Chelsea's Levi Colwill: Club World Cup will overtake Champions League in importance

Enzo Maresca's side delivered a statement performance in the final, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in New Jersey on Sunday. A brace from Cole Palmer and a debut goal from Joao Pedro secured Chelsea's first global trophy under their new manager.

Speaking after the win, Colwill was full of belief in what this young Chelsea side can achieve.

"I said at the start of this tournament that our plan was to win it, and people looked at me like I was crazy," he told reporters. "So I'm going to say the same thing now going into the Premier League and Champions League - we're ready."

The 21-year-old centre-back, who played a key role in Chelsea's campaign, went even further in his praise for the competition.

"This is the biggest trophy I've ever won," he said. "I think the Club World Cup will be bigger than the Champions League - and we were the first team to win it."

The tournament - newly reformatted to include 32 clubs and held in the United States - has faced criticism over sparse crowds and extreme weather conditions. Yet Colwill insists Chelsea's triumph sends a clear message about the team's direction under Maresca.

"It was a statement victory," he said. "If we keep winning trophies, then everyone will give us the love we deserve. We're ready, and we'll see next season what we can do."

Since Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital group took ownership of Chelsea in 2022, the club's aggressive recruitment of young talent has drawn both scrutiny and intrigue. Now, Colwill believes the pieces are coming together.

"We're a team, and that's the Chelsea identity. You stick together no matter what," he said. "John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba - they set the standard. Now it's our turn to carry it on."

"We've got some of the best young players in the world, and we want to win the biggest trophies for Chelsea. Everyone said PSG were the best team in the world - but we won 3-0."

Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign on August 17 with a London derby against Crystal Palace. If Colwill's confidence is anything to go by, the Blues intend to be in the title conversation from day one.