Desailly then moved to the English club Chelsea, where he played centre-back until the end of the 2003-04 season. After Euro 2004, he retired from international football as the all-time leader in appearances for France (116). Desailly's record has since been surpassed by fellow defender Lilian Thuram.

Desailly is considered one of the most accomplished players of the game and one of the best players of the past two decades, having won virtually every major team award. He is currently being mentioned as a possible candidate for the coaching position of Ghana's national team.