Chelsea defender Levi Colwill views the club`s recent triumph in the inaugural, revamped Club World Cup as a significant indicator of their potential to challenge for major honours, including the Premier League title, in the upcoming season.
The 22-year-old centre-back was a near-constant presence throughout Chelsea`s successful campaign in the tournament, featuring in five of their six matches, including the decisive 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Speaking after the final, Colwill expressed unwavering confidence that this international success is merely a stepping stone towards domestic and European dominance. “I said at the start of this tournament that our plan is to win it and people looked at me as if I was crazy,” he recalled. “So I`m going to say the exact same thing now going into the Premier League and Champions League.”
He characterised the dominant performance in the final as a “statement victory,” suggesting that consistent trophy accumulation in the future will ultimately earn the team the recognition he believes they deserve. “In the future, if we keep winning trophies then everyone will give us the love that we deserve,” he stated, acknowledging, “But we’ll only know that in the future. I think we’re ready and we’ll see next season.”
Colwill holds a strong belief in the long-term significance of the competition Chelsea just won. Echoing sentiments from within the club, he stated, “In the future, I think this will be the biggest tournament in the world.” When posed the direct question of whether it could surpass the Champions League, he confidently replied, “I reckon in the future, yes. And I’ve won it.” Winning the very first edition, he added, carries immense weight: “We were the first team to ever win it. That’s huge.”
Reflecting on the tournament experience, Colwill highlighted the intensity and the unique opportunity to face diverse international opposition in front of passionate crowds. “Playing games every four or five days, it`s been amazing. Playing with sold-out stadiums, playing against teams that you’d never had the chance to play against. I’ve really enjoyed it,” he commented, adding with a touch of honest reflection, “I might just be saying that because we’re winners now, but I have to be honest, it’s been good.”
The final against PSG saw Chelsea deliver a commanding performance, particularly in a rampant first half where they netted three goals. Cole Palmer struck twice in quick succession, followed swiftly by a third goal from new signing João Pedro just before the interval, leaving the Parisian side reeling.
For the Chelsea faithful, the victory provides definitive “bragging rights on every other club in the world,” Colwill noted. He proudly stated that the club, historically, has now secured every major trophy available. “As a club, we’ve won everything. That’s something to be proud about.” On a personal level, this trophy marks his second of the season, a significant achievement that he hopes the team can build upon to secure many more.
Despite suggestions from some quarters that Chelsea were the underdogs heading into the final (a label perhaps met with an eyebrow raise from within the Chelsea camp), Colwill insisted the team harboured no fear. He articulated the core of the club`s identity: “Being Chelsea is having the identity that you are going to win every game.” He concluded by praising the team`s execution against PSG: “That’s what we have done today. We knew how good they were, so we gave them our respect. But like I said, we’re Chelsea. We go into every game knowing or thinking that we have got a chance to win. That’s what we have done today, and the boys were amazing.” This win, for Colwill, is not just a trophy; it`s a declaration of intent for what`s to come.
