Chelsea were clear underdogs before the FIFA Club World Cup final. Cole Palmer didn't seem to mind, and the pressure of a global stage didn't slow him down.
Palmer rang up two goals and one assist in a sensational first half and Chelsea toppled Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup on Sunday.
The 23-year-old winger scored in the 22nd and 30th minutes and Joao Pedro tacked on the third goal right before halftime, capitalizing on Palmer's fine touch into the box. Robert Sanchez, meanwhile, saved six shots in his best showing of the tournament.
"Obviously, everyone doubted us before the game," Palmer said. "We knew that, but to go out there and put a fight out like we did, obviously against a great team, yeah, it was good."
Chelsea, who won the 2021 Club World Cup that featured only eight teams, battled past Portugal's Benfica and Brazilian sides Palmeiras and Fluminense in the knockouts to face Paris Saint-Germain -- six weeks removed from their first UEFA Champions League trophy.
The European champions had allowed just one goal in their first six matches of the Cup. But on Sunday, PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma saved just two of five shots on goal.
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The frustrated Parisians went down to 10 men in the 85th minute when Joao Neves pulled Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella by the hair, was caught on video review and shown red.
Altercations spilled past the final whistle, and PSG coach Luis Enrique appeared to grab at Pedro's neck while he and Donnarumma confronted Chelsea players.
"This was completely avoidable at the end," Enrique said in translated remarks. "My goal was always to separate footballers, there was a lot of tension and pressure, there was a whole bunch of pushing that we should all try to avoid. My intention is to avoid it getting worse."
The final capped the end of a month-long tournament with 32 teams representing six continents, a test run for the United States before it co-hosts next year's World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
President Donald Trump attended the final as a guest of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Trump presented Chelsea the trophy and stayed on stage to celebrate with the club.
In his first year as manager, Enzo Maresca guided the Blues to a 2025-26 Champions League berth and won two trophies, the Club World Cup following their victory in the UEFA Conference League.
"I'm especially happy for the players, because just one year ago when I came to the club, I said since the first press conference ... We said many times that talent is not enough," Maresca said. "We need sacrifice, we need readiness, we need a game plan with all the players (facing) the same way. The success is because of them."
Cucurella made a crucial stop to keep the game scoreless in the 16th minute. Fabian Ruiz made a great pass across the box to Desire Doue, who could have shot it but instead tried a centering pass to a teammate that Cucurella intercepted.
Six minutes later, Palmer -- whose first attempt barely missed wide left in the eighth -- got the scoring started.
Malo Gusto picked up a wayward header from PSG's Nuno Mendes and ran into the box. After a fancy dribble to create space, his shot was blocked right back to his feet, so he fed Palmer for a left-footer to the bottom left corner.
Levi Colwill earned the assist on the second goal for his long ball downfield to Palmer. From there, Palmer calmly dribbled toward the center of the 18-yard line and fired the same low, left-footer for an identical goal.
In the 43rd, Palmer tapped a pass between two defenders for Pedro, who popped his shot over a sprawling Donnarumma's right shoulder.
Sanchez dove to meet Neves' stoppage-time header just before the goal line. His heroics continued in the second half, as he swatted away a shot by Ousmane Dembele from close range.
Palmer was named Player of the Tournament. His three goals and two assists, tied for the most goal contributions of any player, all came during the knockout stage.
Speaking to broadcaster DAZN postgame, Palmer praised Maresca's game plan for giving him opportunities and said he had to "repay" the manager by scoring some goals.
"He's building something special, something important," Palmer said. "We're a young team. ... I feel like we're going in the right direction."
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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