“I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

That was Andros Townsend’s verdict — and he wasn’t alone.

Paris Saint-Germain had looked untouchable all season: an early Ligue 1 title, a Champions League final demolition of Inter Milan, a nine-man victory over Bayern Munich, and a 4-0 masterclass against Real Madrid at this Club World Cup.

A Chelsea win in the final? Few saw it coming.

But even before Coldplay’s halftime show lit up the MetLife Stadium, Cole Palmer had struck twice and set up Joao Pedro for a third. By the break, it was 3-0. By full-time, it still was.

“I’ve never seen PSG give the ball away this much in a half,” said Townsend. “Credit to Chelsea — they hunted relentlessly in this New York heat.”

Gareth Bale summed it up simply: “PSG have been PSG’d.”

Palmer has become Chelsea’s barometer. When he plays well, they tend to win — and after a patchy spell as a central No.10, his return to the right flank in this tournament has reignited his form.

Manager Enzo Maresca revealed the plan was to unsettle PSG from the start.

“We won the game in the first 10 minutes,” he said. “We went man-for-man to suffocate them. If you give PSG space, they kill you.”

Chelsea’s intent was clear. The press was high, aggressive and calculated. And once control was established, they repeatedly attacked PSG’s left side — with Palmer and Joao Pedro combining to torment Nuno Mendes.

“We had a lot of success down that side,” Maresca said. “It all came down to the effort of the players.”

“It was a tactical masterclass,” added Townsend. “Chelsea stretched PSG like no one has done all season.”

This Club World Cup may still be carving out its prestige, but there’s no downplaying the significance: Chelsea are world champions — and they’ll wear the badge to prove it.

The win also comes with financial rewards, worth up to £90m in prize money.

“Bragging rights for the next four years,” said Townsend. “Nobody can argue with that.”

There were scuffles at full-time, with PSG players clearly rattled, and Maresca stepping in to calm tensions. The passion was real — and so was Chelsea’s joy.

“This is as big as the Champions League,” said Maresca. “It’s the best teams in the world. I’ve won the Champions League with Man City — this means just as much.”

Palmer added: “Everyone doubted us. That made this even sweeter.”

Chelsea’s Todd Boehly-era spending has been ridiculed at times — nearly £1.5bn, long contracts, wild turnover. Gary Neville once called them “billion-pound bottle-jobs”.

But this season tells a different story.

The Conference League trophy was followed by this Club World Cup triumph. They had the youngest squad in the tournament — no player over 27. The project is starting to look coherent.

Wales legend Gareth Bale believes they’re close to competing domestically too.

“They’re not far off,” he said. “They were title contenders last autumn. They’ll learn from the dip and come back stronger.”

Chelsea co-owner Boehly embraced Maresca on the podium — a sign of faith in a manager who has already delivered two trophies.

“There’s a sense of calm about the club now,” said BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella. “It feels like a real reset.”

He highlighted several standout performers: Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez among the world’s best midfielders, Marc Cucurella potentially the top left-back in Europe, and a growing core of young talent in Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto and Andrey Santos.

Joao Pedro ended the tournament with three goals in three games. New arrivals Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens are already turning heads. And Palmeiras starlet Estevao Willian joins up in August.

This might not just be a statement win — it could be a sign of things to come.