The Club World Cup final is just hours away, and Cole Palmer is more than just ready. “Obviously, we’re confident. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but it’s the final,” he said. Meanwhile, PSG have lived up to the label of ‘favorites’, having beaten Inter Miami, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid with an aggregate scoreline of 10-0. Moreover, they are also slightly ahead of Chelsea as far as head-to-head stats are concerned.

The two teams have faced each other a total of eight times, with Chelsea winning two and PSG winning three. The other three ended in draws. Their most recent encounter was on March 9, 2016, in the last 16 of the Champions League, where PSG took the game 2-1 (4-2 aggregate over two legs). But Palmer seems to be living in the moment. During training camp ahead of the tournament, Palmer wore boots with the match date written on them. It’s a clear sign of the focus and determination the 23-year-old attacking midfielder has going into the Club World Cup final.

This is, however, not the first time Palmer has been spotted wearing customized footwear. In fact, he proudly displays two national flags on his boots—one of England, the country he represents, and the other of St. Kitts and Nevis, the country his father is from. Speaking to The Players’ Tribune back in 2022, the Chelsea star recalled how his father used to say, “No point trying to shoot if you can’t keep hold of the ball in the first place.” Being from St Kitts, his father hated going out in the cold. Yet, he would always be out with his son, helping him hone his skills no matter the weather. “That’s why I got the St Kitts flag on my boots, as a little tribute to him and his family,” Palmer explained.

Growing up, Palmer often found that he was the smallest in the teams that he played for. Naturally, it frustrated him, but his father was wise enough to know that it didn’t really matter how big he was. “You need to be small to learn how to use your skill,” he would say. The advice echoes in Palmer’s mind to this day, when he finds himself dribbling and using his body to keep the ball. And he might have to do that in a few hours’ time, when he steps out onto the pitch against PSG, who have been unstoppable.

Will Cole Palmer’s Chelsea win against PSG in the CWC final?

Luis Enrique’s men have been near perfect in the CWC. Barring that one slip-up against Botafogo, the UEFA Champions League winners have not conceded a single goal in the competition. And it’s not like they have slouched in the final third either. In fact, 4 of their 10 goals in the knock-out stages came against Real Madrid—the team that has had the most success in the competition. Naturally, it’s no surprise that the Opta supercomputer has backed Ousmane Dembele and Co. to lift their maiden Club World Cup trophy, giving them a massive 64.42% edge over the Blues. However, soccer is rarely that simple.

The £55 million summer signing João Pedro is expected to share the load with Cole Palmer in this crucial clash. Pedro already made headlines by scoring against his former team, Fluminense. Then there’s Liam Delap and Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens adding more firepower. Yes, Chelsea haven’t played any top European side other than Benfica in the competition. But they cannot afford to walk into the MetLife Stadium.

“We’re excited. Everyone’s ready. You know, you want to play against the best team, and they probably are the best team in the world, but we’re excited and we’re ready,” Palmer said, per Goal.com. “They do everything well, we’ve watched the games, but we’ve got a plan and we’re going to try and do it.” Well, the game will begin at 3 PM ET in New Jersey. Let’s see who will win.