Paris Saint-Germain began their Club World Cup journey with an emphatic 4-0 win over Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday, putting on a commanding display against their European rivals.
Having clinched their first-ever UEFA Champions League title last month with a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan, Luis Enrique’s men picked up right where they left off.
Fabián Ruiz struck first for PSG, unleashing a long-range effort into the net in the 19th minute, setting the tone for what would become a dominant outing.
Just before the halftime whistle, PSG capitalized on a failed chance from Antoine Griezmann.
The miss sparked a blistering counterattack that ended with Vitinha slotting the ball past the keeper under the California sun.
Atlético Madrid briefly thought they had found a way back into the match when Julián Álvarez scored in the 57th minute.
However, VAR intervened and ruled the goal out, citing a foul by Koke on Désiré Doué in the buildup.
Things went from bad to worse for Atlético when defender Clément Lenglet was shown a second yellow card and dismissed.
Shortly afterward, Alexander Sørloth squandered a golden opportunity, skying a close-range shot over the bar when it seemed easier to score.
PSG’s substitutes made sure to pile on the misery. Youngster Senny Mayulu netted the third goal in the 87th minute, erasing any hope of a late comeback.
In stoppage time, Lee Kang-in calmly converted a penalty to seal the rout.
“The hardest thing to do in football is to maintain the level, not just going high and low,” said Vitinha, who earned Man of the Match honors. “That’s what I tried to do. Very good performance by the team and a very good start to this competition.”
Notably absent from the PSG lineup was French winger and Ballon d’Or frontrunner Ousmane Dembélé, sidelined due to an injury sustained while representing France in the UEFA Nations League earlier this month.
Despite his absence, PSG showed no signs of slowing down, registering 74% possession and 11 shots on target, compared to just one for Atlético.
The legendary Rose Bowl stadium was electric, filled with 80,000 passionate fans who braved the midday heat to witness the spectacle , a fitting scene ahead of next year’s World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“It was a different environment, but it feels good to see so many people in the USA here to watch soccer, or to watch football, as I say,” Vitinha added.
PSG return to action at the Rose Bowl on Thursday against Brazilian giants Botafogo, while Atlético will head north to Seattle to face MLS outfit Seattle Sounders FC.