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History-making PSG looking to finish on high note
- Paris Saint-Germain are gearing up for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 title decider
- The French side have already collected four trophies in the current campaign
- Coach Luis Enrique and the PSG players spoke about their hunger and drive to win
Renowned French poet and essayist Paul Valery once wrote: “History is the science of what never happens twice.” If that is to be believed, what Paris Saint-Germain are in the process of achieving in their current campaign is nothing short of exceptional. Little wonder, then, that the Parisians are intent on seizing this moment – knowing that it is unlikely to come around again.
Having secured all the honours on offer so far during this campaign, including Ligue 1, Couple de France, Trophee des Champions and the highly-coveted UEFA Champions League, PSG now have their sights set on becoming world champions.
That would represent a new milestone in an already rich heritage – not only for the club, but also on the global stage – as they would become the first team ever to lift the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™.
The French team will be in touching distance of the trophy when they play in the final on Sunday, 13 July against Chelsea FC. Ahead of their showdown with the London club, the players had only one thing on their minds.
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“We’re going to prepare in the best way possible to give ourselves a chance of writing our names in the history books,” said Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo to reporters. “This run has been unprecedented for us. We’ve won several trophies, and reaching this final is an incredible experience. Leaving a lasting impression on this club is a unique and rare opportunity.”
Few clubs can boast of winning a quintuple, never mind a sextuple. In Europe, for example, Pep Guardiola’s 2009 FC Barcelona side achieved a clean sweep of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™. German powerhouse FC Bayern München soared to similar heights in 2020, beating PSG in the final of Europe’s premier club competition as part of a five-trophy haul.
The Parisian side have the chance to add a fifth piece of silverware of their own to mark this outstanding stretch of form. A sixth could follow with the Intercontinental Cup that will take place at the end of the year. However, one man never tires of breaking new ground with the club for which he has made almost 500 appearances.
“What I’ve learned from this campaign is that winning is a great feeling,” said Marquinhos. The Brazilian centre-back and his team-mates have only conceded a single goal since the global showpiece began, coming in a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo in the group stage.
“We want to keep on winning, but I know just how tough it is to stay on top,” he added. “We’re gunning for this trophy because we really want to write our names in the history books. This team is hungry to win. We’ve savoured the taste of victory; we know how sweet it is and we want to finish on a high.”
Apart from their slip-up against Botafogo, the European champions have truly lit up the tournament in the USA. In the six matches they have played so far, they have inflicted a trio of 4-0 drubbings against Atlético de Madrid, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF and Real Madrid C. F., their predecessors as European champions. In addition to garnering much acclaim – with some even labelling them “unplayable” – their performances have certainly won them some new fans.
“It’s great [to hear],” said a visibly pleased Desire Doue, one of the French outfit’s standout stars. “That shows that we’re doing our job on the pitch and giving the fans something to cheer about when they watch us. One of our aims is to make sure everyone loves PSG because of our brand of football.”
“It’s the highest possible compliment when our peers say they enjoy watching us play,” added head coach Luis Enrique. “With the quality of players available to me, I’m able to serve up an attractive style of play that excites not just our own supporters, but also all sports fans. If I can do that, I’m happy.”
He would be all the more delighted if the result goes his team’s way against Chelsea. “We’re going to try to cap off this historic campaign in the best possible way,” concluded the Spanish tactician.
It may just be the perfect ending – but perhaps it is only the beginning of another story. And if PSG can defy Valery’s theory by repeating their recent heroics again and again, who is to say how far this team can go?
