Paris Saint-Germain romped to a statement 4-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday to book their spot in the Club World Cup final.
Luis Enrique’s European champions were at their rampant best on the day in stark contrast to their opponents, who suffered their worst defeat of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Parisians were three to the good with less than 25 minutes on the clock as Fabian Ruiz scored a brace either side of Ousmane Dembele’s breakaway strike, and closed out the afternoon with professional composure, adding a fourth for good measure late on through Goncalo Ramos.
Madrid, rotated due to injury and suspension, were off their game. Without Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, the back line was out of sorts and cracked quickly under PSG’s relentless pressure.
PSG will face Chelsea in Sunday’s final, and the Blues will not fancy their chances after witnessing this display.
After a delayed kick-off, Enrique’s men were quick to draw first blood. The Spaniards trailed after just six minutes as Raul Asencio was caught in possession by Dembele, who was smothered by Thibaut Courtois before Ruiz swept up the rebound to open the scoring.
They doubled their advantage moments later, in equally awkward circumstances. This time it was Antonio Rudiger at fault as he attempted a pass but missed the ball, allowing Dembele through one-on-one. He made no mistake, tucking his finish in at the bottom left corner.
A tidy team move set Achraf Hakimi free down the right flank shortly after. His cross to Ruiz was perfectly placed for the Spaniard to add his second of the day, all but confirming PSG’s progression with not even 25 minutes played.
Come the hydration break, Real were at sea. They finished the first half with just 23% possession and had given the countless white-shirted supporters in the stands little to shout about in that time.
Real went back to the changing rooms at half with their heads hanging. PSG could not have been in stronger standing.
The Spaniards were improved in the second half, but the prompt response they were crying out for did not come. Gonzalo Garcia, their talisman to date in the tournament, was nowhere to be seen on the day as he played in Kylian Mbappe’s shadow for the first time. The Frenchman, though, was equally ineffective.
Enrique was already thinking ahead to Sunday’s final with less than an hour played as he withdrew Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, sparing them an extra 30 minutes of toil in the baking New Jersey sun.
Real Madrid accelerated into the closing stages and were the better side after Enrique removed his stars, but still struggled to create any clear-cut chances.
They lost their gusto as the clock wound down and the prospect of a comeback grew increasingly unlikely.
The veteran midfielder Luka Modric was sent into the fray for what proved to be his final Real Madrid appearance - a dismal end to a stellar 13-year spell with the club.
Ramos finished off a rapid PSG counter-attack to make it four late on. The referee did not bother with injury time, and there was no protest - Real were comfortably beaten.
Come Sunday, it will take a mighty performance from Chelsea to prevent PSG from claiming their fifth major honour of the season.
