Chelsea striker Joao Pedro has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain “lost their heads” in the tense aftermath of Sunday’s Club World Cup final, as emotions boiled over following Chelsea’s commanding 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The Brazilian forward, who scored the Blues’ third goal with a delicate chip just before halftime, was involved in a post-match altercation that included PSG manager Luis Enrique, who appeared on the pitch amid heated confrontations between the two sides.
Addressing the chaotic scenes, Pedro, 23, said:
“I don’t need to talk about them. Everyone wants to win the game and, in the end, I think they lost their heads. But this is football. This has happened. Now we need to enjoy it because we won the tournament, that’s it.”
“I don’t want to talk too much about them,” he added. “You know how it works. Football is this.”
The tensions reached a boiling point late in the game when PSG’s Joao Neves was shown a straight red card for pulling the hair of Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella. That incident appeared to be the spark for further confrontations at the final whistle.
Luis Enrique, speaking after the match, downplayed the confrontation and explained his presence in the middle of the fracas as an attempt to de-escalate tensions.
“Everybody was involved. It was not what was best, and it was the result of the pressure of the match,” said Enrique.
“I have no problem expressing my emotions in a high-pressure environment. It’s very stressful for all of us. My intention was to separate the footballers so the situation didn’t become worse.”
The PSG manager, whose side had been aiming to cap off a successful 2024–25 season, having already secured a domestic treble and Champions League title, acknowledged the intensity of the occasion may have gotten the better of his players and staff.
“I saw [Chelsea manager Enzo] Maresca pushing others as well, and we all had to step in to separate players. I don’t know exactly where that pressure came from, but we must all work to avoid situations like this. That goes without saying.”
Chelsea’s triumph was built on an inspired performance, led by Cole Palmer, who scored twice before Joao Pedro added the third. The win marked a historic moment for the London club as they lifted their second FIFA Club World Cup title, and the first of the tournament’s newly expanded format.
With tensions flaring off the pitch and dominance shown on it, Chelsea now turn their focus to carrying this momentum into the upcoming season, while PSG are left to reflect on what went wrong both in the match and its fiery aftermath.
