Cole Palmer (23, Chelsea) generated buzz with a somewhat rough interview after leading his team to the top of the 2025 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Club World Cup. However, fans were thrilled with Palmer's honesty.
Palmer scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist in the final match held on the 14th (Korea time) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, helping to overwhelmingly defeat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-0.
With Palmer's performance, Chelsea became the first club to win the newly expanded Club World Cup featuring 32 participating teams. Chelsea collected a massive prize of $40 million (about 55.1 billion won), totalling $129.5 million (about 178.3 billion won) from the final victory.
In particular, Chelsea not only secured its second tournament victory since 2021 but also finished the season with a double (two championships), including the UEFA Conference League (UECL) title. Expectations for the next season under head coach Enzo Maresca have increased.
On the 15th, according to British media TalkSport, Palmer expressed his victory feelings in an interview with DAZN after the match, saying, "Of course, I feel good," and added, "It makes me feel even better because I knew everyone doubted us before the game." He further remarked, "But the performance we showed against such a strong team is... really good."
Before the match, most experts believed Chelsea would be significantly outmatched by PSG. PSG's rise was that intimidating. They were aiming for a quintuple as they had already won the Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophée des Champions.
In comparison, Chelsea looked weaker. Finishing 4th in the Premier League, Chelsea even faced a crisis in the group stage of the tournament by losing 1-3 to Flamengo (Brazil). It had been a challenging season for head coach Maresca, who faced criticism throughout.
When asked about "what coach Maresca is building at Chelsea," Palmer provided a somewhat rough response. He emphasized, "The coach is creating something special. Something important. It's also a young team."
He continued, "Throughout this season, everyone has been saying all sorts of X-like things about us, but it seems like we are doing well."
DAZN apologized for the profanity that slipped out during Palmer's interview. However, Chelsea fans expressed that they appreciated Palmer's candid comments.
The media supported Palmer, saying things like, "Is there a better interview than this?", "Never change. It was the best interview", "Palmer, I love you", and "This is your world, Cole."
Palmer made a total of 52 appearances this season, scoring 18 goals and providing 14 assists. He has also been selected for the England national team and has now become an undisputed ace for Chelsea.
On this day, Palmer scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute and a second goal in the 30th minute. He also assisted João Pedro for the final goal in the 43rd minute, effectively putting on a one-man show.
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