Facing PSG in Club World Cup final will be the perfect test for this young Chelsea side | OneFootball

Chelsea will play PSG in the final of the Club World Cup on Sunday, and the game will be a perfect test of their current level.

The Blues have had a fine season, but it is difficult to know where to place them among Europe’s elite. They won the Europa Conference League but the toughest team they faced were Real Betis, and although they have reached the final of the Club World Cup, their most difficult opponent has been Benfica.

Under Enzo Maresca they have not yet faced one of Europe’s best – outside of the top Premier League clubs – so this will be a good indicator for the Italian of where his side are at.

And the final could not come much tougher. Not only are PSG one of Europe’s elite, they are by far and away the best side in the world. There is plenty of evidence to back that up, including the 5-0 Champions League final win over Inter Milan, the 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Club World Cup, and a two-legged victory over Premier League champions Liverpool earlier this season.

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Luis Enrique is building a dynasty in Paris, and they look unbeatable. Led by Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Bradley Barcola, they score goals at will and have humiliated some of the best teams in the world.

Chelsea’s record against the ‘big six’ sides in the Premier League was respectable without being remarkable in 2024/25, with the Blues picking up 14 points from the 10 games. They won four, drew two and lost four of those.

They lost both games to Manchester City, won one and lost one against Liverpool, and drew one and lost one against Arsenal. Those sides finished in the top three positions last campaign.

The very mixed set of results is probably a fair barometer of where Chelsea were at last season. However, winning the Conference League, securing Champions League football, reaching the final of the Club World Cup, and signing top players like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro seems to have brought a new confidence and swagger to the squad.

They will go into the final with belief, and even if it is misplaced, they will at least have lessons to learn after the full-time whistle is blown. PSG will be favourites, and should get the win, but Maresca will be hoping his side give a strong account of themselves.

They will face much tougher opposition next season than they did in the one just gone, and even if Sunday is to be a baptism of fire, they can recover from their burns.