FIFA rule broken in Club World Cup final before huge scrap after Chelsea win
The FIFA Club World Cup final has been slammed for various incidents that took place during Chelsea's win over Paris Saint-Germain, including breaking the half-time duration rule. The last match of the summer tournament featured fireworks, flyovers and even an appearance from President Donald Trump himself.
The Blues surprisingly ran out as comfortable winners over Champions League holders PSG, with Cole Palmer netting a brace and Joao Pedro adding to the tally to put them 3-0 up before the break. Luis Enrique's men failed to showcase their best football at MetLife Stadium, as Enzo Maresca watched his side deliver silverware.
After Chelsea finished the first half with a three-goal lead, fans were treated to a half-time show akin to the Super Bowl. Pop stars including J Balvin, Tems, Doja Cat, Emmanuel Kelly and Coldplay all took to the stage to entertain the crowd, but this was not as well received as some would have assumed.
In fact, the half-time performance broke an important FIFA rule. The seventh statute in the Laws of the Game dictates that the midway interval in a football match should not exceed 15 minutes, and only the referee has the power to change this.
The half-time break, in fact, lasted a whopping 24 minutes instead of the typical 15. The game itself also kicked off later than scheduled, at 8:08pm UK time instead of the planned 8pm start time.
Viewers responded to the Club World Cup's blunders on social media, with many dubbing the tournament a "joke." One said: "Expect more of the same in the upcoming World Cup next year as FIFA allows it to be turned into the Super bowl, with the football being incidental to the corporate crap and promotion of Trump and various 'personalities.'"
Another dubbed it a: "Vanity project," while a third said: "Everything about that tournament is a joke."
This wasn't the only incident that caught the attention of spectators, as a fight even broke out between the two sets of players after the full-time whistle. As Maresca's side began to celebrate their win, a scrap suddenly ensued, with PSG boss Enrique incredibly getting involved in the action.
The Spaniard appeared to lash out on the pitch, catching Chelsea goalscorer Pedro in the face and leaving him reeling on the floor. Enrique was pulled away from the altercation by his fellow coaches, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also confronting some Blues players in the wake of their victory.
The fight appeared to begin with PSG right-back Achraf Hakimi, as he looked to take issue with Pedro and Andrey Santos. The verbal argument then took a drastic turn, with players from both sides taking it in turns to push and pull each other away from the exchange, as Pedro lay on the floor following Enrique's shove to the face.
Despite the ugly scenes at full time, Maresca and his Chelsea stars will be delighted to take the Club World Cup trophy back to Stamford Bridge, adding to their Conference League title won at the end of May.
Speaking post-match, Blues boss Maresca said: "I have no words for the players. They all deserve this and it's a good moment. For me, we won the game in the first 10 minutes. We set the tempo and we were very good at pressing them. Unfortunately with the weather conditions, it is not easy to continue for 90 minutes, but I think we won the game in the first 10 minutes."
Following Chelsea's dominant victory that was on show for all to see, President Trump admitted an "upset" between PSG and the Blues had taken place that day. After handing over the trophy to the winning team, he said: "This is a bit of an upset we've watched today."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
15 minutes ago
- Metro
Chelsea move ahead of Arsenal in transfer race for 'exceptional' £60m star
Chelsea have moved ahead of Arsenal in the transfer race to sign Xavi Simons from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, according to fresh reports. Both Chelsea and Arsenal have been monitoring Simons this summer – along with Bayern Munich – but the Blues are now in pole position. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says Simons is 'very keen' on Chelsea and is attracted by their project, with the club 'pushing hard' to do a deal. RB Leipzig want £60m to sell the Netherlands international, who has been dubbed 'exceptional' by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund. However, it is believed that Chelsea may actually be able to able to wrap up a deal for a smaller fee after making direct contact with the player's camp. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. It is thought that club-to-club talks between Chelsea and RB Leipzig will begin on Tuesday, although any deal will reportedly depend on outgoings. Chelsea may need to sell a player to make room for make space for Simons, who can be deployed as an attacking midfielder or a winger. That means that Arsenal aren't fully out of the race just yet – with the Gunners still 'keen' on Simons – despite Chelsea being expected to proceed in talks after receiving 'positive feedback' from player. It should be noted, though, that Arsenal's priority is to sign to sign Sweden international striker Viktor Gyokeres from Portuguese club Sporting CP. Simons, meanwhile, has made clear his desire to leave German team RB Leipzig in the current summer transfer window. The 22-year-old has played 76 games for RB Leipzig to date, producing 21 goals and 23 assists. Born in Amsterdam, Simons spent the majority of his youth career in Barcelona's academy before being snapped up by Paris Saint-Germain. But he only made a total of 11 appearances for the French champions and was eventually sent out on loan to RB Leipzig. Simons has shined at RB Leipzig – with the club breaking their transfer record to sign him permanently in January 2025 – but he informed them of his desire to leave in May after failure to qualify for the Champions League. More Trending Named in the VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2024, Simons is currently under contract with RB Leipzig until the summer of 2027. Simons has earned 28 caps for the Netherlands to date, scoring five goals for his country. He played for PSV Eindhoven in the 2022-23 season, helping them win the KNVB Cup with Simons also crowned joint top scorer in the Eredivisie. MORE: Bryan Mbeumo explains Tottenham snub after Man Utd announce £71m new signing MORE: David de Gea sends message to 'excellent' Man Utd transfer target MORE: Chelsea set astonishing asking price for Manchester United transfer target
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Russell Martin hampered by hold-up in supply chain as Rangers boss pins hopes on goalscoring translator
Martin's Rangers still a work in progress ahead of Champions League bow Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sir Alex Ferguson, John Greig and Richard Gough, the legends have been queuing up to get into the Rangers Training Centre in recent days. No wonder Russell Martin complained that he was feeling the heat when he walked into the media room on the eve of his first competitive match in charge at Ibrox. But don't fret Rangers fans, he's not wilting under the pressure already. Not yet at least. The new manager, who will take a bow in front of the Rangers fans for the first time in a competitive game against Panathinaikos on Tuesday night, was simply referring to the muggy room. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Clearly not the type to instruct lackeys to the do the dirty work for him, he got back up and fiddled with the air conditioning controls. Head coach Russell Martin during a Rangers press conference ahead of the Champions League second qualifying round first leg tie against Panathinaikos. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group If only it will always be so easy to change the dial. When Rangers last played a Champions League qualifier, against Dynamo Kyiv last season, they were denied any home advantage due to the delay in getting steel to Glasgow amid renovation work on the Copland Road Stand. It's been getting another precious commodity to Ibrox in time for Tuesday night's game that's been the major problem for Martin. His ambitions might be hampered by hold-ups in the player supply chain. Although there have been several new faces, it's not the wholesale change supporters might feel is required and nor, some fear, are they of the sufficient quality. Meanwhile, one of the additions Martin has been able to get through the door, Thelo Aasgaard, a £5 million signing from Luton Town, is sidelined due to injury. 'He doubles up as translator!' Martin admitted both Hamza Igamane and Cyriel Dessers are short of the required fitness to start having had their pre-season work disrupted due to injury and visa complications amid speculation about moves elsewhere. Their futures might still lie away from Ibrox but they will both have key parts to play against Panathinaikos over the two legs, with Danilo in position to lead the line. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Having not scored in his last 15 appearances, admittedly mostly from the bench, the burden of getting goals falling on the so far unconvincing Brazilian is not what might have been expected on the back of high-profile new owners and promises of squad investment. Martin, however, is happy to have him on board. 'He doubles up as translator, he speaks about five different languages!' he revealed. 'He's technically really good, he has scored a lot of nice goals in pre-season, links the game well. And what I love about him, he gives everything in every session.' Danilo (right) is in line to lead the Rangers attack against Panathinaikos at Ibrox on Tuesday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Martin is conscious of the strengthening still required. However, he remains confident that despite the team being a work in progress, those available now can put into practice his ethos. 'The squad will look very different in four or five weeks, I'm convinced of that,' he said. 'But the team we have now, the squad we have now, we have to put in a performance that looks like us, feels like us and one that we can build off and ultimately win the game.' Work on the pitch at Ibrox, which won the inaugural pitch of the year trophy last season, means Rangers have been restricted to just one preparatory match at home before the real action begins. While not quite as unsatisfactory as last season's Ibrox exile, when Rangers were forced to play their first four home games at Hampden, it's not been ideal. The one friendly match was against Club Brugge, when the new pitch was still bedding in. Rangers found themselves 2-0 down and the target of some mid-summer booing by half-time although recovered to claim a draw. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We'd have loved another game or two at Ibrox but the pitch wasn't ready,' he said. 'It is now, it's in good shape. So, we didn't want to jeopardise that, the Bruges one was really early for that pitch. The ground staff did brilliantly and have done since.' The pitch will of course play a big part if Martin's quick, crisp passing style of play is to be realised. According to him, it can't be one dimensional. Knowing when to play the ball is crucial, particularly when there's 50,000 fans applying pressure. 'It needs to be patient, it needs to be quick,' he explained. 'There will be times where it won't require much patience and there will be times where it will. Head coach Russell Martin during a Rangers training session ahead of the Champions League second qualifying round first leg tie against Panathinaikos. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'It's not all going to be plain sailing, there will be some bumpy moments,' he added, presumably in reference to the team rather than the pitch. 'But we have to make sure that everyone can understand and see what we are trying to achieve and that the team has enough moments that people can feel excited about. I think the second half against Bruges did that, the first half did the opposite! The second half, I think people started to see that.' Recognition for Tavernier Whatever happens against Panathinaikos, he is adamant that it won't define Rangers' season and that might well be true. For example, losing to Dinamo Kyiv last season 2-0 at Hampden wasn't in the top five worst Rangers results of the campaign it turned out, as damaging as it felt for Phillipe Clement at the time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of course, Martin wasn't meaning there could be worse to come. Unlike his Belgian predecessor, he is still fresh and exciting and can count on a degree of leeway. Amid all the changes at Ibrox, off the field as well as on it, there will be a very familiar face leading Rangers out. Nearly a year ago Clement was being asked about James Tavernier, and whether he would even be playing in the opening league fixture against Hearts. The skipper had endured a torrid end to the previous season before being seemingly on the verge of a move elsewhere. With iconic skippers Greig and Gough having paid visits in recent days, the sheer durability of a modern-day legend must be recognised. Tavernier will never boast the credentials of these two predecessors. However, Martin is just the latest Rangers manager prepared to put his faith in someone he actually played alongside at Ibrox. He explained that the 33-year-old has risen to the considerable physical challenge of pre-season. 'It's not always been easy and comfortable for him over the last four or five weeks,' he said. 'We really challenged him to do some stuff that he's not used to doing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Rangers legend previews Panathinaikos clash as he reveals he considered bringing Nicolas Raskin to England with him
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STUART McCALL says a draw won't leave Rangers up the Greek — because their Euro away record is so good. The Ibrox legend is the last Scottish boss to face Panathinaikos in the Champions League, when his Motherwell side were battered 5-0 on aggregate back in 2012. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 1 Stuart McCall is currently at Preston North End as assistant manager Credit: Kenny Ramsay But he insists Rangers' recent record away from home in Europe — where they have only lost two of their past nine road trips — can stand them in good stead in Russell Martin's opening fixtures. McCall, 61, now assistant boss at Preston, said: 'I've seen plenty of Rangers in recent seasons, and whether it was under Steven Gerrard, Gio van Bronckhorst or Philippe Clement, the best results and performances have been the away games in Europe. 'Even Barry Ferguson had that great win at Fenerbahce in March. 'So of course they would like to win against Panathinaikos and go to Greece ahead. 'But if it's level, that wouldn't be the worst result because they know they can go abroad and get results. 'It's not win at all costs. As long as they are still in the tie after Tuesday, they will have a chance. 'The support is so important, though. They have to stay with the team. In my own experience, like back in 1992 when we played Marseille and were 2-0 down at home in the Champions League, the support stuck by us and we ended up getting it back to 2-2.' McCall says Martin's philosophy can work at Ibrox — but he needs a buy-in from his players. He added: 'I like Russell, I worked with him when I was involved on the coaching side with Scotland. He thinks deeply about the game and he's shown that at Swansea and Southampton. 'He has a specific way he wants to play and that's fine as long as the players buy into it. 'Absolutely brilliant or RUBBISH' - Gassama Rangers transfer verdict and Souttar to leave 'It CAN be successful but it needs to have everyone on board. 'I like some of his signings. I've seen Joe Rothwell down here and he's a good player, but my only concern with him is, does it mean Nico Raskin's going? 'I hope not because he's one I've always liked — I looked at him with a view to bringing him to Sheffield United. 'If they have Raskin, Rothwell and Mohamed Diomande that's a good midfield, with Connor Barron as back-up. 'The lad Thelo Aasgaard I saw bits of at Wigan and Luton and he's also a good player. Same with Max Aarons, he should handle the Premiership fine. 'As is always the case, it's about whether they have the attitude to deal with Scotland and the scrutiny that comes if you lose a couple.' While McCall's Well side shipped five to the Greeks 13 years ago, he still looks back at what might have been. He said: 'It looks like a battering, but for most of the tie we'd held our own. 'We started well, could have been up, but lost a horrible free-kick goal, and another on the counter to make it 2-0. 'Over there it was 0-0 at half-time and I remember saying to the players, 'If we score, the whole tie changes'. 'But they scored soon after the restart and killed our hopes.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
