Paris St-Germain stormed into the FIFA Club World Cup final with a commanding 4-0 victory over Real Madrid at the MetLife Stadium, setting up a mouth-watering clash against Chelsea. The match was effectively over within the first 24 minutes as the reigning Champions League winners unleashed a devastating attacking display.
The French side opened the scoring in the sixth minute after a costly mistake from Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio. Following a foul by Thibaut Courtois on Ousmane Dembele that the referee allowed to play on, Fabian Ruiz capitalized by tapping the ball into an open net.
Only three minutes later, Dembele turned from creator to scorer. He took advantage of a miskick from Antonio Rudiger, racing through to slot the ball past Courtois with composure. The relentless pressure continued as PSG carved through Real’s defense with a superb passing move. Achraf Hakimi linked up brilliantly with Dembele down the right, before squaring for Ruiz to calmly notch his second and PSG’s third goal of the night.
Real Madrid struggled to create meaningful chances and appeared overwhelmed by PSG’s pace, movement, and pressing. The absence of injured full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold left a noticeable gap on the right flank, one that PSG exploited repeatedly. As the Spanish side attempted to regroup, Goncalo Ramos came off the bench to add a fourth late in the game, capping a dominant performance for the French champions.
While PSG were unstoppable, much attention turned to one player watching from the sidelines: Kylian Mbappe. The French superstar, who joined Madrid a year ago on a free transfer, was present to witness his former club outperform his current side in every department. Despite an impressive individual campaign with 48 goal contributions for Real Madrid, Mbappe ends the season without silverware, while his former club are on the verge of claiming their fourth trophy of 2025.
PSG’s transformation under Luis Enrique has been extraordinary. The team has become more fluid, compact, and devastatingly effective. In recent months, they’ve crushed top European sides including Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich, and now Real Madrid. Their unbeaten knockout run continues, having scored 18 unanswered goals in their last five matches across all competitions.
Standout performers were abundant for PSG. Ruiz, with two well-taken goals, controlled the midfield alongside his energetic partners. Dembele was electric on the wing, causing chaos with his direct runs and quick link-ups. Hakimi also shone, blending defensive discipline with creative surges forward.
On the other side, the night marked the end of an era for Luka Modric. The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder made his 597th and final appearance for Real Madrid before moving to AC Milan. His send-off, though poignant, was overshadowed by the one-sided nature of the defeat.
PSG now turn their focus to Chelsea in Sunday’s final in New Jersey. A week later, they will meet Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup, starting their 2025-26 campaign against another London opponent. Real Madrid, meanwhile, will regroup before opening their La Liga season—though they are seeking to delay that fixture to extend their rest period.
