Chelsea vs PSG 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Final Preview
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup reaches its climax as Chelsea go head-to-head with Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. For the first time in tournament history, the final will be contested by two clubs from the same continent. With Europe dominating the newly expanded format, this all-European showdown sets up a significant milestone in international club football. It also marks the first global final at this level between an English and a French side in men’s football.
Chelsea’s presence in this final comes as a surprise to many. Managed by Enzo Maresca, the Blues came into the competition with modest expectations, especially after suffering a 3-1 loss to Flamengo in the group stage. But a mix of tactical resilience, favorable matchups, and the timely arrival of a £60 million striker helped turn their campaign around. Since that early setback, Chelsea have dispatched LAFC, ES Tunis, Benfica, Palmeiras, and Fluminense to earn their place in the final.
On the other side, Paris Saint-Germain have been nothing short of dominant. Their only stumble came in the form of a narrow 1-0 defeat to Botafogo during the group phase. After that, the French giants stormed through the knockout rounds with commanding wins over Atlético Madrid, Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. Across those five matches, they kept clean sheets and scored a total of 16 goals. Their semi-final performance was especially emphatic, as they overwhelmed Real Madrid 4-0, scoring three goals in the first 24 minutes.
Galaxy Sports ran 10,000 match simulations ahead of the final, Paris Saint-Germain emerged victorious in 64.4 percent of those simulations. They win within regulation time in 42.2 percent of scenarios. Chelsea, meanwhile, come out on top in 35.6 percent of the simulations, with a 31.4 percent chance of winning in normal time. The odds of the game going beyond 90 minutes stand at 26.4 percent.
One area where PSG have thrived is their ability to strike early. In this tournament, they’ve netted 10 first-half goals, second only to Bayern Munich. Their expected goals tally before the break stands at 5.85, among the best in the competition. Chelsea, however, have shown remarkable first-half discipline. They are yet to concede before halftime and have allowed opponents just 0.85 expected goals in that period, the lowest among all participating teams, even those who have played fewer matches.
Chelsea’s offensive contributions have been widespread. Their last 10 goals at the tournament, excluding own goals, have been scored by nine different players. João Pedro, their mid-tournament addition, is the only player with more than one goal in that span. He scored both goals in the semi-final against Fluminense and has now found the net seven times in his last nine starts for Brighton and Chelsea combined. If he scores twice again in the final, he will become the first Premier League player since Gabriel Martinelli in 2019 to net two or more goals in each of his first two starts.
Cole Palmer has also stood out for Chelsea. The young England international has created nine chances from open play in the competition, placing him among the top creators. In the semi-final, he laid on three chances and completed every single one of his 27 passes. That made him only the second player in this year’s Club World Cup to create three or more opportunities while maintaining 100 percent passing accuracy from at least 20 passes.
PSG boast attacking firepower of their own. Ousmane Dembélé has racked up 36 goal involvements in 2025, with 27 goals and nine assists, more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this year. His performance against Real Madrid, where he scored and assisted, highlighted his ability to rise on the biggest stages.
Bradley Barcola is another player to watch. Despite starting just 26 of PSG’s 41 matches this year, he has recorded 18 assists. That is four more than any other player in Europe’s top leagues in 2025, with an assist every 129 minutes. In midfield, Vitinha has quietly been one of the most consistent performers, completing over 100 passes in five Club World Cup matches. Only one other player, Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo, has completed 100 passes in more than one match.
Chelsea’s record in international finals offers encouragement. They have won their last five, excluding UEFA Super Cups, dating back to 2013. Their most recent success came in May when they defeated Real Betis 4-1 to win the UEFA Conference League. Their last international final loss came in 2012, when they fell to Corinthians in their first ever Club World Cup final appearance.
The last time these two sides met in a knockout setting was during the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League Round of 16. PSG progressed with a 4-2 aggregate win. This time, they meet with even greater stakes.
For PSG, a win would complete a treble-winning season that already includes Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and the UEFA Champions League. They also currently top the Galaxy Sports Global Club Rankings, which rate over 13,000 teams on a 0 to 100 scale based on overall performance and quality.
For Chelsea, a victory would be a statement of resurgence. After several years of transition, lifting the Club World Cup would signal their return to football’s elite. With Maresca’s tactical organization, a versatile squad, and a hunger for global success, they’ll believe anything is possible.
With attacking quality on both sides, midfield battles to be fought, and a trophy that means more than ever, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final promises to deliver a match worthy of the occasion.
Chelsea squad
Robert Sánchez, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Filip Jörgensen, Dário Essugo, Nicolas Jackson, Andrey Santos, Christopher Nkunku, Mamadou Sarr, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Moisés Caicedo, Malo Gusto, Aarón Anselmino, Tyrique George, Josh Acheampong, Marc Guiu, Mike Penders, Gabriel Slonina, Roméo Lavia, João Pedro
Head coach: Enzo Maresca
Paris Saint-Germain squad
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Beraldo, Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabián Ruiz, Gonçalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele, Désiré Doué, Vitinha, Lee Kang-in, Gabriel Moscardo, Lucas Hernandez, Senny Mayulu, Nuno Mendes, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Matvey Safonov, Yoram Zague, Noham Kamara, Naoufel El Hannach, Ibrahim Mbaye, Lucas Lavallée, Willian Pacho, Arnau Tenas, João Neves
Head coach: Luis Enrique
Galaxy Sports Global Rankings
The Galaxy Sports Global Rankings evaluate over 13,000 football clubs using a performance-based scale from zero to 100. The system measures overall team strength across domestic and international competitions. Ahead of this final, PSG hold the number one spot, reinforcing their credentials as the top club in world football right now.
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