Cole Palmer delivered a masterclass to inspire Chelsea to a shock 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
The win capped a historic night for the Premier League side at the MetLife Stadium in New York.
The 22-year-old forward scored twice and provided an assist in a dazzling first-half display as Chelsea dismantled the reigning European champions to claim the inaugural title of FIFA’s expanded 32-team tournament, along with a windfall of more than £90 million.
Palmer opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a precise left-footed finish after Malo Gusto’s initial effort was blocked.
He doubled Chelsea’s lead just eight minutes later, cutting inside from the right after collecting Levi Colwill’s long ball and calmly slotting past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Before the break, Palmer turned provider, finding Joao Pedro, who was highly composed, to score the third goal of the game in a spectacular fashion, putting the match beyond the European champions.
PSG, chasing their fifth trophy of the season, never recovered from the first-half blitz.
Their frustration boiled over late on, with midfielder Joao Neves shown a straight red card in the 85th minute for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair.
Tempers flared again after the final whistle, with PSG head coach Luis Enrique involved in a confrontation with Pedro as Chelsea staff and players celebrated on the pitch.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was also instrumental in the win, producing key saves to deny Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, and Neves as PSG attempted to mount a comeback.
The high-profile final was watched by a crowd of 81,118 and attended by President Donald Trump.
A halftime show headlined by Doja Cat, which also featured Nigerian music sensation Tems and others, added to the spectacle.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca hailed the performance as “a night of belief, bravery and brilliance” as the Blues etched their name into history as the first champions of FIFA’s revamped global club tournament.
(NAN)
