Club World Cup: Will PSG or Chelsea win the first-ever edition?

We were all wondering how this first 32-team Club World Cup would unfold. Would the big clubs, exhausted after an increasingly long season, really go all in?

Would PSG manage to refocus, one month after lifting the Champions League — the most prestigious of European competitions? Seeing the final line-up this Sunday at 9 p.m. in New York at the MetLife Stadium, we can safely say the competition has been a success.

The French side will face Chelsea in front of 82,000 spectators. Luis Enrique's men are logical favourites after their brilliant run, but the English haven’t had their final say yet. Here's everything you need to know to place your bets with confidence on Golden Vegas Sport.

*Odds are subject to change. End of the event: July 13 at 9 p.m.

Paris loves its exes

It doesn’t bode well to be a former player of the European champion when facing them. In the Round of 16, Désiré Doué and his teammates demolished Inter Miami (4–0), with Lionel Messi on the opposing side — a reunion for the first time since he left the French capital in the summer of 2023.

In the semi-finals, they didn’t show any more mercy to Kylian Mbappé, handing Real Madrid a similar thrashing. There was no suspense: it was already 3–0 by halftime, thanks to a brace from Fabián Ruiz and a goal from Ousmane Dembélé. Gonçalo Ramos sealed the deal just before stoppage time.

"We feel more relaxed after the win. We deserved it, we played an incredible match despite having top-class players in front of us," said Hakimi. "I think it was a great game. We created chances from the start. It's a beautiful victory. We want to keep making history. It’s been our goal since the beginning," added Luis Enrique.

Having played for PSG between 2015 and 2019, Christopher Nkunku — now at Chelsea — has every reason to be concerned when looking at how former Paris players are being treated. And with PSG’s immense attacking firepower, the threat can come from anywhere. Anyone could be the first to score against the London side. But who will strike first?

*Odds are subject to change. End of the event: July 13 at 9 p.m.

With Joao Pedro, Chelsea still believes

On the other side, the Blues approach this match with no pressure, having ended a four-year trophy drought by winning the Conference League last May. Their previous title dated back to 2021 — and it was a major one: a Champions League trophy lifted against Manchester City (0–1).

Since then, they’ve undergone a change in ownership, sporting crises with multiple coaches dismissed, and finally some stability with the arrival of Enzo Maresca a year ago — who brought silverware immediately. Now they hope to cap off their season in style with the Club World Cup.

In this competition, the British side has had a rather easy run. In the group stage, they faced Los Angeles, Flamengo, and Espérance de Tunis before defeating Benfica, Palmeiras, and Fluminense in the semi-final — thanks to a brace from Joao Pedro. A dream start under his new colours, especially as he was facing his former club.

“It’s a dream for me — scoring twice in my first start couldn’t have gone better. I’m really happy. I was proud to get my first goals, but I know how much this Club World Cup means to Fluminense. I wanted to apologise, but I’m a professional. I play for Chelsea, and they pay me to score goals,” he said.

Donnarumma hasn’t conceded yet in the Club World Cup

But they’ll have to raise their game against PSG, a far more solid opponent than the previous ones. “I’m honestly very happy. I know it’s tough. We finished top 4 in the Premier League, we won the UEFA Conference League, and now we’re in the final of the Club World Cup. It’s amazing. We’re taking it one game at a time and aiming to win the tournament. We’re proud to be performing at this level,” said the coach.

Will they be the first to beat Donnarumma in this tournament?

Odds are subject to change. End of the event: July 13 at 9 p.m.

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