The first edition of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup concludes in style this Sunday as European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) face Chelsea in a highly anticipated final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Among the high-profile attendees is former U.S. President Donald Trump, underscoring the global spotlight on this historic finale. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called the tournament the dawn of a “golden era of club football.”
PSG, widely regarded as the best team in the world right now, are chasing a clean sweep of trophies.
Under manager Luis Enrique, they’ve already clinched the French league and cup double, and made history by winning their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in May with a record-breaking 5-0 win over Inter Milan.
In the Club World Cup, they’ve been dominant scoring four goals each against Atletico Madrid and Inter Miami, edging past Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, and dismantling Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals.
“It’s been a fantastic season,” said Luis Enrique on Friday. “We want to finish it in the best possible way.”
While PSG enter as strong favourites, Chelsea are no pushovers. The London club arrive in the U.S. after finishing fourth in the Premier League and lifting the UEFA Conference League title.
“This is a one-off game,” said Chelsea defender Reece James. “Everyone has them as favourites, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve seen favourites lose finals before.”
Coach Enzo Maresca praised PSG’s form but remains focused on preparing Chelsea for a potential upset. The Blues are also hopeful that key midfielder Moises Caicedo will recover from an ankle injury in time for the final.
Kick-off is set for 3:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) at the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium, which will also host the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final. But concerns persist over extreme heat and player fatigue—this will be PSG’s 65th match of the season, and Chelsea’s 64th.
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez voiced concerns on Friday, calling the afternoon kick-off in high temperatures “very dangerous.”
Nonetheless, the financial incentives are massive. Both finalists are set to earn over $100 million in prize money a timely boost, especially for Chelsea, who were recently fined by UEFA for financial rule violations.
Speaking at Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, Infantino hailed the expanded 32-team format.
“We created something new… It’s already the most successful club competition in the world.”
The next edition of the Club World Cup is scheduled for 2029.
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