Teams: Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid
Event: FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, United States
Date: Sunday, June 15, with kickoff at 12:00pm PDT (19:00 GMT)
Stay tuned for our coverage starting at 6pm (16:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport.
Recently crowned European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, are viewing the revamped FIFA Club World Cup as an important goal rather than just an end-of-season obligation.
“This tournament is fantastic,” PSG manager Luis Enrique remarked right after their UEFA Champions League victory in Munich.
“Our goal is to compete fiercely and aim for our fifth trophy of the season.”
The Qatar-owned French club could be excused for wanting to take a moment to celebrate their stunning 5-0 win against Inter Milan, which marked their first Champions League title.
After numerous disappointing attempts in Europe’s top club competition, and spending billions on star players like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, captain Marquinhos finally lifted the trophy.
“We’ve made history for our club, our city, and our entire country,” defender Lucas Hernandez shared with L’Equipe after PSG celebrated their victory with a parade on the Champs-Elysees, a reception with President Emmanuel Macron, and a gathering with nearly 50,000 supporters at Parc des Princes.
Will PSG utilize their star players in the Club World Cup?
Since last August, PSG has participated in 58 matches, capturing all domestic trophies in France this season as has become customary.
However, there is no time to rest.
Many players, including Champions League final standout Desire Doue, were on international duty last week, returning just in time to travel to Los Angeles for the FIFA Club World Cup challenge starting this weekend.
“This tournament is really an attractive opportunity,” Luis Enrique told FIFA.com.
“We need to find a balance between managing our physical and mental fatigue at the end of a long season while harnessing the motivation that comes with this competition.”
The first match for PSG will be against another strong European team, Atletico Madrid, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles, on Sunday.
Following that, they’ll take on Brazilian champions Botafogo and then face Seattle Sounders in other Group B games.
PSG is expected to advance to the knockout stage relatively easily and could play a total of seven matches if they reach the final on July 13, just a month before they kick off the next season in the UEFA Supercup against Tottenham Hotspur.
Have PSG added any new players since their Champions League victory?
The toll of a lengthy season is showing, particularly for Ousmane Dembele, who has been sidelined with an injury sustained while playing for France recently; he is their top scorer this season with 33 goals.
Unfortunately, the team did not secure any new signings during the brief transfer window that began at the start of this month for the tournament. Their interest in Illia Zabarnyi, a Ukrainian defender from Bournemouth, didn’t materialize into a contract.
However, the rewards for succeeding in the Club World Cup are significant, which should keep Luis Enrique’s players focused on their objectives, with up to an impressive $125 million in prize money available for the best-performing European team if they achieve ultimate success.
Full squad for Paris Saint-Germain (France):
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matvey Safonov, Arnau Tenas
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Peraldo, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes, Lucas Hernandez, William Pacho, Noham Kamara
Midfielders: Gabriel Moscardo, Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves, Senny Mayulu, Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha
Forwards: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Lee Kang-In, Bradley Barcola, Ibrahim Mbaye
Full squad for Atletico Madrid (Spain):
Goalkeepers: Joan Musso, Jan Oblak, Antonio Gomis, Salvi Esquivel
Defenders: Jose Maria Gimenez, Cesar Azpilicueta, Clement Lenglet, Nahuel Molina, Axel Witsel, Javi Galan, Reinildo, Robin Le Normand, Ilias Kostis
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, Pablo Barrios, Thomas Lemar, Samu Lino, Marcos Llorente, Rodrigo Riquelme, Javi Serrano, Taufik Seidu, Rayane Belaid
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sorloth, Angel Correa, Carlos Martin, Julian Alvarez, Guiliano Simeone
