Club World Cup: Cash and Glory for Chelsea or Paris

Chelsea vs PSG

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have a chance to pick up a lucrative piece of silverware on Sunday when they meet Luis Enrique’s PSG in the 2025 Club World Cup final.

These have been two of the biggest spending clubs on the planet in recent years, and the winner will pick up a cool $125 million as part of the eye-watering $1 billion total budget. But this is not just about the moolah, as the Blues have a chance to do something that other members of the European football royalty have failed to do recently, which is to beat PSG or even avoid a hammering.     

Enrique’s PSG have, over the past few months, morphed from an underachieving megabucks club to one which is capable of dominating Europe, and now the world.

While Chelsea beat Fluminense 2-0 in the Club World Cup semi-final, PSG swatted Real Madrid away with a 4-0 beating, and that less than two months after Enrique’s team humiliated Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

The Club World Cup 2025 betting odds always had the Parisiens in their sights, and the SBOTOP odds for the final say Chelsea have one big challenge facing them. But they come into this match in fine form, and Maresca’s team might just relish the role of underdogs. 

 

Talking Points

Maresca needs his stars to align 

Chelsea certainly look a better prospect under Maresca than they have for some time. And while they are yet to face one of Europe’s elite, the Blues have earned their final place in some style.

After comfortably navigating Group D, Chelsea whacked Benfica 4-1, beat Palmeiras 2-1, and saw off Fluminense, the conquerors of Inter Milan, with a clinical 2-0 victory in the semi-final. Joao Pedro continued his good start with Chelsea with a brace to make it three for the campaign, and he is sure to start in the final.

It will be interesting to see if Maresca gives advanced midfielder Cole Palmer a rest. The 22-year-old has cut a frustrated figure at times and was not at his best in the second half of last season. He’s a key player for Maresca, but Palmer needs some protection in a brutal fixture schedule.

Another summer recruit, Liam Delap, is back from suspension, and he may well start. Meanwhile, winger Christopher Nkunku, who is the subject of transfer speculation, has been in lively form and should play a part. And the return from injury of full-back Reece James is a boost. He climbed off the bench in the semi-final and will surely start on Sunday.

Maresca needs a near-perfect plan to beat PSG, but he does have the players to do it if they are all on song. 

 

Dembele back for ruthless PSG

PSG’s clash with Real Madrid was another chance for Enrique’s men to show they are European top dogs, and they took it once again with brutal efficiency and no little style. The 4-0 victory followed on from a 2-0 clipping of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and a 4-0 beating of Inter Milan, who must be sick of the sight of the Parisiens.  

And if the omens for Chelsea were already a little grim, the return of star winger Ousmane Dembele is another blow to the Londoners’ hopes. While Fabian Ruiz helped himself to a brace and the breakout star Goncalo Ramos scored his fifth goal of the tournament, Dembele scored the second and looked fit and ready to take his place in the final.

PSG were totally dominant over Los Blancos and were three goals to the good with only 25 minutes on the clock. Unless they get their game plan right from the very first minute, I fear the Club World Cup 2025 highlights may be a tough watch for Blues fans.   

 

History

These two teams have met 10 times over the past two decades and have won three of the encounters each, last facing each other in the 2016 Champions League when the Parisiens came out on top over two legs.

It’s impossible to separate the two clubs in terms of recent form, as both have won five and lost one of the last six, each winning the last four. But you can argue that PSG have already faced some of the biggest teams in world football, while the Blues had a gentler run.     

 

Betting Tip

PSG are hot favourites to pick up another piece of silverware, at odds of 1.55 with Chelsea at 4.34 and the draw is at 3.68. It’s hard to imagine anyone withstanding Enrique’s rampant team at the moment. They were the best side in the Champions League by a mile and have looked head and shoulders above the rest in the USA. 

But you never know in a final. Chelsea are an improving side, and I’m backing a competitive game with plenty of goals. 

   

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