Palmer has been instrumental in Chelsea’s best work during his two seasons at Stamford Bridge. He was instrumental in the domestic run-in as we secured Champions League football for 2025/26. He was instrumental in the Conference League final, providing a pair of brilliant assists to turn things around against Real Betis. And he was instrumental in the Club World Cup showpiece on Sunday, stroking in our first two goals and then laying on the third as we tore PSG to shreds.

His standing as one of the world’s elite footballers has been long secured, but on a pitch littered with many of the game’s most talented attacking players, Palmer stood tall above the rest at the MetLife Stadium.

Palmer's five goal involvements at the Club World Cup was a joint-high tournament figure

Palmer’s performance in New Jersey crowned a fantastic few weeks stateside for him and the team. Taking what he called the ‘iconic’ number ten shirt on the eve of the tournament, Palmer showcased all the attributes associated with the best to have worn that number, including childhood heroes Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.

Following two relatively quiet group stage appearances against Los Angeles and Flamengo, the 23-year-old burst into life in the knockouts.

Palmer recorded game-high figures for shots, shots on targets and dribbles in the 4-1 extra-time win over Benfica. One of his three key passes ended in a goal scored by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Palmer backed up that showing with a wonderfully taken effort against Palmeiras in the quarters. Collecting an incisive Trevoh Chalobah pass, he glided past two defenders before rolling the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. It was the type of goal we have seen him score so many times before - and would again before the tournament was out!

While it was Joao Pedro who stole the show in the semi-final, there was no doubt Palmer was the pick of the bunch against Champions League winners PSG. Considering the quality of Chelsea displays all over the park, that is saying something.

His Player of the Match performance had guaranteed Chelsea the prestigious new trophy, and him the Golden Ball, decided by the FIFA Technical Study Group.

Palmer’s brace and incisive through ball for Joao Pedro meant he finished the Club World Cup with five goal involvements. That was a joint-high figure in the tournament, alongside Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia (4 goals/1 assist) and Michael Olise of Bayern Munich (3 goals/2 assists).

Palmer also ranked joint-top for chances created in open play (11) over the four weeks. He shone in several other metrics, too: total shots (second with 21), carries ending in a shot (second with nine), chances created (joint second with 12), and all progressive carries (fifth with 58).

A carry is defined by Opta as a player moving the ball five metres or more. A progressive carry is a specific type of carry where the ball is moved at least five meters closer to the opponent's goal than at any point in the last six passes, or into the opposition's half.

It was from an inside right position that Palmer proved so threatening against Paris, drifting between the lines to create overloads with Malo Gusto and Joao Pedro. As the touch map below shows, it was that area of the pitch where he spent the most time with the ball during the Club World Cup, as devised by Enzo Maresca.

'The gaffer put together a great game plan,' Palmer said after the final.

‘He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible, so I had to repay him by scoring the goals.’

And how Palmer rewarded Maresca and the entire global Chelsea family! No wonder our golden boy was given the Golden Ball. Palmer had an individual accolade in his hands. Again.

Standout Cole Palmer Club World Cup stats