European champions Paris Saint-Germain delivered a dominant display to thrash Real Madrid 4-0 in the Club World Cup semi-final, setting up a title clash with Chelsea this Sunday.
The match at New York’s MetLife Stadium was effectively decided within the first 24 minutes as Fabian Ruiz struck twice, sandwiching a goal from Ousmane Dembélé. The Spanish midfielder opened the scoring in the sixth minute after capitalizing on a defensive error, before Dembélé doubled the lead three minutes later following a mistake by Antonio Rüdiger. Ruiz added his second just before the half-hour mark, leaving Real Madrid shell-shocked.
Despite the sweltering 32°C heat, PSG maintained their intensity, with Luis Enrique fielding a near-identical lineup to their Champions League final triumph over Inter Milan. Real, missing the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, struggled to contain the French side’s relentless attack.
Thibaut Courtois made several saves to prevent further damage, but Real’s disjointed defense had no answer to PSG’s pace and precision. Gonçalo Ramos sealed the rout late on, firing home from close range after a swift counter-attack.
Kylian Mbappé, facing his former club for the first time in the tournament, had a quiet outing, while Real’s Jude Bellingham and Mbappé failed to spark a comeback. PSG now eye a second major trophy this year as they prepare to face Chelsea in the final.