Chelsea
Chelsea qualified for the tournament as the winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. [17] They entered the tournament having recently won the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, becoming the first club to win all four major European trophies and all three of the current European competitions. [18] They were drawn into group D alongside Flamengo, Los Angeles FC, and Espérance de Tunis. In the opening match, Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC 2–0, with goals coming from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández. [19] Chelsea were defeated 3–1 by Flamengo in the second match, a result that meant Chelsea would at best finish second in the group. [20] In the final game, Chelsea were up against fellow knockout stage hopefuls Espérance de Tunis. Chelsea won 3–0, with goals from Tosin Adarabioyo and Tyrique George, alongside new signing Liam Delap's debut goal. The result secured Chelsea's place in the knockout stage as the second placed team in Group D. [21]
In the round of 16, Chelsea faced Benfica, the winners of Group C. Chelsea gained the lead via a free-kick goal from captain Reece James, before the match was halted due to lightning for nearly two hours. [22] A late Ángel Di María penalty sent the game to extra time, where Chelsea goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saw the Blues come out 4–1 winners. [23] In the quarter-finals, Chelsea faced Palmeiras in a rematch of the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup final, which Chelsea had previously won 2–1. The result would be identical. Cole Palmer opened the scoring with his first goal of the tournament, before Estêvão Willian scored the equalizer in what would be his final appearance for Palmeiras before moving to Chelsea. Chelsea's winner came via an own goal by Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton. [24] In the semi-finals, Chelsea faced another Brazilian side Fluminense, the last remaining non-European team in the tournament. Chelsea won 2–0 with a brace by newly signed and registered João Pedro, a product of the Fluminense academy. [25]
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the tournament via the UEFA ranking pathway as one of the best ranked European teams. They entered the tournament as the reigning European champions, having recently won the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League. They were drawn into group B alongside Atlético Madrid, Botafogo, and Seattle Sounders FC. In the opening match, Paris Saint-Germain beat Atlético Madrid 4–0 with two first half goals from Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha to go along with two late goals from Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in. [26] In the second match, Paris Saint-Germain faced Botafogo, the reigning South American champions. In an extraordinary upset, the South Americans would win 1–0, with the only goal scored by Igor Jesus. [27] In the third game, Paris Saint-Germain faced Seattle Sounders FC at their home stadium, winning 2–0 with goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi. The result secured Paris Saint-Germain's place in the knockout stage as the winner of group B, ahead of both Botafogo and Atlético Madrid — both of which also had six points — on head-to-head goal difference. [28]
In the round of 16, Paris Saint-Germain faced Inter Miami CF, an American team featuring former Paris Saint-Germain player Lionel Messi. Paris Saint-Germain won with a comfortable scoreline of 4–0, with brace from João Neves and a goal from Hakimi to go with a Miami own goal. [29] In the quarter-finals, Paris Saint-Germain faced Bayern Munich in a rematch of the 2020 UEFA Champions League final, which Bayern had won 1–0. This time, Paris Saint-Germain would win 2–0 with goals from Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé. The match also saw Bayern player Jamal Musiala getting seriously injured due to a clash with Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, [30] while two Paris Saint-Germain players — Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández — were sent off and earned two match suspensions each. [31] In the semi-finals, Paris Saint-Germain faced Real Madrid featuring former Paris Saint-Germain player Kylian Mbappe. Once again, Paris Saint-Germain would win comfortably, 4–0, with a brace from Ruiz and a Dembélé goal in the first half to go along with a late Gonçalo Ramos goal. [32]
