As the month of football nobody asked for comes to a close, and despite the impressive performances from teams across the world, we have the final between Champions League winners PSG, and Conference League winners Chelsea. PSG have been non-stop in 2025, eliminating all opposition in their quest for all the silverware, while Chelsea have been a slow burn this season, but ended domestically with a Champions League finish, won the Conference League and have navigated their way to the final on Sunday by battling some of the big names outside of Europe.

The final provides an interesting proposition, with PSG being the dominant force in football recently, but Chelsea look promising and have shown their strength in depth that the squad possesses, while they’ve coped well in various situations in their run to the final.

In this preview of the game to come, we’re going to discuss the pre-tournament transfers that took place, the route to the final for both teams, any notable team news, some players to watch in Sunday’s clash, and make a prediction for how the game could play out and who will be taking home the ridiculous trophy from the FIFA overlord to wrap up this footballing farce.

As always, if you have any thoughts on this specific game or the tournament generally, get in touch with us by leaving a comment, following us on Bluesky (@NextGoalWinner) or Instagram (@NextGoalWin) and check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner).

Transfers

Chelsea completed an instant-impact deal by signing João Pedro from Brighton just before the tournament began, a move that immediately paid off as he featured strongly in the knockout rounds while they have also brought in Liam Delap to bolster their attacking options as they have rotated their new strikers after Nicolas Jackson received a red card earlier in the tournament.

For PSG, there’s been little transfer movement thus far, with rumours circulating over business they could do post-tournament, but nothing of note occurred between the Champions League final and this upcoming game, which means the squad stay as they were throughout their incredibly successful campaign.

Route To The Final

After a nervy start with defeat to Flamengo, Chelsea escaped out of their group and then navigated a favourable side of the bracket. Chelsea beat Benfica, Palmeiras and Fluminense on their way to the final, showing that they’re capable of scoring and grinding out results, but conceded in 4 of their 6 games leading up to this match.

PSG ripped through Europe’s elite in impressive fashion. In the group stage they rebounded from an early slip, losing to Botafogo, to face and demolish Atlético Madrid and Seattle, then comfortably beat Inter Miami in the round of 16, dispatched Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarter-final, and crushed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals. The level of opponent for PSG likely gives them a confidence in the manner of their wins against the European elite clubs which emphasise the quality and ability in the current squad.

Team News

Chelsea have been boosted by João Pedro’s rapid integration and Cole Palmer’s consistently strong form. While Moisés Caicedo had picked up an ankle knock in the semi-final, he is still expected to play a part in the final.

PSG came in as tournament heavyweights, fresh from winning their continental treble (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Champions League). They had several late suspensions and injuries during the tournament, but generally arrive at full strength, with Luis Enrique expecting to field a powerful 4-3-3 setup around stars like Dembélé, Ruiz, Neves, Kvaratskhelia, Doué, Hakimi, and Nuno Mendes

Players To Watch

Chelsea:

Cole Palmer: The creative spark of Maresca’s side, Palmer has been lethal throughout the tournament and is expected to be a key danger man.

João Pedro: A recent signing who has hit form instantly, scoring in every knockout game leading up to the final.

PSG:

Ousmane Dembélé: The offensive engine, brimming with flair and goal threat.

Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: Both youthful energizers who have already made several decisive contributions in PSG’s run to the final.

Prediction

PSG enter as favourites, backed by dominant supporters and continental form with their fluid front line and recent tournament experience possibly giving them the edge. However, Chelsea’s youthful exuberance and tactical discipline under Enzo Maresca make them far from pushovers who have also claimed European silverware in the Conference League, and the addition of Pedro and Delap gives them options in attack.

Given the manner of the knockout rounds, and watching PSG dispatch Bayern and Real Madrid in the same manner as their Champions League final success against Inter, I simply can’t go against them at the moment. They have a strong understanding and cohesion with manager Enrique’s vision, and the threats they post in attack outweigh Chelsea, and I think they will continue their 2025 form into the final and claim a nervy but confident victory.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-3 PSG

Don’t forget, if you have any thoughts on this specific game or the tournament generally, you can get in touch with us by leaving a comment, following us on Bluesky (@NextGoalWinner) or Instagram (@NextGoalWin) and check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner).