Chelsea secured their first FIFA Club World Cup title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in New Jersey on Sunday night, which was followed by wild celebrations.
Cole Palmer delivered a masterclass performance, scoring twice in the first half and providing the assist for Joao Pedro's third goal, cementing himself as a true star of the modern game.
The 23-year-old midfielder's two strikes were almost identical, both curled into the bottom corner after cutting inside from the right.
His exceptional display earned him the tournament's Golden Ball award as player of the competition.
Palmer's first goal came after 22 minutes when Malo Gusto's initial effort was blocked, allowing the England international to curl home.
Cole Palmer scored twice followed by his trademark celebration as he led Chelsea to victory
Reuters
Eight minutes later, he repeated the feat with another precise finish into the same corner of Gigi Donnarumma's net.
The celebrations continued long into the night as Chelsea's squad returned to their New York hotel, where hundreds of supporters had gathered to welcome the newly crowned world champions.
Palmer emerged from the team bus still wearing his match shirt and medal, clutching his Golden Ball trophy whilst roaring at fans and gesturing for them to make more noise.
At the private party that followed, midfielder Moises Caicedo took centre stage with a karaoke performance, sporting sunglasses and a t-shirt emblazoned with "world champions" and the number 25.
The festivities attracted a special guest in NFL legend Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl winner who had watched the final from the MetLife Stadium.
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Cole Palmer celebrating with the fans upon arrival at the hotel. 💙💙💙💙
— CFC Pics (@Mohxmmad) July 14, 2025
pic.twitter.com/oQkBy3VZS0
Brady, now a minority owner of Birmingham City, posed for photographs with several Chelsea players including Enzo Fernandez and new signing Dario Essugo during the celebrations.
The emotional impact of the triumph was evident across social media as players shared their joy.
Fernandez posted a photograph with Brady on Instagram, labelling the NFL icon as the "GOAT", whilst another post proclaimed "CHELSEA !!! CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD".
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Recent £60million signing Joao Pedro, who scored twice in the semi-finals before netting in the final, expressed his delight in the dressing room.
"What can I say, this is Chelsea," he said when told he'd gone from holiday to world champion. "This is why I came, to win trophies, I said before, now I need to enjoy."
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall asked "What are we?" alongside world and trophy emojis, whilst Levi Colwill posted "Winners win" and was photographed biting his medal.
Chelsea's tactical approach proved devastatingly effective against the European champions.
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Enzo Fernandez posted a photo alongside the NFL legend Tom BradyInstagramRobert Sanchez's long diagonal ball led to the opening goal, with Malo Gusto's initial effort blocked before Palmer struck.
The goalkeeper produced several crucial saves, denying Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Vitinha to preserve the clean sheet.
Palmer's third contribution came just before half-time when he carried the ball from near halfway and slipped through a perfectly weighted pass, and Joao Pedro finished with composure, dinking the ball over Donnarumma.
The French champions lost their composure at full-time, with confrontations erupting on the pitch and Joao Neves receiving a red card after grabbing Marc Cucurella's hair.
The trophy presentation ceremony took an unusual turn when US President Donald Trump, who had been watching from his box at the MetLife Stadium, remained at the centre of proceedings.
Trump was met with boos from sections of the crowd when he appeared for the presentation.
Rather than stepping aside after handing over the trophy, Trump lingered on the podium during what should have been Chelsea's moment.
The players eventually pushed in front of him to claim their rightful place at the centre of the celebrations.
Captain Reece James finally lifted the Tiffany trophy - a large gold coin with Chelsea's name engraved alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino's - as fireworks exploded and "Blue is the Colour" rang around the stadium.