife Stadium, with the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline and with President Trump in attendance along with First Lady Melania Trump in a crowd of 81,118.
There was even the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA tournament, adding a Super Bowl feel to a final played at the home of NFL sides the New York Giants and New York Jets.
As for the football, for the second time in six weeks PSG found themselves involved in a final that quickly turned into a one-sided affair.
The club claimed a historic 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but here they were ripped apart by Chelsea on another hot afternoon.
Palmer almost put Chelsea ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, before PSG should have scored at the other end only for Desire Doue to try to pass to Achraf Hakimi rather than shoot inside the box, allowing Cucurella to block.
It was Chelsea who struck in the 22nd minute as Malo Gusto got the better of Nuno Mendes down the right before seeing his shot blocked by Lucas Beraldo. The ball came back to Gusto and he teed up Palmer to finish into the bottom-left corner.
Palmer has been the face of Chelsea on billboards in the United States during the tournament and he lived up to his star billing by scoring again on the half-hour.
Released on the right with PSG left-back Mendes out of position, Palmer advanced towards the box before stroking a low shot into the same corner.
Joao Pedro played a part in the build-up to that goal and the Brazilian, signed during the tournament from Brighton, then got his name on the scoresheet to make it 3-0.
Scorer of both goals against Fluminense in the semi-finals, he clipped a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma after being supplied by Palmer.
PSG had conceded a single goal in their previous eight matches and they never really looked like producing a comeback, even if Neves headed just wide in first-half stoppage time.
Substitute Liam Delap almost got a fourth for Chelsea midway through the second half, before Neves was shown red to complete a bad day for PSG.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
France's new star Lanier ready for home pressure at badminton worlds
The 20-year-old has rocketed to number eight in the world after a breakthrough year that has seen him win the Japan Open and be crowned European champion. He is aiming for more success when the world championships begin in Paris on August 25, at the venue where the Olympic badminton tournament was held last year. Lanier admits he is "not an underdog any more" and will play with a target on his back in Paris. "There is a bit of pressure but I am also taking it as a moment that I can share with family and friends," he said in Tokyo on Tuesday, where he began his Japan Open title defence with a 21-12, 21-14 win over Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao. "I want to get the maximum I can and play the best I can, to share this moment with everyone," he said. "It's also interesting, this kind of condition that there are a lot of people around, a lot of distractions -- I will need to stay in my own zone." Lanier did not play at the 2024 Olympics, but he announced himself on the world stage just a couple of weeks later by winning the Japan Open. He beat China's then world number one Shi Yuqi and Malaysia's Paris Games bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia on the way to lifting his first major senior title. Golden French generation His rise gathered pace when he won the European Championships in April with a victory over fellow Frenchman Toma Junior Popov in the final. Lanier said he had improved "mentally and physically, but also technically" as he targets more Tokyo glory this week. "I think I'm not an underdog any more -- I'm definitely ready to play well and to get this title," he said. "There is definitely more pressure than last year, to be honest, but I think I'm quite good at controlling this kind of thing." French badminton is currently riding high, with Lanier, Toma Junior Popov and Christo Popov all ranked in the men's singles top 20. Lanier says talk of a golden generation is premature but he believes French badminton is "improving in all areas". "Our staff is more professional, there is better structure and the young players are more professional earlier than what we were before," he said. "So I feel that yes we are performing, but also we are showing the young generation in France." French fans gave Olympic badminton a warm welcome at the Paris Games, with large crowds and enthusiastic support at the La Chapelle Arena. Lanier believes "it's going to be huge again" at the world championships, and he is looking forward to experiencing it for himself. "I think the fans enjoyed last year and I think they are expecting the same thing, and that's why they're coming," he said. "They know that it's going to be a fantastic event." © 2025 AFP
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Wembanyama cleared to return for NBA Spurs: reports
The 21-year-old Frenchman told L'Equipe, "I'm officially cleared to return," in a story published on Monday with ESPN and confirming the Spurs have cleared Wembanyama's return for next season. "Wemby" was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2024 and an NBA All-Star this past season, which was ended February 20 when the team shut him down after the shoulder injury was discovered. The 7-foot-3 (2.21m) center averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.8 blocked shots and 1.1 steals a game over 46 contests for the Spurs last season. The NBA club had he was expected back in time for the start of Spurs training camp in late September but his recovery came much earlier than first predicted. Wembanyama has been in Las Vegas for the past few days watching the Spurs' newest prospects play in the NBA Summer League.
France 24
14 hours ago
- France 24
Real Madrid sign Benfica's Carreras to continue summer rebuild
The 22-year-old Spanish left-back, who played for Madrid's youth academy before joining Manchester United in 2020, is reported to have cost close to 50 million euros ($58 million). "Real Madrid and Benfica have reached an agreement for the transfer of Alvaro Carreras, who will be under contract with our club for the next six seasons, until 30 June 2031," said Los Blancos in a statement. The defender played 62 times for Benfica, scoring five goals for the club, including an initial loan spell before they signed him for six million euros from United in 2024. Carreras becomes Madrid's fourth signing of a significant summer rebuild after Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Franco Mastantuono, at an estimated cost of around 170 million euros in transfer fees. After finishing last season without a major trophy coach Carlo Ancelotti departed and was replaced by Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard steered Madrid to the Club World Cup semi-finals but they were hammered 4-0 by runners-up Paris Saint-Germain.
