This evening, Paris St. Germain (PSG) will play Chelsea in the final of the redesigned 32-team FIFA’s Club World Cup at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, capping an incredible season.
The month-long tournament’s grand finale, which has drawn harsh criticism from elite European club teams but has surprisingly defied all odds, is full of surprises, including Manchester City and Inter Milan’s shocking eliminations at the hands of underdogs Fluminense of Brazil and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.
PSG will be most thrilled to be the first winners of FIFA’s expanded competition, which was created with the goal of revolutionizing club football and serving as a glittering prelude to the 2026 World Cup in North America.
PSG, who won the UEFA Champions title for the first time in the club’s history, have had a fantastic run here in the USA. They have been playing brilliantly lately, winning seven of their last eight games without giving up a goal.
In the semi-finals, Luis Enrique’s team thrashed Real Madrid 4-0, showcasing their high-pressing, fast-paced, vertical style to devastating effect. Within nine minutes, PSG had a commanding two-goal lead thanks to two early turnovers brought on by their relentless press.
The Parisians are vying for their first world championship after winning the Champions League for the first time last month. The team has been revitalized by manager Luis Enrique, who has replaced departing players Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe with a young, vibrant group dedicated to his total football philosophy.
Vitinha, the midfield orchestrator, has been essential, and Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, the flying fullbacks, offer pace and width. Ballon d’Or candidate Ousmane Dembelehas excelled up front, providing vital goals and assists. Throughout the competition, PSG’s high turnover rate—averaging seven per hour of play—has proven crucial, as has their defensive solidity.
Luis Enrique has won 11 of 11 in one-off club finals and has already experienced glory after leading Barcelona to a treble ten years ago.
After a poor domestic season in which they barely managed a top-four Premier League finish, Chelsea, on the other hand, chose the more difficult route to the final, traveling to the United States right after winning Europe’s third-tier Conference League.
The final offers manager Enzo Maresca a chance to redeem himself after being questioned about his struggles with a squad that cost Chelsea more than 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) in recent years.
Joao Pedro, a Brazilian forward who scored twice in their semifinal victory over his childhood team Fluminense, was a brilliant mid-tournament addition. In the attack, he has worked well with Cole Palmer, and Chelsea’s midfield trio of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Enzo Fernandez has been excellent at exploiting gaps and breaking up play.
