Newly-crowned European champions Paris St-Germain began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a dominant 4-0 victory over ten-man Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, in a match overshadowed by concerns about player welfare in the searing midday heat.
Played in temperatures reaching 31°C (88°F), the contest was punctuated by two official cooling breaks as players visibly struggled. The scheduling of numerous tournament games during the hottest parts of the day has drawn criticism from world players’ union Fifpro. After the match, PSG manager Luis Enrique said the heat “had an impact on the game,” while player of the match Vitinha described the conditions as “difficult.”
On the pitch, Luis Enrique’s side controlled the proceedings from the start, enjoying 82.6% of possession in the opening 15 minutes in front of a crowd of 80,619. They took the lead when Fabian Ruiz rifled a low strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. Just before halftime, Vitinha doubled the lead, gliding through the Atletico defence before slotting the ball past goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Atletico’s frustrations grew in the second half. Julian Alvarez had a goal disallowed following a VAR review for a foul by Koke in the build-up. In the 78th minute, defender Clement Lenglet was sent off under bizarre circumstances, receiving a second yellow card for dissent after the referee failed to stop play when Oblak was impeded. Diego Simeone’s side later missed a golden opportunity when substitute Alexander Sorloth failed to convert into an open goal from close range.
PSG sealed their emphatic win with two late goals. Substitute Senny Mayulu, who also scored in last month’s Champions League final, fired into the bottom corner in the 87th minute. In added time, Lee Kang-in converted a penalty awarded by VAR for a handball against Robin le Normand.
The victory continues a remarkable run for PSG, who completed a treble of the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup in the 2024-25 season.
PSG will play their next Group B match against Botafogo in Pasadena on Thursday, June 19, while Atletico Madrid face the Seattle Sounders in Seattle on the same day.
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