EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The stage seemed set for Paris Saint-Germain’s coronation, adding the Club World Cup title to the Champions League crown they finally claimed in May.

Instead, the team that has complained more than any other about the heat at this World Cup froze the reigning kings of Europe out.

Led by two brilliant goals and an assist from playmaker Cole Palmer, Chelsea unleashed a first-half barrage that flattened the European champions in a 3-0 rout at MetLife Stadium.

Both of Palmer’s goals came off similar moves. On the first, in the 22nd minute, Malo Gusto charged down the right wing, fed Palmer at the top of the 18-yard box, and Palmer cut left to line up a low strike past Gianluigi Donnarumma. On the second, in the 30th, Palmer made the run from the right himself, cut left, and uncorked another pinpoint finish.

PSG looked utterly shocked. Their trademark high-press had barely been able to get in gear, while Chelsea’s defense was staunch enough to hold the favorites to just one shot up to then.

Palmer delivered his assist in the 43rd, slipping forward João Pedro through with a pass that split PSG’s centerbacks. Pedro, who joined the Blues from fellow English Premier League club Brighton midway through the Club World Cup (and debuted in the quarterfinal Philadelphia hosted), promptly cashed in his third goal of the tournament.

At that point, even the Chelsea-clad majority in the full house of 81,118 couldn’t believe what it was seeing.

From there, Chelsea’s defense took control. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez made a string of big saves and clutch catches, ending the day with six total stops; and left back Marc Cucurella was an imperious presence wherever he moved.

By the time PSG manager Luis Enrique made a triple substitution in the 75th minute, his team had mustered just six shots to Chelsea’s nine, and the game was all but done. Not even Chelsea manager (and complainer-in-chief) Enzo Maresca could object this time.

“We are very happy — we have been very happy since we arrived here,” Maresca said after the game. “At the same time, some things happened that are not normal, as we said. But I always said that we were proud to be here, and we were proud to play in this competition.”

The action was capped off in the 85th with the ejection of Paris’ João Neves for grabbing at Cucurella’s grandiose hair. Referee Alireza Faghani didn’t initially see the foul because it was behind the play, but the video review officials did and quickly summoned Faghani to the monitor. The rest was easy.

A brawl broke out at the final whistle, with Donnaruma at the middle of it. After Enrique joined the fray, both men shoved Pedro and he promptly went to the ground.

An equally notable scene came right after the fracas was settled. Maresca ran with his players over to the Chelsea fans’ end of the stadium, shouting and pumping his fists along the way. For all he had complained up to then, he sure looked happy to be there.

“Club World Cup champion is something that we have to be proud of,” Maresca said. “We are very happy especially against PSG. … I consider them the best team in the world, with one of the best mangers in the world, and fantastic players. It is a top, top achievement.”

President Donald Trump was among the dignitaries on hand, in a suite with his wife Melania Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and his wife. Trump was booed when shown on the big screens, and booed loudly when he walked onto the field and to the podium to present the trophies. Though music played loudly on the speakers, the crowd noise was audible.

Trump was joined by dignitaries including FIFA president Infantino, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and Chelsea’s American chairman Todd Boehly. The Maryland native is also a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers.

Trump ended up standing next to Chelsea’s Reece James during the trophy lift, and even putting his hand on James’ shoulder as the Blues’ captain was about to do the honors. Boehly was well off to one side and Infantino a few steps off to another.

Perhaps realizing the awkwardness of the moment, Infantino walked back to Trump while James had the trophy in the air, and appeared to convince Trump to move to the rear of the podium. That got them out of the players’ way, and let them have the moment they earned.

The fact that a team from London topped a team from Paris in a stadium down the road from New York will make a lot of people happy: at FIFA, in Chelsea’s suites, and perhaps even the Premier League’s offices. They’re more accustomed to running summer tournaments in the U.S. themselves, instead of FIFA doing it and cashing the profits.

But they’ll all get a piece of this pie, and so will the many American TV networks that show Chelsea’s games. TNT had the Club World Cup; Comcast-owned NBC pays billions for the Premier League; CBS has the Champions League and England’s League Cup; and ESPN has the historic FA Cup.

For all that’s new about this Club World Cup, in its first 32-team edition and its first time in the United States, there’s nothing new about a Premier League club winning an international soccer title. And there’s certainly nothing new about the English crowing over it.

Expect that to happen plenty now that Chelsea have claimed this title, their first Club World Cup crown since 2021.

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