Club kings wanted!
Strap: All roads lead to Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final — where only one club rules the world
Blurb: Sunday’s showdown is about more than just silverware on American soil. With both teams already banking over $100 million in prize money, the winner will walk away with an additional $10 million.
Byline: Rakesh Ganesh
After weeks of pulsating football and fierce competition, the FIFA Club World Cup is down to its final two gladiators. In what promises to be a blockbuster showdown, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are set to collide in a London vs Paris finale — a clash not just of cities, but of footballing philosophies and star-studded legacies.
At stake? Global bragging rights and the honour of wearing FIFA’s coveted golden badge across the chest, a mark of world dominance for the next four years. With FIFA planning to cement this tournament as a pillar of elite club football, the significance of Sunday’s final could not be greater. Let’s dive into what awaits.
The final hurdle
One last match. One last chance for glory. The 2025 Club World Cup is about to reach its climax, and on July 13. From 32 hopefuls to just two titans, the journey has been unforgiving. On Tuesday, Chelsea overcame a stylistic chess match against South American champions Fluminense.
A day later, Paris Saint-Germain outclassed Real Madrid in a heavyweight all-European thriller. Now, only one obstacle remains for each, a final 90 minutes that will etch a new chapter into football history.
PSG’s dream run
It’s no exaggeration. There was no drama, no comeback, no contest. PSG didn’t just beat Real Madrid — they obliterated them. On a surreal Wednesday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the Parisians delivered a statement of dominance, dismantling the Spanish giants 4-0 in a semi-final that looked more like a training session.
“We’re in a special season, a special moment and we deserved this,” Luis Enrique said post-match, already casting his eyes towards Sunday’s final against Chelsea. PSG began their Club World Cup journey by swatting aside Atletico Madrid with four goals. Now, after eviscerating their cross-country rivals, the Parisians stand tall as the team to beat.
Unstoppable, untouchable, and playing the most scintillating football on the planet in 2025. From top to bottom, this PSG side has been a symphony of pace, precision, and power. Ligue 1? Dominated. Champions League? Conquered with a jaw-dropping 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the final.
In midfield, Vitinha and João Neves run like machines, relentless in both vision and volume. Out wide, Mendes and Hakimi are full-backs in name only, in truth, they’re wide forwards disguised in defensive shirts. And then there’s Désiré Doué, gliding through space like a mythological figure, as if guided by the wind itself. This isn’t just PSG’s golden era. It might be football’s.
Chelsea’s tightrope walk
Chelsea’s journey through the Club World Cup has been a slow burn, gathering steam with each round. Cole Palmer has grown into the heart of the side, and the timely brilliance of João Pedro has only sharpened their edge. The Blues have had a relatively smooth passage to the final, bar a spirited quarterfinal clash with Palmeiras and dispatched Fluminense in the semifinals with composed authority.
That win didn’t just seal their place in Sunday’s final; it also granted them an extra day’s rest over PSG, a minor edge that might prove pivotal against a side in red-hot form. “We are very happy. We are very proud to play the final on Sunday. This is the Club World Cup—the first edition. The best clubs in the world are here. To be part of this is something we must be proud of,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, soaking in the scale of the occasion.
For Maresca and Chelsea, the stakes couldn’t be clearer. A win would make them the first English club to lift the Club World Cup twice, following their 2021 triumph over Palmeiras. But history has a funny way of evening things out. A loss would also mark them as the first team to fall in two finals, having tasted heartbreak in 2012 against Corinthians.
PSG, by contrast, stand at the dawn of new glory. This is their maiden appearance in the competition, and a win would not only secure their first world title, but crown a near-perfect season in which they’ve won everything they’ve played for, four trophies and counting.
Stakes are high
Sunday’s showdown is about more than just silverware on American soil. With both teams already banking over $100 million in prize money, the winner will walk away with an additional $10 million. In an age where financial fair play looms large and wage bills spiral upwards, that sum is far from symbolic.
Head-to-head, there’s little to separate them – eight meetings, three PSG wins, two for Chelsea, and three draws. Everything points to a razor-thin final. And as for what it will mean? Only time will tell. When Uruguay lifted the first World Cup in 1930, or Real Madrid conquered the inaugural European Cup in 1955, no one truly knew the weight of what had been set in motion. But in sport, as in history, it’s the victors whose names are etched in eternity.