{"id":232365,"date":"2025-07-13T14:56:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T14:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/match-preview-psg-chelsea-set-for-club-world-cup-final-showdown\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T14:56:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T14:56:10","slug":"match-preview-psg-chelsea-set-for-club-world-cup-final-showdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/match-preview-psg-chelsea-set-for-club-world-cup-final-showdown\/","title":{"rendered":"MATCH PREVIEW: PSG, Chelsea Set For Club World Cup Final Showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>MATCH PREVIEW: PSG, Chelsea Set For Club World Cup Final Showdown<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>The curtain comes down on the first edition of FIFA\u2019s expanded Club World Cup when reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain face Chelsea in Sunday\u2019s final at the MetLife Stadium, with Donald Trump among those set to be in attendance.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is the kind of glamour match-up that FIFA president Gianni Infantino would have been hoping for to wrap up the tournament, which on Saturday he labelled as marking the start of \u201cthe golden era of club football\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca acknowledged ahead of the game that PSG are \u201cprobably in this moment the best team in the world\u201d, and the French side are hoping to cap off the most remarkable of seasons by completing a stunning clean sweep of trophies.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_929528\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-929528\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-929528\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PSG-2.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PSG-2-300x162.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PSG-2.jpg\"\/><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-929528\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PSG-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PSG-2.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PSG-2-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-929528\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paris Saint-Germain\u2019s Brazilian defender #05 Marquinhos lifts the trophy next to his teammates after the <a href=\"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/uefa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UEFA <\/a>Champions League final football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Milan in Munich, southern Germany on May 31, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>PSG won a French league and cup double before claiming the <a href=\"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/uefa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UEFA <\/a>Champions League for the first time in their history with a record-breaking 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final at the end of May.<\/p>\n<p>Luis Enrique\u2019s side have carried that form over into the Club World Cup, putting four goals past Atletico Madrid in the group stage and four more past Lionel Messi\u2019s Inter Miami before defeating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n<p>They then produced a masterclass in a 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the semi-finals on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_928935\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-928935\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-928935\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luis-Enrique-PSG.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luis-Enrique-PSG-300x162.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luis-Enrique-PSG.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-928935\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luis-Enrique-PSG.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luis-Enrique-PSG.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luis-Enrique-PSG-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-928935\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paris-Saint Germain\u2019s players throw up in the air. Paris Saint-Germain\u2019s Spanish head coach, Luis Enrique, as they celebrate after winning the match and the French championship title following the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and SCO Angers at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on April 5, 2025. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been a fantastic season and for us it is very important that we end it in the best possible manner,\u201d Luis Enrique said as he spoke to reporters on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>It would be a shock if Chelsea claimed the trophy against a PSG side led by Ballon d\u2019Or candidate Ousmane Dembele.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Stamford Bridge side came to the United States fresh from finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the <a href=\"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/uefa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UEFA <\/a>Conference League.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_940488\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-940488\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-940488\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea.jpg 1200w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-1024x683.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-940488\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250708__66893NT__v1__MidRes__FblWcClub2025Match61FluminenseChelsea.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-940488\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chelsea\u2019s Spanish goalkeeper #01 Robert Sanchez, Chelsea\u2019s Spanish defender #03 Marc Cucurella, Chelsea\u2019s English defender #04 Tosin Adarabioyo, Chelsea\u2019s English defender #24 Reece James and Fluminense\u2019s Brazilian forward #09 Everaldo eye the <a href=\"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/ball\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ball <\/a>during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil\u2019s Fluminense and England\u2019s Chelsea at the MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 8, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are one of the hottest teams in the world at the moment, but this is the final, a one-off game,\u201d said Chelsea\u2019s Reece James.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone has them down as strong favourites, but I have been in many finals before where we have been favourites and we have not come out on top.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean too much to me, and I don\u2019t really care that everyone is bigging up the opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chelsea were hoping that midfield lynchpin Moises Caicedo would recover in time from a twisted ankle picked up in the semi-final victory over Fluminense on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Heat and huge prize money\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_940479\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-940479\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-940479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Chelsea.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Chelsea.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Chelsea-300x166.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-940479\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chelsea\u2019s Brazilian forward #20 Joao Pedro celebrates with his teammate Chelsea\u2019s Argentinian midfielder #08 Enzo Fernandez after scoring his team\u2019s second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil\u2019s Fluminense and England\u2019s Chelsea at the MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 8, 2025. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The match will be played at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. The home of NFL sides the New York Giants and New York Jets will also be the venue for the 2026 World Cup final.<\/p>\n<p>It goes ahead at 3:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) amid ongoing concerns about the impact of high temperatures during the tournament, with Chelsea\u2019s Enzo Fernandez warning on Friday that playing in the middle of the afternoon was \u201cvery dangerous\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>There are also concerns about the long-term impact on players of the match calendar \u2013 the final will be the 65th game for PSG since their season began last August, and the 64th for Chelsea.<\/p>\n<p>However, the financial rewards for all teams involved in the Club World Cup are enormous, especially for the finalists.<\/p>\n<p>Chelsea and PSG are assured to go home with over $100 million in prize money, with the definitive amount to become clear after the final \u2013 that money will be particularly welcome for Chelsea after they were recently fined by <a href=\"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/uefa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UEFA <\/a>for breaching financial rules.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_904603\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-904603\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-904603\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Donald-Trump-FIFA-Gianni-Infantino-2025-Club-World-Cup-trophy-Oval-Office-White-House__PresidentTrumpEstablishesWhiteHouseTaskForce-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Donald-Trump-FIFA-Gianni-Infantino-2025-Club-World-Cup-trophy-Oval-Office-White-House__PresidentTrumpEstablishesWhiteHouseTaskForce-2.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Donald-Trump-FIFA-Gianni-Infantino-2025-Club-World-Cup-trophy-Oval-Office-White-House__PresidentTrumpEstablishesWhiteHouseTaskForce-2-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-904603\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a0U.S. President Donald Trump and President of F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Gianni Infantino unveil the 2025 Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office at the White House on March 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Infantino, meanwhile, was in a buoyant mood as he spoke to the media at Trump Tower in New York City on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe created something new, something which is here to stay, something which is changing the landscape of club football,\u201d he said of the 32-team tournament, the next edition of which is set to take place in 2029.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is already the most successful club competition in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>AFP<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Chelsea,Club World Cup,PSg<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/2025\/07\/13\/match-preview-psg-chelsea-set-for-club-world-cup-final-showdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MATCH PREVIEW: PSG, Chelsea Set For Club World Cup Final Showdown \u00a0 The curtain comes down on the first edition of FIFA\u2019s expanded Club World Cup when reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain face Chelsea in Sunday\u2019s final at the MetLife Stadium, with Donald Trump among those set to be in attendance. It is the kind [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":232366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[319,202,334],"class_list":["post-232365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-chelsea","tag-club-world-cup","tag-psg"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232365\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}