PSG, Chelsea Set for Club World Cup Final

The grand finale of FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup will see two European heavyweights — Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea — go head-to-head on Sunday at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with U.S. President Donald Trump expected among the high-profile guests.

It’s the kind of high-stakes clash FIFA president Gianni Infantino had envisioned when he declared the tournament a gateway into “the golden era of club football” during a press briefing on Saturday.

For Chelsea’s manager Enzo Maresca, the odds are clear: “PSG are probably in this moment the best team in the world.” And the numbers support that claim. The French giants have already swept the domestic league and cup double, and clinched their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in sensational fashion — demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.

Their run in the Club World Cup has been just as ruthless. PSG crushed Atletico Madrid and Inter Miami with four goals each in the group stage, edged past Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, and then dismantled Real Madrid 4-0 in a dominant semi-final performance.

“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 told reporters on Friday.

While many see Sunday’s match as a foregone conclusion, Chelsea aren’t backing down. They arrived in the U.S. off the back of a strong campaign, finishing fourth in the Premier League and lifting the UEFA Conference League trophy.

“They are one of the hottest teams in the world at the moment, but this is the final, a one-off game,” said Chelsea defender Reece James.

“Everyone has them down as strong favourites, but I have been in many finals before where we have been favourites and we have not come out on top. That doesn’t mean too much to me, and I don’t really care that everyone is bigging up the opposition.”

Chelsea were keeping a close watch on midfielder Moises Caicedo, who was in a race to be fit after sustaining a twisted ankle in their semi-final win over Fluminense.

The match will kick off at 3:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) inside the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium — a venue that will also host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. With the Manhattan skyline in the distance, the setting is as dramatic as the stakes. But not everyone is thrilled with the conditions.

Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez voiced concern over the scorching heat, saying on Friday that playing in the afternoon was “very dangerous.”

The demands of the football calendar are also drawing attention. Sunday’s final will be PSG’s 65th game since August, and Chelsea’s 64th. Yet the financial windfall makes it hard to complain — both clubs are guaranteed over $100 million in prize money, a significant boost, especially for Chelsea who were recently fined by UEFA for breaching financial regulations.

As anticipation builds, Infantino remains emphatic that FIFA’s vision is already bearing fruit. Speaking from Trump Tower in New York, he said:

“We created something new, something which is here to stay, something which is changing the landscape of club football. It is already the most successful club competition in the world.”

The next edition of the 32-team Club World Cup is scheduled for 2029.