Club World Cup roundtable: Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain to become inaugural winners, but was the tournament a success?
Published 14/07/2025 at 16:59 GMT+1
Chelsea beat UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium in New York to become the first victors of the revamped Club World Cup. Cole Palmer scored twice and Joao Pedro added a third to see Chelsea to victory. So, upon the conclusion of the tournament, we chatted to our friends on the continent to determine whether the Club World Cup was a success.
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Video credit: SNTV
Chelsea beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium in New York to become the first winners of the revamped Club World Cup.
Blues talisman Cole Palmer netted twice and created a third for Joao Pedro as Chelsea dispatched tournament favourites PSG.
The French outfit had been swatting aside all-comers this term, demolishing Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League final, before beating Bayern Munich with nine men and breezing past Real Madrid 4-0 to make it to Sunday’s final.
But Chelsea flipped the script, overran the Ligue 1 outfit to be crowned world champions, and put a bow on the first 32-team Club World Cup.
So, upon the conclusion of the tournament, we chatted to our friends on the continent to determine whether the Club World Cup was a success, understand if it made an impact in their respective countries, and find out if Chelsea are perceived to be worthy winners.
Germany - Club World Cup cannot keep up with Europe
Overall, what are your thoughts on this version of the Club World Cup? Do you think it has been a success or a failure?
For football fans, it was a nice pastime in the summer slump. However, the standard, especially in the group matches, was manageable, and spectator interest was sometimes shamefully low.
It was only when South American teams played that there was a spark. Compared to the Champions League and the national leagues, especially in Europe, the Club World Cup cannot keep up.
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Video credit: SNTV
Did it make much of an impact among football fans in your country?
Clear answer: no. Around 1.5 million people watched the final on free-to-air TV in Germany, while 3.5 million watched the group match between France and the Netherlands in the women's Euro, which took place at the same time. The Club World Cup did not generate the slightest bit of enthusiasm in Germany - unlike a World Cup or European Championship.
What changes would you make to the next edition in four years?
The Club World Cup should only take place in countries with a great enthusiasm for soccer. I would also reduce the number of participants to 16 or a maximum of 24 teams instead of 32.
The strain on the players is getting bigger and bigger, so the standard inevitably suffers. A Club World Cup should also be an opportunity for young players.
My suggestion is that in every game, two or three players under the age of 21 from the club's own youth team should be in the starting 11.
What did you make of Chelsea's performances in the tournament? Were you surprised by how they played, particularly in the final? A worthy world champion?
Chelsea had a relatively easy route to the final, but that's not The Blues' fault. Chelsea did their job and dominated PSG in the final thanks to Enzo Maresca's outstanding game plan.
Nobody expected Chelsea to beat PSG, but they deserved the title because they put in by far their best performance in the most important game.
Thomas Gaber, Eurosport Germany
Spain - Partly a success, partly a failure
Overall, what are your thoughts on this version of the Club World Cup? Do you think it has been a success or a failure?
The Club World Cup has been an attractive tournament to watch for the neutral spectator. However, from my point of view, some teams were completely uncompetitive.
At the beginning, it felt more like a summer friendly tournament than a real World Cup. As the tournament progressed, it became more interesting and the games improved.
Overall, I think it has been partly a success and partly a failure. Hosting it in a country like the US, where football culture isn’t that strong, led to near-empty stadiums at the start. It’s a sign that the next World Cup might face the same issue, but I hope that changes and attendance improves.
Did it make much of an impact among football fans in your country?
In Spain, there was a lot of criticism about how the tournament was set up. I mean, it makes sense to consider the coefficient over a four-year period if the competition is held every four years.
However, many people missed Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, who won both the league and the cup, and had a solid Champions League campaign, despite being knocked out in the semi-finals.
For many fans, it didn’t make sense to see teams like Al-Ahly or Auckland City there, while one of the most in-form teams of the season was left out.
Also, the match schedules during the early rounds didn’t help, making it harder for fans to really get into what, on paper, could have been a very attractive competition.
What changes would you make to the next edition in four years?
For me, the most important thing is that it should be held in a country where football is the main sport. That way, more fans would attend matches that aren’t as high-profile or involve teams they wouldn’t normally get the chance to see live.
Ticket prices dropped significantly as the tournament went on, because FIFA realised that, at the original prices, they weren’t going to get the attendance they had hoped for in the stadiums.
I think the tournament format itself is good - from the group stage to the single-elimination knockout rounds - and I believe the next edition will be much better.
What did you make of Chelsea's performances in the tournament? Were you surprised by how they played, particularly in the final? A worthy world champion?
From the start of the tournament, Chelsea were not really seen as one of the favourites to win the Club World Cup. However, as the competition went on, they looked more complete and harder to beat.
Enzo Maresca has managed to turn his team into a very solid unit, especially from midfield onwards. Even though their defence was quite weak compared to the rest of the team, he found a way to compensate for it and read every game well enough to compete with any opponent - even against Luis Enrique’s strong PSG side.
I’ve been following the Premier League all season and have watched Chelsea quite a lot. Honestly, I was surprised when they beat Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis, because I thought the nerves of a final might get to The Blues.
But yesterday, just watching the first few minutes, the way they pressed made it clear they had prepared the match really well. They completely neutralised PSG, who also helped a bit by missing some clear chances.
Calling Chelsea a "worthy world champion" might have sounded bold before the final - nobody really expected them to win - not even them. But after the performance they gave yesterday, the answer is yes.
Yago Hernández Balanzategui, Eurosport Spain
Italy - It will never have the same standing as the World Cup
Overall, what are your thoughts on this version of the Club World Cup? Do you think it has been a success or a failure?
We think that it’s an interesting concept because all the world can watch and discover teams from every continent. But we think that playing in June won’t help the tournament’s future success. It’s also difficult to find another period.
Finally, this version of the Club World Cup is exciting, but it will never have the same meaning and publicity of the World Cup for national teams.
Did it make much of an impact amongst football fans in your country?
We think that supporters of Inter and Juventus watched every one of their club’s matches but we don’t think it had a strong impact. From the quarter-finals onwards, without Italian teams and with Wimbledon, only a few fans would watch other matches.
What changes would you make to the next edition in four years?
We wouldn’t change the composition. We think that it is a unique concept to have a Club World Cup.
Maybe, it could be interesting played in December during the domestic season like the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, so that teams are in better shape.
What did you make of Chelsea's performances in the tournament? Were you surprised by how they played, particularly in the final? A worthy world champion?
We think that Chelsea winning the competition isn’t a surprise because it played an extraordinary Premier League 2024/2025 and are a team that can only grow.
In a competition with a maximum of seven matches, Chelsea could always surprise a few, and in the final they met a PSG side having a bad day.
Emanuele Dest, Eurosport Italy
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France - Chelsea absolutely deserved it
Overall, what are your thoughts on this version of the Club World Cup? Do you think it has been a success or a failure?
In general, at the beginning, because of the big sequence of games this season, the support for this competition was not high.
But PSG's performances influenced people in France to watch it. For the final, there were 4 million viewers, showing the competition was finally a success.
Did it make much of an impact among football fans in your country?
At the start of the competition, the French football fans were quite critical of the competition. But they then went on to watch PSG's bigger games [Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Chelsea]. The audience was high, even if it was less important than the Champions League final [around 11 million viewers].
What changes would you make to the next edition in four years?
The number of teams was high this year. And the European domestic season was so intensive so it was difficult to add new teams.
On the other hand, it was important to include clubs from other continents - Africa, South America, Asia. So, I wouldn’t change anything for the next edition.
What did you make of Chelsea's performances in the tournament? Were you surprised by how they played, particularly in the final? A worthy world champion?
Chelsea improved as the tournament went on. The Blues weren’t favourites against PSG but they played so well tactically, in particular during the first half. They played very fast, and with efficiency, to get in behind PSG's defence. They absolutely deserved it.
UK - Infantino's probably happy
Overall, what are your thoughts on this version of the Club World Cup? Do you think it has been a success or a failure?
The degree to which the Club World Cup was a success or a failure is dependent on who you ask. If you’re FIFA president Gianni Infantino you’re probably quite happy. The tournament displayed enough of the good of football - a moment of [Lionel] Messi magic, raucous South American support, a major upset [Al Hilal 4-3 Man City] - to make a case for itself as a staple of the football calendar moving forward.
It also encountered some problems.
Empty seats in stadiums are never a good look. They gave some of the group games the feel of a glorified pre-season friendly - Emirates Cup, anyone?
The poor pitches and heat also contributed to a relatively low standard of football when compared to the frenetic, high-stakes intensity of a latter-stage Champions League tie.
I also predict the Club World Cup to pick up negative press come the midpoint of the new domestic European season, when the teams that were involved inevitably suffer drastic dips in form on account of their players having played non-stop for 18 months.
Oh, and Bayern Munich’s 10-0 battering of Auckland City on day two probably didn’t help enhance the tournament’s credibility.
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Did it make much of an impact amongst football fans in your country?
The fact an English team won the tournament will likely help elevate the Club World Cup’s status in the UK. Chelsea fans chanting ‘champions of the world’ in away ends across the country for the next four years will provide the tournament with the type of free press money can't buy.
However, the Club World Cup made little impact when compared to the traction a mere Premier League weekend or Champions League game-week make.
What changes would you make to the next edition in four years?
Doing the utmost to have full stadiums will positively affect the product. You want an atmosphere, and FIFA will need to market and price the next tournament so it’s more appealing to match-going fans.
Again, if it’s going to compete with the Champions League and liken itself to something as prestigious as the World Cup proper, pitches also need to be pristine.
Moreover, I appreciate I'm starting to sound like my dad, but I could also do without player walkouts and a half-time show. Fans create atmosphere, not light shows.
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What did you make of Chelsea's performances in the tournament? Were you surprised by how they played, particularly in the final? A worthy world champion?
Absolutely. Irrespective of their easier route to the final, Chelsea went toe-to-toe with the best team in Europe in the final and roundly beat them.
I have been among many to have been critical of The Blues’ transfer policy since Clearlake Capital’s takeover in 2022, but they are starting to look like a well-balanced team under Enzo Maresca, while in Cole Palmer they have a bona fide superstar.
I was surprised, not only that they beat PSG, but also the manner in which they beat them. It could be a big win for Chelsea’s confidence moving forward, with it proving that their young squad are worthy of a place at Europe’s top table.
Chris Byfield, TNT Sports
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