Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher delivers five-word verdict: Why Chelsea’s 2025 FIFA Club World Cup win over PSG means less than you think
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has cast doubt over the significance of Chelsea’s recent 2025 FIFA Club World Cup victory, despite the Blues delivering one of the most stunning performances of their season to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Speaking after the match, Carragher suggested that while Chelsea fans have every reason to celebrate, the tournament’s overall value is not as high as it appears, offering a five-word reality check that has stirred debate across the soccer world.
The final, played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, was supposed to be another routine win for PSG. The French champions had stormed past Bayern Munich with nine men and demolished Real Madrid 4-0 on the way to the showdown. But Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea stunned them with a blistering start, racing to a 3-0 lead inside 45 minutes thanks to two superb goals from Cole Palmer and another strike from Joao Pedro.
The Blues’ game plan was clear from the outset: aggressive pressing, man-to-man marking, and targeting the French outfit’s vulnerable left flank. Maresca revealed after the match: “The idea was go man-to-man because if you leave spaces to PSG they will kill you, so we tried to be very aggressive and suffocate them early on… that intensity was crucial in the first 10 minutes.”
The tactic worked to perfection. Nuno Mendes endured a torrid time on PSG’s left side as Palmer and Pedro repeatedly combined to break through. The win was historic for the Premier League side — its first FIFA Club World Cup title since 2022, and their second major trophy of the season after lifting the UEFA Conference League in May. It capped a season in which they became the youngest squad at the tournament with no player over 27.
What did Jamie Carragher say?
But while Chelsea’s players and fans celebrate, Carragher hasn’t bought into the hype. Speaking on The Overlap YouTube channel, the former Liverpool defender delivered his verdict: “It’s not a proper competition. How can you be Champions of the World if the Champions of England, Spain, and Italy weren’t even in it?”
The 47-year-old argued that despite Chelsea beating the Champions League winners in the final, the absence of clubs like Liverpool, Barcelona, and Napoli — the reigning champions of their domestic leagues — undermines the legitimacy of the title. In his view, the format of the tournament doesn’t reflect a true global championship. He even went further, suggesting that the club’s European ambitions remain in doubt: “In my point of view, Chelsea can’t go to the Knockout Stage of Champions League.”