#GenshinImpact
Chelsea: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Champions
Chelsea FC have been crowned the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™ champions after a superb performance by Cole Palmer guided the Premier League side to a resounding final victory over ten-man Paris Saint-Germain.
In a blockbuster final at the MetLife Stadium, Palmer scored twice in an eight-minute spell in the opening half and then set up Joao Pedro just before the break to set up the Blues for a deserved triumph over the European champions.
Luis Enrique's side, who were chasing a quadruple of major trophies during the 2024/25 campaign, were rocked by Chelsea's first-half onslaught and looked a shadow of the team who demolished Real Madrid C.F. in the semi-finals.
The Londoners' devastating performance provided a fitting climax to a hugely successful tournament and cements their status as one of the teams to beat in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League next season.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca made two changes from his side's semi-final victory over Fluminense FC, with Levi Colwill and Reece James coming in for Tosin Adarabioyo and Christopher Nkunku respectively, while Joao Pedro kept his place up front.
These moves paid off, with the Blues looking extremely dangerous from the outset. Palmer showed his intent when he came close to opening the scoring in just the seventh minute with a curling left-footed effort that flew just wide.
PSG soon found their footing and Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella reacted brilliantly to block a dangerous pass across goal by Desire Doue that was directed towards Achraf Hakimi.
But Chelsea continued to push and took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute when Joao Pedro attacked down the right and squared the ball to Palmer, who found the corner of the net in style.
With confidence now soaring, Palmer doubled Chelsea's lead with a copycat effort when he weaved his way forward to the edge of the PSG area and caressed a sublime left-footed effort into the same bottom corner.
The England international then capped an incredible first-half display when he weighted a perfect through ball to Joao Pedro, who chipped the ball neatly over Gianluigi Donnarumma for his third goal in two games.
PSG had no answers for Chelsea's defensive set-up and Liam Delap almost scored twice after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Any hopes of a comeback ended when Joao Neves was sent off six minutes from time for pulling Cucurella's hair as Chelsea held on to seal their place in football history.
Quotes
"It’s a great feeling. The gaffer put a great game plan out. He knew where there would space and tried to free me up as much as possible. I just had to repay him and score some goals. He [Enzo Maresca] is building something special. I feel we’re going in the right direction."
Cole Palmer, Chelsea midfielder
“I have no words for the players. For me, we won the game in the first ten minutes. We set the tempo, we knew the way we wanted to play. Today we found a position for Cole [Palmer[ where there was more space to attack. The effort from all the players has been fantastic.”
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea coach
"It's not just when you win that you do a good job. What we did this season was something we'd never done before. Thirteen years ago in Paris, I'd never competed for titles like this. Of course, we wanted to take this trophy home, but that doesn't erase what we did this season."
Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain defender
Counting Stars
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars
Yeah, we'll be counting stars
I see this life like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
And in my face is flashing signs
Seek it out and ye shall find
Old but I'm not that old
Young but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
On just doing what we're told
I feel something so right doing the wrong thing
And I feel something so wrong doing the right thing
I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be, we'll be counting stars
I feel your love, and I feel it burn
Down this river every turn
Hope is our four-letter word
Make that money, watch it burn
Old, but I'm not that old
Young, but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
On just doing what we're told
And I feel something so wrong doing the right thing
I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie
Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be, we'll be counting stars
Oh, take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be, we'll be counting stars
Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Take that money ,watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned
Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned!
Oklahoma City Thunder: 2024-25 NBA Champions
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.
It was over.
The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.
The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers - who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes - 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”
Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.
Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.
It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.
In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.
“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”
The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.
“Deflated, but proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.
Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers - who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship - had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.
Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.
And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.
The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.
“It really hurts on the one hand,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “On the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.”
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