Who’s having a better month than Chelsea’s Cole Palmer? Perhaps no one, and here’s why

It’s really good to be Cole Palmer at the moment.

After scoring a pair of goals to lift Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup, Palmer who also was named Man of the Match in that tournament, was honored in his father’s hometown of St. Kitts and Nevis, presented with the nation’s jersey. It was reported as Palmer’s first time visiting the tiny Caribbean nation, but his reception was grand.

Speaking of reception, it’s said Palmer has moved higher up the Ballon d’Or rankings, the award given to the best male player in the world following his Club World Cup performance. In fact, it’s said that despite his star power it was his inconsistency during the last season that pushed him lower on the list, but that’s all been squashed after his run in the tournament, specifically his brace that fueled Chelsea’s 3-0 rout of Paris St.-Germain.

In it’s Ballon d’Or player rankings, Palmer has entered the chat at +2000 to win the title. It’s ahead of a number of notable names on the list, but a strong start to the upcoming English Premier League season could see Palmer move into serious consideration for the crown.

Palmer might have left the States but recently while on a panel he noted what his favorite — and least favorite — American cuisine was. He noted surprisingly that Chick Fil-A was on his list. However, he thought that black beans here in America were considerably worse than beans in the United Kingdom.

So what’s next for Palmer? Well, looking to piggyback off the team’s success spearheaded by their man of few words, according to the New York Times, Chelsea is hoping to use their Club World Cup run to make their brand more popular here in the States.

This line from the article was particularly striking: “The 23-year-old’s match winning performance against favorites Paris Saint-Germain where he scored two goals in a 3-0 win, cemented his status as the Premier League club’s most important player on and off the pitch.”

It’s a reality that is coming true almost in real time. Palmer was a well-known commodity before the Club World Cup, sure, but its hard to deny his performance in a tournament that got better as it went on has turned him into a bona fide superstar.