Cole Palmer said he took immense satisfaction in proving doubters wrong after his man-of-the-match performance inspired Chelsea to a stunning 3-0 victory over Paris St-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday.
The England international scored two goals and created another in a sensational first-half display, dismantling the reigning European champions and securing a world title for his club.
“It’s a great feeling,” Palmer said after the match, visibly relishing the victory. “Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it’s good.”
Palmer, who was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, was the architect of PSG’s downfall. He opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a cool, left-footed finish before doubling Chelsea’s lead just eight minutes later with a near-identical strike. He then capped his dominant performance by setting up new signing João Pedro for Chelsea’s third goal in the 43rd minute.
The performance was a powerful response from a player who has faced scrutiny this season. After a mid-season dip in form, Palmer has been instrumental in Chelsea’s late-season resurgence, which has now culminated in two major trophies.
“I like finals. It’s happened again,” he told DAZN, referencing his decisive performance in the Conference League final in May.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised his star player’s contribution within the team’s aggressive game plan, which successfully suffocated the French champions. “Today we found a position for him where there was more space to attack,” Maresca said. “Obviously Cole played really well but the effort from all the players was fantastic.”
For Palmer, it was a night where his talent shone on the biggest stage, emphatically silencing any questions about his or his team’s ability to compete with the world’s elite.
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