EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Chelsea FC coach Enzo Maresca is certainly happy about leading his side to the FIFA Club World Cup final against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Captain Reece James – the only player remaining from Chelsea’s Champions League title in 2020-21, playing in this Club World Cup – isn’t satisfied with just making it this far.
Even as Chelsea enters as a steep underdog in the matchup with PSG on Sunday, July 13, at MetLife Stadium.
“They are one of the hottest teams in the world at the moment. But this is a final, a one-off game. Everyone has them down as strong favorites,” James said during a prematch press conference at the stadium on Friday, July 11.
“I don’t really care, to be honest. Everyone is bigging up our opposition. We’re preparing right, and we’re going to win.”
Well, everyone is “bigging up” Paris Saint-Germain for good reason. They’re not just considered the European champions. They’re considered the best club in the world.
PSG has won the French league, the French Cup, the French Super Cup and won their first Champions League title with a 5-0 victory against Inter Milan on May 31.
They’ve dominated through the Club World Cup, too – outside of a hiccup in the group stage, a 1-0 loss to Brazilian side Botafogo that didn’t do much but give them a brief wake-up call en route to the final.
PSG topped Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 in the Round of 16, beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarterfinals, and thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semifinal to reach Sunday’s match. Chelsea’s path saw a 4-1 win against Benfica (Portugal) in the Round of 16, a 2-1 quarterfinal win against Palmeiras (Brazil), and a 2-0 win against Fluminense (Brazil) in the semifinals.
Chelsea was a +450 underdog on Wednesday, July 8, when the final was set. Just two days before it, Chelsea is +400 to win, while PSG is the convincing favorite (-165), according to BETMGM.
“Stats and data. And favorite, not favorite. It doesn’t mean anything to me. It doesn’t mean anything to our team. It makes other people happy,” James said. “It’s two great, young sides, playing against each other on the biggest stage. I believe we’re going to go toe to toe.”
Added Maresca: “PSG is best team in world … We are here to do our best and try to win the final.”
Win or lose, Chelsea still has plenty to celebrate this season.
Chelsea qualified for next year’s Champions League, ending a three-year absence from tournament, after a fourth-place finish in the Premier League in Maresca’s first year with the club.
Maresca was hired in June 2024 to take over for Mauricio Pochettino (now, the U.S. men’s national team coach), who led Chelsea to a sixth-place finish in the EPL last season.
Maresca said his players feel “proud” and ‘happy” to reach the Club World Cup final in the first edition of this tournament that featured 32 of the best soccer teams globally. He also feels the same way, as his first year as Chelsea coach will end with a chance to win a title.
“I think it’s been a great season. For me, the biggest achievement for this season is exactly one year ago, no one was talking about Chelsea,” Maresca said.
“Now, everyone is talking about Chelsea, the way we play, and the way we win games. This is personally the biggest achievement of the season.”