Palmer scored two goals for Chelsea in the 23rd and 30th minutes of the final on July 13th. He then provided an assist to Joao Pedro in the 43rd minute, sealing a 3-0 victory.
L'Equipe, France's leading football newspaper, is known for its stringent standards. However, after Palmer's exceptional and decisive performance, they awarded him a 9. Robert Sanchez, Chelsea's goalkeeper with six crucial saves, and Malo Gusto, the right-back who neutralized Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes, both received an 8.
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Cole Palmer takes a shot, opening the scoring in Chelsea's 3-0 victory over PSG in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA on 13/7. Photo: AFP
The lowest score for Chelsea, a 5, went to left-back Marc Cucurella. Joao Pedro, Reece James, and Moises Caicedo received a 7, while Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Levi Colwill, and Trevor Chalobah each received a 6.
L'Equipe did not hide their disappointment with their fellow French team, PSG, giving their highest rating, a 5, to right-back Achraf Hakimi. Stars who had previously performed well, such as Kvaratskhelia, Mendes, Ousmane Dembele, Joao Neves, and Lucas Beraldo, received a 2, the lowest score of the match.
Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, and Desire Doue received a 3. Marquinhos and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma fared slightly better but still received below-average scores of 4.
PSG's coach, Luis Enrique, received a 3, while his counterpart, Enzo Maresca, shone with a 9.
Key moments of the Club World Cup final, Chelsea 3-0 PSG.
The Club World Cup final result was considered a shock. After dominant victories against Inter (5-0), Atletico (4-0), Bayern (2-0), and Real Madrid (4-0), PSG faltered just as they were about to claim the title. Conversely, Chelsea's journey was reminiscent of an "ugly duckling transforming into a swan." Their path to the final did not involve facing any title contenders, and they even lost to Flamengo (1-3). However, despite being underestimated, Chelsea surprised everyone with a series of quick attacks that knocked down the top contender in the first half.
FIFA awarded the Golden Ball to Palmer. The Silver Ball went to Vitinha, and Caicedo won the Bronze Ball. Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia was the top scorer with 4 goals.
Thanh Quy (L'Equipe)
