Pasadena, California – June 15, 2025 – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), fresh off their historic 2024-25 UEFA Champions League triumph, began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign today with a dominant 4-0 victory over Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl.
The European champions, playing their first match since securing their maiden Champions League title with a 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan two weeks prior, showed no signs of a hangover, despite the absence of star forward Ousmane Dembélé due to a quadriceps injury.
PSG took control early, with Fabián Ruiz opening the scoring in the 19th minute. Vitinha doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time (45+1′), putting PSG firmly in command at the break. The second half saw more of the same, with Senny Mayulu adding a third goal in the 87th minute, and Kang-In Lee converting a penalty in the 97th minute to cap off a comprehensive win.
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Atlético Madrid, who qualified for the Club World Cup via UEFA’s ranking pathway, struggled to find their rhythm and create significant opportunities against a disciplined PSG side. Their frustrations were compounded by a disallowed goal in the 60th minute due to a foul by Koke, and a red card for Clement Lenglet in the 78th minute, reducing them to ten men.
Despite Dembélé’s absence, Gonçalo Ramos led the line for PSG, supported by Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The team’s cohesive performance and continued attacking prowess demonstrated why they are considered strong contenders for the Club World Cup title.
This opening victory places PSG in a strong position in their Club World Cup group, which also includes Brazil’s Botafogo and Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders. Atlético Madrid will need to regroup quickly for their next fixture if they hope to advance in the tournament.
