Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen Dodges Major Sanctions While PSG Stars Face Harsh Penalties

FIFA has officially announced that Real Madrid's central defender Dean Huijsen will be eligible to participate in the Club World Cup final if his team manages to overcome Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday's semifinal clash.

The Spanish defender, who joined during the summer transfer window, received his first-ever red card at the senior level during the final moments of Madrid's quarterfinal triumph against Borussia Dortmund. Just moments after Kylian Mbappé propelled Xabi Alonso's squad to a 3–1 advantage with a spectacular, gravity-defying goal, Huijsen found himself caught out by Serhou Guirassy's run into the box.

The tall Spanish defender missed his attempt to tackle the striker's legs and resorted to pulling his jersey instead. The match official had no choice but to point to the penalty spot and show a direct red card. According to the referee's official match report, Huijsen was sanctioned for "denying a goal or a clear goalscoring chance to the opposition".

This violation, as FIFA announced on Tuesday, merits only a single-match suspension, keeping him out of the semifinal encounter with PSG. The European title holders weren't as lucky.

Following their dramatic 2–0 triumph over Bayern, PSG saw two of their players receive red cards. Willian Pacho was ejected in the 82nd minute after a reckless challenge that caught Leon Goretzka's shin, while Lucas Hernández was sent off for lightly jabbing his elbow into Raphaël Guerreiro's face.

FIFA classified both incidents as "serious foul play," specifically tackles or challenges that "put an opponent's safety at risk or involve excessive force or brutality." Such violations carry a two-match suspension.

Consequently, Luis Enrique will be missing half of his preferred center-back duo and his substitute left-back for both the semifinal against Real Madrid and a possible encounter with Chelsea or Fluminense in Sunday's final match.