Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their Club World Cup campaign in stunning fashion, overpowering Atlético Madrid 4-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday.
The reigning Champions League winners showcased their clinical form, leaving the Spanish side with little chance in a one-sided affair.
Luis Enrique’s team wasted no time asserting their dominance. Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring with a brilliant long-range shot in the 19th minute, setting the tone for a match where PSG showed no signs of slowing down after their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan just a month earlier to secure their first-ever Champions League trophy.
Before halftime, PSG doubled their lead following a mistake from Antoine Griezmann, whose missed opportunity led to a swift counter-attack.
The ball eventually found Vitinha, who calmly fired past Atlético’s goalkeeper, putting the French side in control at 2-0.
The La Liga outfit thought they had a way back into the game when Julián Álvarez found the net in the 57th minute, but a VAR review ruled the goal out.
The officials determined that Koke had committed a foul on PSG’s Désiré Doué in the build-up, frustrating Atlético’s hopes.
The situation worsened for Atlético as Clément Lenglet was sent off after picking up a second yellow card, leaving his team with ten men. As if that wasn’t enough, Alexander Sorloth somehow missed a sitter, sending the ball over the bar when it seemed easier to score.
With the result all but confirmed, substitute Senny Mayulu made it 3-0 in the 87th minute, extinguishing any remaining hopes of an Atlético comeback.
In stoppage time, Lee Kang-in added a fourth from the penalty spot, sealing a resounding victory for PSG.
Vitinha, who was named the match’s best player, reflected on the team’s dominant performance: “The hardest thing in football is maintaining consistency, not just going from high to low,” he said. “I think we did that really well today. It was a solid performance from the team, and a fantastic start to this competition.”
PSG were without star forward Ousmane Dembélé, who is recovering from an injury sustained during international duty with France. However, they didn’t miss a beat, controlling 74% of possession and registering 11 shots on target, compared to just one for Atlético.
The match was played under the blazing California sun, in front of 80,000 passionate fans at the Rose Bowl.
The atmosphere was electric, and it served as a glimpse of what the 2026 World Cup might look like, as the U.S., Mexico, and Canada prepare to co-host the tournament.
“It was a different atmosphere, but it’s amazing to see so many people in the USA supporting football,” Vitinha said, acknowledging the growing excitement for soccer in the country.
PSG will return to the Rose Bowl on Thursday to face Brazilian side Botafogo, while Atlético Madrid will head north to Seattle to take on MLS team Seattle Sounders FC.
With their dominant opening win, PSG will look to continue their strong form in the quest for the Club World Cup title.
