Surprise winner warns $120 million in FIFA Club World Cup Delving into results

Thirty-two clubs representing six continental federations finally determined the strongest team. The tournament, which began on June 15 with the match between Al Ahly and Inter Miami, concluded last night with the final showdown between Chelsea and PSG, where the London side completely dismantled the Parisians with a 3–0 victory.

To say that few expected such a result in the final would be a major understatement.

Let us recall: in the semifinals, Chelsea defeated Brazil's Fluminense 2–0, while PSG crushed Real Madrid 4–0. In the quarterfinals, the Londoners edged past Palmeiras 2–1, while the French giants beat Bayern Munich 2–0. On paper and in terms of performance, Luis Enrique’s side were the undisputed favorites, and the vast majority of football experts and fans were expecting yet another triumph from PSG, who had recently claimed the Champions League title with a dominant 5–0 win over Inter Milan in the final. Honestly, had something similar occurred in this final of the 21st FIFA Club World Cup, no one would have been surprised.

But everything turned out the other way around.

After hammering three unanswered goals past PSG in the first half alone, Chelsea claimed their second FIFA Club World Cup title in history. The Blues first became world champions back in 2021, narrowly beating Palmeiras 2–1 in extra time. What’s more, with this win Chelsea managed to equal their head-to-head record with PSG – now both clubs have three wins from 11 encounters. Notably, two of Chelsea's three victories came with a 3–0 scoreline.

Throughout seven matches in the tournament, Enzo Maresca’s men earned $120 million, including $40 million for winning the final.

But beyond the massive prize money, what else made this edition one of the most memorable FIFA Club World Cups ever? Without a doubt – the star-studded cast.

Fans got to witness some long-lost legends: Thiago Silva (Fluminense), Sergio Ramos (Monterrey), and Ángel Di María (Benfica). And they also bid farewell to two icons who played their final club matches: Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich) and Luka Modrić (Real Madrid). Moreover, after a long break, the world had the chance to once again admire the magical play of the “football alien” Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), who, even at 38, displayed otherworldly footballing skills.

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer was named the tournament’s best player, while goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, also of Chelsea, took the Best Goalkeeper award. Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Torres finished as the top scorer of the FIFA Club World Cup, netting four goals in six matches – all from open play. Four goals were also scored by Benfica’s Ángel Di María (all from penalties), Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (one penalty), and Al Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo (all from open play).

It’s worth noting that Torres also contributed an assist in the match against Pachuca (3–1), which helped him edge out his rivals for the top scorer award.

And now the most remarkable stat: Chelsea have become the first team in football history to win every major club trophy. The Blues have triumphed in the English Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League — and now, finally, the FIFA Club World Cup.

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