Cole Palmer (23, Chelsea) received high praise, being compared to 'God of Soccer' Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami).
Palmer's Chelsea defeated Real Betis 4-1 in the final of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) held in Wrocław, Poland, on the 29th (Korean time).
In particular, Palmer, who played 87 minutes as an attacking midfielder, contributed to the comeback victory with precise crosses, assisting Enzo Fernández's equalizer in the 65th minute and Nicolas Jackson's go-ahead goal in the 70th minute after trailing 0-1.
Palmer received the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his two assists in the match.
With this, Chelsea, where Palmer played, became the first club to win all five major UEFA competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Cup Winners' Cup, Super Cup).
Joe Cole, who played for the England national team and Chelsea, praised Palmer through 'TNT Sports,' saying, "He played like a genius on the field. It is a privilege to watch him play soccer. Not just Chelsea fans, but all England fans should enjoy it."
Cole added, "If Messi had shown this kind of performance on such a stage, the whole world would have stopped," and noted, "Chelsea and England should build the team around this player."
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer also analyzed through 'BBC Radio 5 Live' that "the team balance was not right in the first half, but after Reece James, Levi Colwill, and Jadon Sancho came on, Palmer's play changed."
He continued, "Palmer led the game and showed an incredibly mature side," and gave a high evaluation of Palmer, stating, "He dominated the second half and led the team."
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