PSG Demolish Real Madrid in Stunning Club World Cup Upset as Mbappe Shines

Real Madrid's performance was completely off the mark as they suffered a crushing 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinals.

Two tournament favorites met at MetLife Stadium with a spot in the final at stake. PSG, the current European champions, battled against Real Madrid, the former European titleholders, in what was anticipated to be the tournament's premier matchup of this summer's expanded competition.

However, what transpired was PSG's commanding display and Real Madrid's lackluster showing. Luis Enrique's squad jumped to an early 2-0 advantage within just nine minutes, courtesy of strikes from Fabián Ruiz and Ousmane Dembélé, both goals resulting from defensive lapses by Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rüdiger.

Ruiz secured his brace in the 24th minute during PSG's spectacular opening period. The French side dismantled Real Madrid's defense and sealed their outstanding display with a fourth strike from Gonçalo Ramos just before the final whistle.

PSG advance to the Club World Cup final to face Chelsea, while Real Madrid's American journey comes to an end.

Here are three key observations from this one-sided Club World Cup semifinal.

Defensive Blunders Cost Real Madrid Dearly

Right when Real Madrid appeared to have resolved their defensive issues, a series of errors led to Alonso's team surrendering two goals in the opening nine minutes at MetLife Stadium. Asencio's failed clearance attempt and subsequent stumble was sufficient to hand PSG their opener, before Rüdiger compounded matters with his own terrible mistake less than three minutes afterward.

These two blunders will dominate post-match discussions, but Real Madrid's defensive structure was chaotic throughout. Fran García, who had performed admirably until the semifinals, was overwhelmed by Désiré Doué and Achraf Hakimi. Fede Valverde also struggled on the right side, while Kylian Mbappé continued showing little desire to contribute defensively.

With Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold available, the final score might have been different. Huijsen was Real Madrid's standout defender throughout the tournament and probably wouldn't have committed Asencio's careless error. Alexander-Arnold could have also assisted Los Blancos in advancing from their defensive third with his exceptional distribution.

Nevertheless, PSG vastly outperformed a Real Madrid team whose defensive display echoed the Carlo Ancelotti period. The clearest sign was how frequently Jude Bellingham found himself compensating for his teammates' positioning.

This disastrous outing for Los Blancos demonstrated the extensive work still required for Alonso to restore the La Liga runners-up to title-contending status.

Ousmane Dembele Strengthens Ballon d'Or Credentials

Making his first Club World Cup start, Dembélé demonstrated once more why he leads the 2025 Ballon d'Or race. After an exceptional PSG campaign featuring 33 goals and 15 assists, the French star continued his European form in this summer's expanded Club World Cup.

Despite missing PSG's three group matches due to injury, Dembélé made his mark in the knockout rounds. When the European champions were reduced to nine players against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, the 28-year-old scored the crucial insurance goal. With a final berth on the line, Dembélé assisted PSG's opener before netting their second.

The attacker's impact extended beyond goalscoring. His constant pressing and undeniable work ethic set him apart from his peers. Throughout the 2024-25 season, across the Champions League, Ligue 1, and now the Club World Cup, Dembélé has consistently emerged as the standout performer on the sport's premier team.

While Lamine Yamal and Raphinha delivered exceptional Barcelona campaigns last season, it's difficult to deny Dembélé soccer's most coveted prize given his consistent excellence. Should he guide PSG to a fifth trophy this season, the Ballon d'Or appears destined for him.

Xabi Alonso's Offensive Strategy Backfires Spectacularly

Alonso surprised observers by deploying a front three featuring Mbappé, Gonzalo García and Vinícius Júnior. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss assigned the left wing, typically Vinícius Júnior's domain, to Mbappé, pushing the Brazilian to the right side.

This puzzling choice failed to deliver results. The attack was so disconnected in the first period that Vinícius Júnior began drifting into central areas during the second half to influence the game. His attempts proved unsuccessful; the 24-year-old was substituted in the 64th minute having completed merely 10 passes while creating no opportunities and managing just one blocked attempt.

Gonzalo, meanwhile, appeared uncomfortable on the right and found no rhythm in Alonso's experimental formation. While some difficulties stemmed from inadequate service from teammates, he simply couldn't establish any momentum. The 21-year-old lost the most challenges (7) in the contest and registered zero shots.

With his attacking partners struggling, Mbappé needed to lead the offensive charge, but even he disappointed. While he had virtually every decent opportunity for Real Madrid, that's hardly impressive considering the team managed only two shots on target.

Alonso must justify his questionable choice to field this confusing front three in the most significant match of his early Real Madrid tenure.