It was supposed to be the "Kylian Mbappé derby." The script was basically written by Hollywood. The world’s most famous player facing his former club on the biggest new stage in football, the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025. But football doesn't care about scripts. Honestly, what we saw at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 9, 2025, wasn't a movie—it was a demolition.
PSG didn't just win. They dismantled a shell-shocked Real Madrid 4-0.
If you missed the match or only caught the highlights on DAZN, you missed the sheer atmospheric tension. It was 33°C (91°F) at kickoff. The humidity felt like a wet blanket. Over 77,000 fans packed into the stands, most of them draped in the white of Madrid, expecting a coronation. Instead, they watched a masterclass from Luis Enrique’s side that basically signaled a changing of the guard in global club football.
The Night the Script Flipped
Madrid came into this semifinal as the heavy favorites. They had just squeezed past Juventus and Borussia Dortmund in the earlier rounds. Xabi Alonso, then in the Madrid dugout, had to shuffle his deck because Trent Alexander-Arnold was out with a training injury. That proved to be a fatal blow.
The game was over before it even really started.
👉 See also: Tom Brady Throwing Motion: What Most People Get Wrong
Six minutes in, a massive blunder by young defender Raúl Asencio gifted the ball to Fabián Ruiz. He didn't miss. Three minutes later? Antonio Rüdiger—the usually unflappable veteran—got caught in possession by Ousmane Dembélé. 2-0. Just like that. The pro-Madrid crowd went silent. You could literally hear the PSG bench celebrating.
By the 24th minute, it was 3-0. Ruiz bagged his second after a lightning-fast counter-attack involving Achraf Hakimi. Madrid looked sluggish. They looked like a team that had spent too much time traveling between Florida training camps and not enough time studying PSG's high press.
Mbappé’s Nightmare Return
Everyone wanted to see how Mbappé would handle the pressure. He’d scored 256 goals for PSG over seven years. This was his first time facing them since the move to Spain.
He started up front alongside Gonzalo García, but he was a ghost. Gianluigi Donnarumma parried one early effort, but for the most part, the PSG defense—led by a phenomenal Marquinhos—had him in their pocket. It was a weird, almost poetic sight: the man who was supposed to be the final piece of the Madrid puzzle watching his old teammates play better without him.
✨ Don't miss: The Philadelphia Phillies Boston Red Sox Rivalry: Why This Interleague Matchup Always Feels Personal
Luis Enrique has turned PSG into a collective machine. They had 76.5% possession in the first half. Think about that. Real Madrid, the 15-time European champions, barely touched the ball.
Why Real Madrid Collapsed
The "Mundial de Clubes" format is brutal. It’s a month-long marathon in the middle of the US summer.
- Tactical Naivety: Madrid tried to play out from the back against a team that specializes in the high press.
- Physical Fatigue: The heat in New Jersey was oppressive. PSG’s younger squad seemed to cope much better with the 38°C "feels like" temperature.
- The Modrić Factor: This was actually Luka Modrić’s final game for Real Madrid. A legendary career ending in a 4-0 drubbing is a tough pill to swallow.
PSG’s Road to the Quadruple
This win wasn't just about reaching a final. PSG had already secured Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the UEFA Champions League. They were chasing the quadruple. By the time Gonçalo Ramos added the fourth goal in the 87th minute, the result felt like a statement of intent to the entire world.
PSG’s defensive record in the tournament was insane: five clean sheets in six matches. While everyone was talking about Madrid’s "Galacticos," Paris was building a wall.
🔗 Read more: The Eagles and Chiefs Score That Changed Everything for Philadelphia and Kansas City
What This Means for the Future of the Club World Cup
The Real Madrid vs PSG Mundial de Clubes clash proved that the expanded 32-team format actually works. People were skeptical. They said it would be too many games. But seeing these two giants go at it on American soil—with real stakes—felt different than a preseason friendly.
Madrid left the US with a lot of questions. In fact, that loss eventually led to the end of the Xabi Alonso era and a massive rethink of their defensive depth. For PSG, it was the ultimate validation of the post-Mbappé project. They proved they didn't need a single superstar when they had a superior system.
Key Takeaways for Fans
If you're following the fallout of this historic match, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the High Press: PSG’s success came from forcing errors from Asencio and Rüdiger. Modern football is won in the first 10 yards of the opponent's half.
- Respect the Heat: Tournament conditions in North America are a major factor. Teams that didn't rotate heavily during the group stages (like Madrid) paid the price in the knockouts.
- The New Guard: Keep an eye on Fabian Ruiz. His brace in this semifinal showed he's moved from a squad player to a big-game protagonist.
The next step for any serious fan is to look back at the tactical footage of the first 20 minutes. It's a textbook example of how to kill a game against a technically superior opponent by using raw intensity. You can find the full match replay and technical analysis on the FIFA+ platform to see exactly how the spaces opened up.