PSG FACE CHELSEA IN HISTORIC CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL AT METLIFE STADIUM
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The curtain will fall on the inaugural edition of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup on Sunday, as European champions Paris Saint-Germain face Chelsea in a blockbuster final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with former U.S. President Donald Trump expected to attend.
The much-anticipated clash marks the conclusion of a tournament FIFA President Gianni Infantino has hailed as the dawn of a “golden era of club football.” The final kicks off at 3:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) in front of 82,500 fans at the venue that will also host the 2026 World Cup final.
PSG enter the contest as overwhelming favourites, riding the wave of an extraordinary season that has seen them win the French league and cup double, secure their first-ever UEFA Champions League title with a stunning 5-0 victory over Inter Milan, and dominate the Club World Cup with emphatic wins over Atletico Madrid, Inter Miami, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.
“It has been a fantastic season and for us it is very important that we end it in the best possible manner,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said ahead of the match.
Chelsea, managed by Enzo Maresca, are looking to defy the odds after finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the UEFA Conference League. The team is hopeful that midfielder Moises Caicedo will be fit after suffering a twisted ankle in their semi-final win over Fluminense.
“They are one of the hottest teams in the world at the moment, but this is a final — a one-off game,” said Chelsea captain Reece James. “Everyone has them down as strong favourites, but that doesn’t mean too much to me.”
The Parisians will rely heavily on Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembele, whose standout performances have helped fuel PSG’s dominant run. Chelsea will look to draw on their experience in finals and hope to capitalise on any opportunity.
Despite concerns about player fatigue — this will be PSG’s 65th match since last August and Chelsea’s 64th — the financial incentives are substantial. Both finalists are guaranteed over \$100 million in prize money, a welcome boost particularly for Chelsea, recently fined by UEFA for financial rule breaches.
Infantino, speaking from Trump Tower in New York, was upbeat about the success of the tournament. “We created something new, something which is here to stay, something which is changing the landscape of club football,” he said.
The next edition of the 32-team Club World Cup is scheduled for 2029.
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