East Rutherford: Chelsea clinched the FIFA Club World Cup title on Sunday, dominating Paris Saint-Germain with a decisive 3-0 victory. Midfielder Cole Palmer was the undisputed star of the final, scoring two goals and assisting another, a performance that earned him the prestigious Golden Ball award as the tournament's top player.

The trophy presentation saw an unexpected presence as U.S. President Donald Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the stand, participating in the medal and trophy ceremony. Palmer expressed a degree of confusion at Trump's presence, remarking, "I knew it was going to be here, I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused." Reports indicate Trump also received a medal from Infantino.

Palmer, 23, demonstrated his exceptional form throughout the tournament. Beyond his brace in the final against PSG, he assisted twice in Chelsea's 5-2 Europa Conference League win over Real Betis on May 28 and netted the Blues' first goal in their 2-1 quarterfinal Club World Cup victory against Palmeiras. His rising profile is further highlighted by his inclusion in a major Nike campaign alongside global football stars like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Vinícius Júnior, with his image displayed on billboards in prominent locations.

In the final match, Palmer's left-footed goals in the 22nd and 30th minutes, both from just inside the penalty area, ended PSG's impressive streak of 436 minutes without conceding. He then set up João Pedro for Chelsea's third goal in the 43rd minute with a well-placed through pass. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca credited the team's strong start to their pre-game strategy, aiming to exploit space on PSG's left flank and set an aggressive tone from the opening whistle. "I think that we won the game in the first 10 minutes because we came out on the pitch to show that we were here to give it our all," Maresca stated. Palmer echoed this sentiment, expressing his satisfaction with the win, especially given that "everyone doubted us before the game."

With inputs from AP