Cole Palmer stuns interviewer by revealing what he did on plane when flying to Club World Cup with Chelsea

Cole Palmer has finally revealed why he wears a face mask while travelling on planes after he was spotted arriving at the Club World Cup sporting one.

Palmer, 23, started Chelsea’s 2-0 win against LAFC on Monday and will likely feature again when Enzo Maresca’s side takes on Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday evening.

But ahead of the Premier League side’s opening game, fans feared that Palmer was ill due to him being spotted wearing a face mask while disembarking a plane in the US.

Chelsea head coach Maresca was pressed on the matter, to which he replied: “To be honest, I saw him on the flight with the mask, but I didn’t ask.

“I think, probably, because he was a little bit… to be honest, I don’t know if it was even for a joke, I don’t know.

“He is okay. He did a session two or three days in a row with us, and he is okay.”

But there’s finally an explanation.

Palmer spoke to reporters on Thursday and gave his reasons for wearing a mask, and Chelsea fans will be pleased to learn that it has nothing to do with him feeling under the weather.

"It weren't a joke, I just don't like the smell of planes," Palmer said. "So that's why I wear a mask.

"When I travel, I feel like the smells and that, I just don't like them.

"Stuff like (the air-conditioning), so that's why I wear masks, not anything else."

In another interview with Chelsea.com, the England international opened up about his connection with Brazil ahead of the fixture with Flamengo.

“My uncle lives in Brazil, and he messaged me yesterday that they’re one of the biggest teams in the country,” Palmer explained.

Cole Palmer explains why he was pictured wearing a mask on the flight over to the Club World Cup:

“I don’t like the smell of planes!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/gHl3q49f8R

— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) June 19, 2025

“It’s all they’re talking about, so I expect it to be a good game. My uncle has lived there for 10 years, and he has messaged me saying, ‘Please score!’”

When asked about how he deals with the fame and pressure he has experienced in recent years, Palmer added: “Most of the time, you just try to ignore it.

“I still do the same things now to deal with it that I did before I came to Chelsea. I just think that it’s just a game of footy – it’s not life or death. I like to go and play five-a-side or go to the astro, I just like to do normal things to take my mind off it.”