Not long ago, Chelsea were the club everyone loved to mock.
Critics saw them as a big-spending circus—throwing fortunes at teenagers, tying them down with decade-long deals, and hoping something would click.
It didn’t help when they lost the 2024 Carabao Cup final to Liverpool.
The online commentary was brutal. Pundits, fans, and even rival clubs laughed at how chaotic things had become under their new ownership.
But here we are, just a few months later, and the story has dramatically flipped.
Chelsea are one win away from being crowned Club World Cup champions—a victory that would not only silence the critics but might just force football’s elite to start taking them seriously again.
Rewriting the Narrative, One Trophy at a Time
Let’s rewind a bit. Chelsea wrapped up their Premier League campaign in fourth place with the youngest squad ever fielded in the league’s history.
Not too shabby for a team supposedly in “rebuild mode.”
Under new manager Enzo Maresca, they also bagged the first trophy of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital era—the UEFA Conference League.
Now, they’ve clawed their way through a punishing 64-game season to make it to the final of the revamped 32-team Club World Cup.
Their opponent? A red-hot Paris Saint-Germain side, fresh off hammering Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-final.
Regardless of the result, Chelsea will pocket over £80 million from the tournament.
And if they manage to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night, they’ll be able to ask a pretty simple question to all those who doubted them: “Who’s laughing now?”
The Most Expensive Squad Ever Assembled
Back in March, UEFA reported that Chelsea’s squad was the most expensive in history, costing a jaw-dropping £1.39 billion to assemble.
That price tag became a punchline for critics.
But if they win this final, it could be seen as a long-term investment finally starting to pay off.
Win or lose, Chelsea are showing signs that their controversial, youth-first strategy might not be as ridiculous as it once seemed.
And if they do win, they’ll get the honour of wearing FIFA’s “World Champions” badge on their shirts for the next four years.
PSG Bring the Firepower, But Chelsea Bring Belief
Make no mistake, Luis Enrique’s PSG are formidable.
They’re fast, fearless, and at times feel like they’re playing a different sport altogether. But Chelsea aren’t intimidated.
A senior staffer at the club pointed out that “nobody thought we’d win in 2021 either”—a nod to their Champions League triumph over Manchester City, the win that got them into this World Cup in the first place.
Marc Cucurella: From Booed to Beloved
Chelsea’s left-back Marc Cucurella is the perfect example of how quickly fortunes can change.
Just last year, he was being booed by his own fans. Now? He’s become so good that rival fans are the ones giving him grief.
When Mail Sport caught up with him at Chelsea’s swanky New York hotel, Cucurella wasn’t nervous.
He was laughing in the lobby, soaking in the atmosphere. When asked how it felt to go from being mocked to being feared, he chuckled, “They don’t leave me alone! But it’s good.
It means they’re going to lose.”
He added confidently, “They have good players. We have good players.
It’s 50/50. We’ve had a good season—Champions League secured, Conference League won. This is the next step.”
Superstition and Showdowns
Earlier this week, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and PSG’s Ousmane Dembele were involved in a FIFA photoshoot atop the Rockefeller Center.
Both refused to touch the trophy—nobody wanted to jinx it.
But there’s a strong chance one of them will be lifting it come Sunday.
Cucurella knows all too well how dangerous Dembele can be.
He calls the PSG winger the toughest opponent he’s ever faced. But he’s also got a strong track record against him.
He’s already shut Dembele down twice—once in the Euro 2024 semi-final (which Spain won 2-1), and again in the Nations League final, where Cucurella even has a photo towering over Dembele like Ali over Liston.
Chelsea’s Game Plan? Stick to Their Guns
PSG are arguably the best pressing team in world football right now.
But Chelsea have no plans to ditch their style of playing out from the back. They believe in their system.
Just like they’ve believed in their broader strategy off the pitch—despite being mocked for it relentlessly on social media.
If they stick to that identity and come out on top, Sunday night won’t just be about lifting silverware.
It’ll be a huge statement. A declaration that Chelsea’s plan—flawed or not—is finally coming together.
One Match Away From a Massive Comeback Story
So here we are. Chelsea vs. PSG. Club World Cup final.
After all the criticism, chaos, and costly experiments, Chelsea are on the verge of doing something massive.
They’re not just playing for a trophy. They’re playing for vindication—a chance to turn the sneers into nods of respect.
And if they win, the next time someone mocks their plan, they might just smile and flash that shiny World Champions badge.