Club World Cup Preview: Paris Saint-Germain

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·2 giugno 2025

Club World Cup Preview: Paris Saint-Germain

The seventh in our continuing series highlighting all the clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup, which starts on June 14th.

Club Background

From: Paris, France
How They Qualified: Much like their group opponent Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain was selected based on their UEFA ranking pathway, mainly on the strength of their Champions League performances.
Best CWC Finish: Shockingly, this is the club’s first time appearing.

Recent Form: They just completed a continental treble. They captured the Ligue 1 title weeks before the final match. They won their sixteenth Coupe de France on May 24th, defeating Reims 3 – 0. On May 31st they won the UEFA Champions League by thrashing Inter Milan 5 – 0.
Facts: At the time of publication they are the odds-on favorite to win the tournament. Since 1982, they have won 52 trophies (domestic and international); the most of any French club. That’s 1.2 trophies a year! They were founded in 1970 via the merger of two older clubs: Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain. They have experienced two major ownership changes.

The Team

Manager: Luis Enrique Former Barcelona player. Managed the Spanish national team prior to joining in July 2023. Read a recent bio from one of our correspondents.
Star Players: Ousmane Dembélé The “grand old man” of Paris Saint-Germain’s forwards (he’s 28). Has 33g/13a (8g/6a just in Champions League). Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Georgian attacking midfielder. Signed from Napoli last January for $68M. 12g/8a since joining. Achraf Hachimi 26 year-old Moroccan right wing-back. Has 9g/12a. Gianluigi Donnarumma Widely considered one of the best goalkeepers playing right now.
Young Players to Watch: Désiré Doué 20 years old. He struck like a meteor into the Allianz Stadium. Scored twice and had an assist. Has 15g/14a over the season. Bradley Barcola 22 year-old winger. Has 21g/18a in 58 matches.

When to Watch

3:00pm ET on Jun 15, 2025 vs. Atlético Madrid @ The Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
9:00pm ET on Jun 19, 2025 vs. Botafogo @ The Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
3:00pm ET on Jun 23, 2025 vs. Seattle Sounders @ Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

The Hooligan Take

I cannot disagree with the bookmakers. After that commanding performance in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain have to be top dog in the race. They are not perfect, as shown by their poor performance in the group stage (they only managed seven points in six games and just squeaked into the playoff round). Nevertheless, they should win their group.