Joao Pedro’s magical night in the FIFA Club World Cup final was supposed to be a celebration of Chelsea’s rebirth under Enzo Maresca, but the joy quickly turned sour after a fiery altercation with PSG boss Luis Enrique.
Pedro, who arrived from Brighton in a £60m [$80m] deal earlier this month, capped off a brilliant team move with a delicate chip that sealed Chelsea’s 3–0 win, after two clinical strikes from Cole Palmer had already floored the French champions.
The result not only made Chelsea the first English club to lift the trophy twice but also underlined how far they’ve come in just five weeks in the USA.
The final whistle triggered wild celebrations as Chelsea players hugged and cried, but tempers also flared near the halfway line after Pedro reportedly stepped in to shield teammate Andrey Santos, as several PSG stars approached him.
Moments later, Luis Enrique appeared to lose control and video footage showed the PSG coach charging towards Pedro and seemingly striking him, causing the forward to fall
Speaking after the incident, Pedro downplayed the chaos but hinted at PSG’s frustration.
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“Everyone wants to win. In the end, they lost their heads. We need to enjoy it because we won the tournament. That’s it,”
Tension at the final whistle as Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 to win the #FIFAClubWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Oll9eZekkc
— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) July 13, 2025
What did Luis Enrique say about Joao Pedro row?
Luis Enrique led PSG to a first-ever UEFA Champions League title back in May, but he was left frustrated in pursuit of another major trophy, as his squad now head back to Paris.
The 55-year-old insisted his intent was never violent and claimed he entered the scene to defuse the confrontation.
“What happened at the end of the match was a situation everyone could have avoided. I tried to separate the players, there was tension.
“We should have all prevented the situation from escalating. I have no problem speaking up.
“After the match, there was a lot of tension. Everyone pushed and shoved players, a result of the tension.
“I saw Maresca push players and people pushed him. These are situations we should avoid. What I did was separate the players.”
But Luis Enrique’s explanation may not be enough to get him out of trouble with FIFA, who will review the video evidence that shows him making contact with Pedro, before he fell to the ground.
The governing body has strict rules on manager behaviour during and after games and they will likely launch a formal investigation.
Earlier this year, Ligue 1 boss Paulo Fonseca was given a nine-month ban for confronting a referee, so Luis Enrique could be in a similar or even worse position.
If FIFA deem his actions as violent or provocative, he could be banned from international club competitions or the touchline altogether.
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