Chelsea vs. PSG: Club World Cup Final Combined XI

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·12 juillet 2025

Chelsea vs. PSG: Club World Cup Final Combined XI

Having both won major European trophies at the end of the 2024–25 campaign, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain now have the chance to claim world champion status.

PSG secured their first ever Champions League title in May, before which Chelsea had won the Europa Conference League to cap an encouraging first season under Enzo Maresca. Both sides have flexed their muscles at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup but only one can reign supreme and collect their second piece of silverware in the space of six weeks when they meet in Sunday’s final.

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While the French giants are undoubtedly the favourites to clinch the crown, both European behemoths boast star-studded squads containing some of the world’s best talents. The cream of the crop will be providing the entertainment this weekend.

Here’s a combined starting XI made up of the best players from both clubs.

Chelsea vs. PSG Combined XI (4-3-3)

Enzo Fernández is one of only two Chelsea players in the team. / Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—Given one of Chelsea’s vulnerable areas is the goalkeeper department and PSG boast one of the most in-form and clutch stoppers in the world, it’s hardly surprising that Donnarumma makes the cut.

RB: Achraf Hakimi—Hakimi is the leading right-back in world football at present and his attacking performances are consistently sublime. He’s managed five goals and two assists in his last ten outings for club and country—four of which have come at the Club World Cup.

CB: Marquinhos—The experienced centre back is unflappable and impenetrable. He’s been at the heart of PSG’s watertight defence in the United States, allowing just one goal in six matches, and seems to simply get better with age.

CB: Levi Colwill—Given we’re selecting from available players for the final and Willian Pacho is suspended, Colwill is one of few Chelsea stars capable of making the team. The Englishman is exceptional at his best.

LB: Nuno Mendes—Marc Cucurella’s transformation from expensive flop into cult hero has been impressive but Mendes is on another level to the Spaniard. The PSG left-back is tenacious in one-v-ones and deadly in the final third.

CM: Fabián Ruiz—Ruiz oozes class every time he steps onto the pitch and showcased his talents by bagging twice in PSG’s 4–0 semi-final victory over Real Madrid. He’s a man for the big occasion and is integral to his side’s possession-based style.

CM: Vitinha—Similarly effective in PSG’s engine room is Vitinha, who has blossomed into an elite tempo-setter and playmaker under Luis Enrique. He’s one of the best midfielders in world football at present.

CM: Enzo Fernández—João Neves is an excellent talent but Enzo Fernández is similarly gifted and deserving of a place in this lineup. The Argentine is in much stronger form than clubmate Cole Palmer, who would have made the XI this time last year.

RW: Désiré Doué—After stealing the show in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, could Doué do the same against Chelsea in the Club World Cup’s big match? There’s every possibility he will sink the Blues with his electric speed and quick feet.

ST: Ousmane Dembélé—The prime candidate to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or is the first name on this particular team sheet, with Dembélé in astonishing goalscoring and creative form. None of Chelsea’s gazillion forwards can come close to matching him.

LW: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia—Pedro Neto has been impressive at the Club World Cup but there can be no denying that Kvaratskhelia is the superior player overall. The Georgian’s agility and thunderous right boot make him an undeniable threat.