Super Bowl champ Wilson: I have amazing memories of MetLife

• Wilson was the quarterback of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks that won Super Bowl 48 at MetLife Stadium
• He is now with the New York Giants, who play their home games at the Club World Cup final venue
• The 36-year-old talked about the significance of winning a title in New York New Jersey

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ is poised for a dramatic conclusion, with Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain set to meet in the final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey.

For the first time since the 2016 Copa America Centenario final between Chile and Argentina, a title will be decided at the 15-year-old stadium. But its maiden sports championship contest came back in February 2014 when the home of the National Football League’s New York Giants and New York Jets hosted Super Bowl XLVIII (48).

It was an epic day for the franchise from the USA’s Pacific Northwest, as they dominated the Denver Broncos from start to finish in a 43-8 rout to earn their first Super Bowl title.

The quarterback for the Seahawks that day was Russell Wilson, who now more than a decade later has joined the Giants and will play his home games in the 2025 season at MetLife Stadium.

Just as Chelsea or PSG will raise a trophy into the New York New Jersey air on Sunday afternoon, Wilson was able to hoist the Vincent Lombardi Trophy - the silverware awarded to the Super Bowl winners - in the same arena. More than 11 years later, it remains a cherished part of his career.

“Playing in MetLife, I have some amazing memories here," Wilson said in a press conference after joining the Giants. "Some of my most fond memories of this game that I poured my heart and soul into every day happened right here in MetLife Stadium."

Including that Super Bowl triumph, Wilson has a sparkling 4-0 career playing at MetLife Stadium. There is just something about its imposing steel framework looming on the horizon that brings out the best in him, a sensation that Chelsea and PSG coaches Enzo Maresca and Luis Enrique will hope their players feel on Sunday.

"When I pull up to the stadium, you feel a certain way," added Wilson. "It makes you feel excited.”

At the same time, players from both sides are likely to feel some nerves leading up to the decider. Wilson experienced just as much prior to the Super Bowl, wandering around the stadium in awe and thinking about all the great athletes that had come before.

“I walked these hallways when we won the Super Bowl,” he said. “I remember being in the quarterback room two nights before the game and my old quarterback coach just said, ‘It’s just ball, man. Just be you.’ I just remember that and being in that room, some of the greats having been in that room, like Eli Manning…. There have been a lot of great players on this field. It’s a special place.”