Club World Cup: Paris Saint-Germain dominates Atlético de Madrid and improves its entry into the competition

It's a polished start, in the wake of a Champions League title win. Two weeks after their triumph in Munich (Germany) in Europe's biggest competition, Paris Saint-Germain discovered the Club World Cup on Sunday, June 15, in which they are participating for the very first time in their history. And for their debut in this competition, the capital club embraced their new status as European champions and crushed Atlético de Madrid (4-0), in complete control.

The last time the two teams met, on November 6 , PSG were still struggling, unable to win Champions League matches that they dominated from start to finish. At the Parc des Princes, against Diego Simeone's team, Luis Enrique's side lost at the very end of the match (1-2), against the run of play. Seven months later, the Parisians have been transformed and are approaching this competition in the United States as superstars and favorites.

Five days after their arrival on American soil, they have lost none of what has made them strong since the beginning of 2025. The jet lag has been digested, the motivation is intact at the end of this extended season and Atlético was no match for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (California), north of Los Angeles. Recently crowned on the European continent, the PSG players would now like to see themselves as world champions, on July 13, at the end of the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, north of New York.

In any case, they took a first step towards this new trophy, which is more of a financial than a sporting interest – the winning club will receive 115 million euros – by winning against the pale Colchoneros. After a slow start, particularly due to the 12 p.m. kick-off in Los Angeles, the Parisians took the lead thanks to a clear strike from Fabian Ruiz (19th).

The break came from the feet of Vitinha (45th + 2), who took advantage of the Madrid defense's passivity to give a more substantial advantage to a PSG in control throughout the match. The capital club would ultimately only tremble twice: on Julian Alvarez's goal, finally disallowed after the intervention of the video referee for a foul on Désiré Doué at the start of the action (60th), and on a miss by Alexander Sorloth in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal (82nd).

After Inter Milan, swept away in the Champions League final (5-0), it was another team renowned for its defense that went under against Paris, with the third goal scored by Senny Mayulu (87th) and the fourth from a penalty by Lee Kang-in (90th + 7). PSG could have scored even more without the saves of Jan Oblak in front of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (50th) and Ibrahim Mbaye (90th + 3). Overwhelmed throughout the match, the Colchoneros even finished with ten men after the expulsion of French defender Clément Lenglet (78th).

Without Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, who were injured while playing for the French national team and are expected to return to action in PSG's upcoming matches at the Club World Cup, the capital club demonstrated their attacking power, despite a few periods of poor rhythm during the match, and have already taken a big step towards qualifying for the last 16.

Atlético de Madrid was, by far, Paris's most dangerous opponent in Group B. After brilliantly passing this first stage, Luis Enrique's team will then face the Brazilian club Botafogo on June 19, before facing the Americans from Seattle on June 22. Two meetings that seem like a formality for the Parisians, confident in their game and already looking ahead to the future.