Chelsea will face PSG in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, the first edition with the new format, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, at 2 a.m. on Monday, 14/7.

Iranian-Australian referee Alireza Faghani will officiate the match, with German referee Bastian Dankert overseeing VAR.

Both Chelsea and PSG have won all their matches in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, except against Brazilian clubs. Flamengo defeated Chelsea in the second round of the group stage, and PSG suffered the same fate against Botafogo. However, one of the two teams will see their winning streak end in the final.

PSG's path to the final has been considerably more challenging than Chelsea's. Luis Enrique's team faced top European clubs like Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Chelsea's toughest opponent, theoretically, was Benfica.

Therefore, PSG is considered the favorite, with a 64.4% chance of winning the title, according to Opta. After their 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the semi-final, PSG also climbed to the top of the world rankings according to this statistical firm. Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, and Barca follow in the rankings. Chelsea is currently ranked eighth.

Coach Enzo Maresca, however, believes Chelsea are not underdogs. "Before this tournament, no one mentioned Chelsea's chances," he said in the pre-final press conference. "But the situation has now changed."

Maresca acknowledged that PSG is currently the strongest team in the world. But when a reporter asked about Chelsea's strategy for dealing with PSG's expected dominance of possession in the final, the Italian coach responded, "Who says so?"

Chelsea arguably has a richer history than PSG, with two Champions League titles, two Europa League titles, and one Club World Cup. PSG has won one Champions League and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Chelsea has also won five consecutive finals in international competitions, excluding the UEFA Super Cup. Their last defeat in an international final was against Corinthians in the 2012 Club World Cup final.

PSG has scored 10 goals in the first half of their matches in this tournament, including four against Inter Miami and three against Real Madrid. Chelsea, however, has not conceded a goal in the first half.

Quang Dung - Hoang An