PSG Crush Real Madrid 4–0 to Reach Club World Cup Final, Extend Ruthless Run Under Luis Enrique
- Victor Nwoko
- Jul 10
- 3 min read
Paris Saint-Germain delivered a dominant 4–0 victory over Real Madrid to book their place in the Club World Cup final, marking yet another major scalp in a season of relentless success under manager Luis Enrique. The reigning Champions League winners, who crushed Inter Milan 5–0 in the final just five weeks ago, now look every inch a team in the midst of building a modern football dynasty.
Facing off in New Jersey, PSG overwhelmed Real Madrid with pace, precision, and pressing. A two-goal blitz from Fabian Ruiz and a clinical finish by Ousmane Dembélé put the French giants 3–0 up inside 24 minutes. Gonçalo Ramos added a late goal to seal an emphatic win, further underlining the gap between Enrique’s squad and their European rivals.
Despite criticism that the Club World Cup lacks competitiveness, PSG have treated the tournament with full intensity. After a brief stumble against Botafogo, they dispatched Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid 4–0, and beat Bayern Munich 2–0 — all on U.S. soil — even finishing the Bayern match with only nine men.
They now face Chelsea in Sunday’s final as they pursue a historic fifth major title of 2025. Having already claimed the French Cup, Ligue 1, and the Champions League, the Club World Cup could make it a near-clean sweep, alongside the Trophee des Champions.
Enrique’s revamped PSG side, built after the departure of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid last summer, has shed the old "superstar" culture in favor of tactical fluidity, unity, and youth. Former stars like Lionel Messi and Mbappé were on the receiving end of defeats in this same tournament, highlighting PSG’s evolution.
The front line — now featuring Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Desire Doué — is electric, while midfielders Joao Neves, Vitinha, and Ruiz dominate possession and dictate tempo. Fullbacks Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes add relentless width, making PSG nearly impossible to contain.
Former players and pundits alike have praised the transformation. Gareth Bale called PSG “relentless,” adding, “They are very young, want to embarrass teams, and they look like a team who will be around for a long time.”
Luis Enrique, who previously won a treble with Barcelona, is now being hailed as one of football’s elite managers. His current squad has outscored opponents 18–0 in their last five knockout games, and Sunday’s final will be their 65th match of the 2024–25 campaign — a sign of both their stamina and consistency.
Dembélé, once plagued by inconsistency, has flourished this season. With 35 goals and 16 assists across 52 games, the 28-year-old is now the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or. “He deserves to win everything because he gives his all to the club,” said Enrique. Pundits have echoed those sentiments, calling his work rate and end product “unbelievable.”
Real Madrid, meanwhile, are in a rebuilding phase under new manager Xabi Alonso, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti. Injuries, tactical experiments, and a lack of cohesion were evident as Los Blancos struggled to cope with PSG’s pressing and movement.
Alonso acknowledged the difference in squad development after the match, saying, “They have been building for two years, and we are just starting. We’ll take lessons from today.”
With Chelsea now standing between PSG and Club World Cup glory, all eyes are on whether this reinvented powerhouse can complete one of the most dominant seasons in modern football history.
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