Paris St-Germain entered the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final as the leading candidate after a series of impressive performances. Coach Luis Enrique's team won 2-0 against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and 4-0 against Real Madrid in the semi-finals. These are matches that if the group were to leave, could have become a final.
Inter Miami struggled, Bayern Munich struggled, Real Madrid failed and Chelsea seemed to be the next victim of PSG. But after only 22 minutes of the final, the situation has reversed in the favor of The Blues.
PSG, a team that was once proud of the importance of defense and the need for adaptability, collapsed before Chelsea's attacks. Cole Palmer swung three of PSG's defenders in the box to open the scoring, then overcame Lucas Beraldo to score a second goal.
PSG's defense has not conceded a goal in the tournament since Botafogo scored on June 19 in the group stage match. However, their slow reaction and lazy play put them in a difficult position from the start against Chelsea.
The passing lines were inaccurate, the defensive position was unstable, and overall, Enrique's smooth operation machine continuously had problems. Joao Neves' late red card for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair has summed up PSG's disappointment, when a great tournament was ruined by their poor performance in the final.
Is PSG still the best team in the world? Perhaps so, even after they lost to Chelsea in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final. But the defeat in New Jersey proved that Enrique's Champions League side were not perfect, despite their excellent run into the final.
The absence of Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez in defence shows that when PSG's best players cannot play, their reserve options are no longer as good as before. Without Pacho and Hernandez, PSG have to rely on Beraldo. And the 21-year-old is the weakest link in their defense.
This was also a day when Desire Doue failed to show his usual form. The winger had a great chance to open the scoring for PSG in the first half, but unfortunately missed the ball when he tried to pass to Achraf Hakimi.
Don't confuse, PSG are an invincible team at their best, and few people dare to believe Chelsea can beat them. But their loss shows that perfection is not yet in the hands of Enrique's team. PSG still have a lot to improve.
"Not only when you win is when you do well. What we have done this season is something we have never done before. I have been with this team for many years, and this is the time when we have the best ability to compete.
Of course, we want to bring this trophy home, but that does not erase what we have done this season," said PSG captain Marquinhos after the final match.
