The curtain will fall on the first edition of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup on Sunday as European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Chelsea in a high-profile final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with US President Donald Trump among the expected attendees.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, speaking from Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, described the 32-team tournament as the beginning of “the golden era of club football” and claimed it had already become the most successful club competition in the world.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged that PSG are “probably the best team in the world right now,” as the French side aim to complete a historic clean sweep of trophies. Luis Enrique’s squad has already secured the French league and cup double and claimed their first-ever UEFA Champions League title with a commanding 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in May.

PSG have maintained that dominant form throughout the Club World Cup, netting four goals each against Atletico Madrid and Inter Miami in the group stage, eliminating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, and thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals.

“This has been a fantastic season, and we want to finish it in the best possible way,” Luis Enrique told reporters on Friday.

Despite PSG`s status as strong favourites, Chelsea remain confident. The London side, fresh from finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the UEFA Conference League, are ready for the challenge.

“They’re one of the hottest teams in the world right now, but this is a final — anything can happen,” said Chelsea captain Reece James. “We’ve been favourites before and lost, so I don’t care that people are backing them.”

Chelsea are hoping midfielder Moises Caicedo will recover in time from an ankle injury sustained during their semi-final win over Fluminense.

The final kicks off at 3:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) at the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium, which will also host the 2026 World Cup final. Concerns have been raised about the extreme heat and the demanding match calendar — this will be PSG’s 65th game of the season, and Chelsea’s 64th.

Nevertheless, the financial incentives are immense. Both PSG and Chelsea are set to earn over $100 million in prize money, with the exact amount to be confirmed after the final. The windfall is especially welcome for Chelsea, recently fined by UEFA for financial rule breaches.

The next edition of the expanded Club World Cup is scheduled for 2029.