There was a moment near the conclusion of Kylian Mbappé's last season in France when Luis Enrique sat him down and explained that if Paris Saint-Germain followed his approach, they could become an unstoppable force.
Over a year later, as his first season at Real Madrid ended against his former team, the forward witnessed firsthand just how accurate that prediction had been. The same PSG side that dismantled Inter Milan in Munich, securing the largest victory in a European Cup final, arrived in New York and netted four against Madrid to advance to the Club World Cup final.
They could have scored more, but there was no need. Three goals came within the first half-hour—two from Fabián Ruiz and one from Ousmane Dembélé. The fourth, by Gonçalo Ramos in the 87th minute, merely emphasized the dominance. Madrid didn’t just lose at the MetLife; they were dismantled, given no chance to respond. While they might argue that injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, or tactical adjustments for Mbappé’s return, played a part, the truth was simpler: this was PSG’s moment.
And what a force they proved to be. Relentless from the start, their superiority was undeniable—so much so that the contest was effectively over early. By the time Ruiz opened the scoring in the sixth minute, it was already PSG’s third clear opportunity, with Madrid struggling to keep up. That didn’t even account for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s near-miss against the side netting. Thibaut Courtois made two spectacular saves, raising the possibility of another heroic performance where he withstands an onslaught. But this time, even he couldn’t hold the line, and his teammates offered little support.
Instead, defensive errors left him exposed. The sequence leading to the first goal was grim—Raúl Asencio miscontrolled a routine pass, allowing Dembélé to pounce in front of goal. Courtois fouled him, a move that would have been a penalty and possibly a red card had Ruiz not tapped into the empty net.
Next, Antonio Rüdiger swung and missed entirely, again letting Dembélé race through and slot past Courtois. Nine minutes in, the outcome was decided—not just by the scoreline but by PSG’s relentless energy and Madrid’s disjointed display. The progress they had shown under Xabi Alonso vanished, optimism crumbling. If Madrid had collapsed, their opponents had only just begun.
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