Emmanuel Petit explains why Club World Cup victory 'would be really important mentally'

Chelsea are preparing for Sunday's FIFA Club World Cup final, which pits the Premier League side against Paris Saint-Germain with global bragging rights and a significant financial payout on the line.

It's a monumental challenge for the Blues, who will face a PSG side that have dismantled European giants Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in this tournament alone, all of which followed their 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the end of May.

The Parisians are rolling, and former Chelsea player Emmanuel Petit believes a victory over Luis Enrique's men would be a massive boost for a Chelsea side still looking to prove themselves among the European elite after a substantial squad overhaul in recent seasons.

For Petit, Chelsea's UEFA Conference League title victory was just the beginning, and now the Londoners must strive to meet a much higher standard.

"Chelsea lifted a trophy last season and they have really improved in the last six months," Petit told ESportBets.com. "The spine of the team is there and they look to be adding quality in the transfer market on the wing and in central defence.

"I think winning the Club World Cup would be really important mentally before the new Premier League season, they have struggled against top clubs and this would prove to them that they can change that.

"The target for Chelsea is to stay in the Champions League and let the young players continue to improve at the highest level, the next step is to prove that these players can beat the top teams."

Watch every match of the 2025 Club World Cup live and free on DAZN.  More information and to sign up for a free account here