FIFA Club World Cup Final Review

In a dramatic upset victory Chelsea FC have won the inaugural edition of the new FIFA Club World Cup. The match may not have had the twist and turns that many were hoping for but there’s still a lot to unpack. In this article, I’ll be breaking down the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, touching on everything from player performances to tactical battles and the overall significance of the match.

Review

PSG vs Chelsea was ultimately a shockingly one-sided affair with a scoreline that no one would’ve predicted: 3-0 to the London outfit. To put things into context, we have to remember what PSG achieved in this season. This is a team that excelled in Ligue 1, winning 26 out of their 34 matches and finishing 19 points above second place Marseille. A team which complimented that league title with an unbelievable European triumph in the Champions League.

Enrique’s side began turning heads halfway through the season as the team reinvented itself with riveting attacking football and unbeatable press. Finally, Enrique cracked it and started to get the best out of his squad. And what a squad it is, oozing with talent in every department. From the impregnable defense of Donnarumma, Marquinhos and Pacho, to the technical divinity of midfielders such as Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz to the blistering frontline helmed by this year’s Ballon D’or favorite Ousmane Dembele.

PSG in 2025 were unstoppable, toppling titans of the game like Arsenal, Liverpool and Inter Milan on their path to European glory. Recently they’ve been handing out more humbling’s than Gordon Ramsey in an episode of Hell’s Kitchen, slapping up Inter 5-0 on the biggest stage and dismantling both Madrid teams (Real & Atletico) 4-0 at different stages in this competition.

That’s why this result against Chelsea feels so consequential. It proves that giants can be slain. For fans like me who were afraid that PSG would become a dictatorial force in European soccer for years to come, this is a big relief. That’s not to say that PSG are done, in fact everything points to the contrary. But it does give teams a blueprint on how to beat PSG and reveals certain weaknesses in the Parisian side that many were unable to see before.

And for that you have to give Chelsea credit—something I hate doing as a man with allegiances to the red side of London. But despite my loyalties, it’s impossible to deny Enzo Maresca his flowers. In his first full season at Chelsea, he was able to secure Champions League qualification and win both the Conference League and Club World Cup. The man is speedrunning “the process”. Of course, he’s not solely responsible for Chelsea’s resurrection.

Yesterday in particular, Chelsea were driven by the clutch bone of one breezy, chilly, artic temperature Cold Palmer. A man who lives for big matches, Cole Palmer showed us once again why he’s the talk of the town and why out of the entire Chelsea squad he was the one chosen to promote the final alongside Ousmane Dembele as they recreated the iconic “lunch atop a skyscraper” photograph in NYC. Two goals and one assist in under 40 minutes from Cole Palmer left Parisian heads spinning as he almost singlehandedly the UCL winning side to its knees. His first goal, a silky finish into the bottom left corner, his second goal, exactly the same thing. It was a case of déjà vu; I thought maybe my TV was lagging or that I was watching highlights from the 1^st goal. But hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. He then followed his brace up with a stroke of creative genius, playing a delicate through ball to Joao Pedro who chipped it over Donnarumma. Filthy stuff from Chelsea.

In the second half it was very much a case of parking the metaphorical bus. Except this bus had the engine of a Bugatti Veyron because Chelsea had Moises Caicedo in the pivot. This man made me think of the old N’golo Kante memes—70% of the Earth is covered by water, the remaining 30% is covered by Kante. He was everywhere like chickenpox. He did it all: flying into challenges, intercepting and breaking up PSG attacks and launching counters. Caicedo truly made the difference, managing to stand apart in a match featuring midfield maestros like Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves.

Another player that deserves a mention is Malo Gusto. The man was like bouncer at a nightclub when you’re underage: impassable. Kvaratskhelia, a winger in white hot form whos’ been twisting defenders inside out and sending them to the TikTok reels couldn’t find a way past the French fullback. In fact, Malo Gusto had him so blatantly pocketed that Enrique had no choice but to sub off his star attacker in the 58th minute.

Much like Gusto the whole Chelsea team played the second half like a bunch of rabid dogs hungry for the ball. They fought for every duel, attacked every loose ball and even managed to create opportunities on the counter. By all appearances this was a tactical masterclass by a pupil of the Guardiola academy, Enzo Maresca. In the end, it stayed 3-0 but it could have been 4 or 5. And as much as it pains me to say it, the simple, inescapable truth is that Chelsea were superior in every facet of the game and DESERVED to win.

Chelsea Player Ratings:

Robert Sanchez GK - When you flip your pillow halfway through the night and the other side is cold (9/10)

This man was playing as if Margot Robbie, Helen of Troy and 90s Halle Berry were all in the stands. The only difference between him and a prowling leopard was the shoes (and the clothes, and the gloves, and the fact leopards walk on four legs, and the hair and cat features, and the retractable claws). My point is that Sanchez was like an angry girlfriend reading your old snapchat messages, saving everything. In all seriousness, the Chelsea keeper made 8 saves in the match including crucial stops to deny Doue and Dembele in the first half to keep a clean sheet in the most stylish of ways.

Malo Gusto RB – “You. Shall Not. Pass!” – Gandalf (8/10)

As I mentioned before Malo Gusto was a standout performer in the final. He kept one of the best wingers in the world in Kvaraskethlia quiet and contributed on the attack with blistering forward runs and even an assist.

Trevor Chalobah CB – “Present” (6/10)

He didn’t contribute anything outstanding but he also did not have to do a tremendous amount of defensive work because most of PSG’s attacks were being launched on the wings. He definitely was on the pitch and that’s something, I guess. In the end, he didn’t do much wrong but failed to win a ground duel (0/1 ground duels won) and lost possession 3 times.

Levi Colwill CB – ColWILL be better than Chalobah (7/10)

Slightly better than his centre back partner. More of a presence in the box and won more tackles (2 ground duels). He kept things generally tidy at the back with 3 clearances and even managed to contribute offensively, getting an assist for one of the Palmer goals. That being said he assisted Palmer the same way I “assist” Marvel when I go watch one of their movies. It was a nice long ball to the right wing but Palmer still had to 90% of the group project.

Marc Cucurella LB – “CUCU CUCU RELLA, SE COME UNA PAELLA” (7/10)

Had to step up against this season Champion League Young Player of the season Desire Doue, and he did. Cucurella wasn’t as definitive in locking down his wing as Malo Gusto but he still managed to keep Doue from scoring or assisting, which is commendable. He made 3 clearances and attempted 6 ground duels of which 2 were successful. But simply from an eye test point of view I think he did a great job. He was constantly there as a roadblock to any creative endeavors PSG attempted on the right wing.

Reece James CDM – He did the thinkable (6/10)

Wasn’t as much of a powerhouse as Moises Caicedo in the pivot but he still ran a lot and was reliable in his distribution (87% pass accuracy). Ultimately, James had a rathe tame match and didn’t do anything to light up the stage.

Moises Caicedo CDM – New mascot for Duracell batteries (9/10)

Caicedo was everywhere; he covered everything like a Nun’s outfit. He had to be using shadow clone jutsu the way I thought I was seeing double. Breaking up play, intercepting and launching attacks with pinpoint dimes, all without slowing down for a second. The guy is renewable energy, he’s got a solar panel hidden somewhere or a nuclear reactor in his heel, I don’t know, but I’m onto him.

Cole Palmer RW – Oooh wait I’m Cole Palmer (9/10)

Cold, chilly, icy popsicle of a player. The man doesn’t feel the heat. 20 minutes in and my guy said “fine I’ll do it myself” like Thanos. Bagged a ctrl C + ctrl V brace and then gave a teasing through ball to Joao Pedro to create the third. Can’t ask for more than that, and in a final no less. Palmer well and truly is THAT guy. Haircut is dogsh*t though.

Joao Pedro ST – The guy she tells you not to worry about (8/10)

Joao Pedro continued his blockbuster form since joining the club a couple of weeks ago by scoring a delicious chip against Donnarumma. Purchased as a replacement for the inconsistent Nicolas Jackson, Pedro has demonstrated his quality and maybe finally put to rest Chelsea’s striker conundrum. In this match he was sharp, powerful and unpredictable, an absolute nightmare for Marquinhos and Beraldo to deal with.

Substitutes:

Andrey Santos CM – Smile brighter than my future (6/10)

Not really on long enough to influence the match. Didn’t do anything wrong but also didn’t do anything notable other than completing 4 successful tackles.

Liam Delap ST – “You got HEART KID”- Every Rocky movie probably (7/10)

Liam Delap looks like the guy you would find in a pub somewhere out in the countryside near some goats. And he kind of plays like it too. He’s rough and raw and just kind of rams into people. He gets under people’s skin and reminds me a little bit of another Chelsea number 9: the shithouse king, Diego Costa (which is the highest compliment I can pay him). The highlight of his cameo came in a counterattack. He managed to wriggle clear of the defender and launched a missile from outside the box which Donnarumma was just able to block.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall CM – Had a stroke reading his name (6/10)

Much Like Andrey Santos, Dewsbury-Hall had an average couple of minutes on the pitch. His name might sound like the place where the King practices archery but there was nothing royal about his football.

Christopher Nkunku – Stealth 100 (6/10)

Honestly barely noticed that he was on the pitch. Played 12 minutes wearing Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak.

PSG Player Ratings:

Gianluigi Donnarumma GK – Longer arms than Mr. Fantastic (7/10)

Can’t really be blamed for any of the goals, they were all were top class finishes. Other than that, he controlled his area, was commanding in the area and made a couple really good saves including a fingertip stop to deny Delap in the second half. He’s the reason it wasn’t 4 or 5.

Achraf Hakimi RB – Live Action Roadrunner (6/10)

Hakimi was well below his world-class standard. He contributed very little offensively and made almost no impact defensively with 0 clearances 0 tackles and 0 interceptions. He kind of coasting and just playing the easy passes.

Marquinhos CB – Marquinwho? (6/10)

Not a great defensive performance considering the team conceded 3 and Palmer singlehandedly rinsed the PSG backline. It’s just another example of a PSG player playing well below their actual level. Marquinhos managed a measly 2 clearances and 1 interception, failing to complete a single tackle in 90 minutes on the pitch leaving us all with the question: who was he marking?

Lucas Beraldo CB – General Beraldo (7/10)

More commanding performance at the back but was unable to stop Palmer from driving through the box and creating chaos. In 90 minutes Beraldo made 4 clearances, 1 important block and completed 4/5 ground duels.

Nuno Mendes LB – “Look how they massacred my son” - Godfather (5/10)

Nuno Mendes was especially poor compared to the incredible standard he set across the season as a defender that could NOT get beat. This game proved that there are weaknesses to his game. One of these weaknesses was on full display for the first goal as he got skinned by Gusto. Nuno Mendes miscalculated the flight of a long diagonal ball, headed it and slipped, giving Malo Gusto the freedom to attack the wing and assist Palmer. A shocking error that begun the demolition job of PSG. But it doesn’t stop there, for me he’s also partially to blame for Chelsea’s 3^rd goal. He didn’t track the run of Joao Pedro and wasn’t aware that the Brazilian was making a dangerous sprint in the box. Had he recognized the danger he could’ve shifted slightly to the right and intercepted Palmer’s soft pass through the back line.

Vitinha CM – More moves that Shakira (6/10)

It’s hard to find a more suave footballer than Vitinha. The way he dances around the football, caresses every pass and runs the show from midfield is at times mesmerizing. You would think he was romantically involved with the ball and that they’ve been dating for 3 years the way he takes care of it and never loses possession. All that said, in this particular match Vitinha was not at his greatest. He started dictating the game only after Chelsea comfortably conceded possession to PSG to protect their 3-0 advantage in the 2^nd half. Before that he was getting out-run by Caicedo and Fernandez and couldn’t slow the frenetic tempo of the game which lead to dangerous transition attacks from Chelsea. To make things worse, he’s the other Parisian player responsible for Chelsea’s 3^rd goal as he loses his marker Joao Pedro and doesn’t follow him into the box.

Fabian Ruiz CM – Built like a flamingo (6/10)

Lanky, tall, skinny these are not words you would normally use to describe a world-class midfielder but somehow Fabian Ruiz manages to be all those things at once, including world-class. This guy has the infinite stamina hack, an absolute rocket of a left foot and Xabi Alonso-esque passing range and vision. Skills that unfortunately weren’t on display in this final clash against Chelsea. Maybe his legs gave out at the end of a grueling season or maybe he just had a bad game. Whatever the reason, Fabian Ruiz was just a bit above average yesterday. His distribution wasn’t bad with 87% pass accuracy and 1 out of 2 long balls finding their target, he completed 4 tackles and won all of his aerial duels (1/1). But those are just numbers, simply from watching I can tell you that Ruiz was unable to really affect the game.

Joao Neves CM – Looney Tunes a*s way to get sent off (4/10)

Had a decent game doing what he does best as a tackle machine. He won 12/15 ground duels (more than anyone else on the pitch) made a couple key passes and even registered a shot on target. But it all went sideways in the 84^th minute when he decided to give Cucurella a free haircut by tugging at the Spanish fullback’s signature locks and dragging him to the ground. Of course, Cucurella made the most of it and started writhing around the floor like he just got mauled by a Siberian Tiger (that was always going to happen). In the end, it was an act of petulance and stupidity that ruined an otherwise commendable performance.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia LW – Password: very strong (5/10)

Was dynamic and industrious but it all lead to nothing. He couldn’t get any change out of Malo Gusto and was eventually subbed off in the 58^th minute, concluding a disappointing outing.

Desire Doue RW – The favorite child (7/10)

Doue was the only player of the Paris front 3 that I would say had a good/decent game. He was creative, made some opportunities for himself and was the closest to getting on the scoresheet, forcing an incredible save out of Sanchez. He terrorized the Chelsea backline with that signature mix of frightening technical ability and devasting acceleration. He completed 80% of dribbles attempted (4/5) and almost gave PSG a lead in the 18^th minute.

Ousmane Dembele ST – Still my guy (5/10)

Sh*t game but give him the Ballon D’or.

Substitutes:

Bradly Barcola LW – Streets will forget (6/10)

Not a very memorable performance. Came on for a tired and washed Kvara and failed to create anything other than a shot on target from a set piece.

Warren Zaire-Emery CM – Meh

Average. Didn’t offer much in the midfield. PSG was a stronger team with Ruiz in the side.

Senny Mayulu CM – Straight off the playground (5/10)

Young, exciting new midfielder, but didn’t have enough time to demonstrate his quality.

Goncalo Ramos ST – This guy is replacing CR7? (5/10)

Missed a massive chance in the 88^th minute. Cross comes into the far post, he’s got an open goal and misjudges the flight of the ball, and it bounces off him. Probably would have just been a consolation goal, but you never know.