European Champions PSG Cruise Past Atletico Madrid in Club World Cup Opener

Having dismantled Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final just weeks ago, PSG showed no signs of slowing down at the Club World Cup.

Newly crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign in emphatic fashion. The French champions cruised past Atletico Madrid with a dominant 4-0 victory at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

In sweltering conditions, PSG’s fluid attacking football was simply too much for Diego Simeone’s side, as goals from Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu, and a late Lee Kang-in penalty sealed a statement win in Group B.

⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️#FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/pzDpUqmupM
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) June 15, 2025

In front of a crowd of 80,619, PSG wasted no time asserting their authority. Having dismantled Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final just weeks ago, PSG showed no signs of slowing down at the Club World Cup. They enjoyed most of the possession in the first 15 minutes. The breakthrough came in the 19th minute as Fabian Ruiz rifled a low strike into the bottom corner following a slick passing move involving Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Vitinha Shines As Atletico Crumble Under PSG Masterclass

PSG’s dominance continued, and while Goncalo Ramos missed three good chances, it was Vitinha who doubled the lead just before half-time. The midfielder picked up a simple pass, drove through the heart of the Atletico defence, and calmly slotted past Jan Oblak for 2-0.

The second half began with Oblak again called into action, tipping Kvaratskhelia’s curling effort onto the crossbar. Atletico briefly thought they were back in the game when Julian Alvarez found the net, only for VAR to rule out the goal due to a foul by Koke in the build-up.

Atletico’s misery deepened in the 78th minute when Clement Lenglet was shown a second yellow card for dissent. Substitute Senny Mayulu then added a third in the 87th minute with a composed finish, before Robin Le Normand’s handball deep into stoppage time allowed Lee Kang-in to convert from the spot, which capped off a resounding victory for PSG. Vitinha was named the Man of the Match following an impressive all-round performance.

2025 Club World cup

Atletico Madrid

FIFA Club World Cup 2025

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Abhinav Goel

soccer

I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.