Can Lee Kang-in's (24) team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) lift another championship trophy? They are aiming for a 'quintuple.'
PSG will face the long-awaited final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at 4 a.m. on the 14th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Club World Cup, held on the largest scale in history, now has only one match left—the final.
This tournament, expanded from the previous seven-team format to 32 teams, has a total prize pool of $1 billion (approximately 1.266 trillion won).
Top clubs from all continents, including Europe, participated in this Club World Cup.
The tournament organizing committee will award a bonus of $40 million (approximately 55 billion won) to the team that wins the final. This amount is more than 100 times larger than the 500 million won received by the K League 1 champion.
PSG has achieved a domestic treble by winning Ligue 1, the French Super Cup, and the French Cup this season. They also achieved their first win in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), bringing their total to four titles. If they win just one more match in the Club World Cup, they will accomplish the unprecedented feat of a quintuple.
PSG suffered a setback in the group stage against Brazil's Botafogo, but has since been on the rise. Since entering the knockout stage, they have displayed overwhelming performance, producing 10 goals without conceding in three consecutive matches. Fabian Ruiz leads the team's attack with three goals. Ousmane Dembélé, who was sidelined due to injury, has also returned to contribute to the squad.
According to British media outlet 'The Guardian,' ahead of the final, PGG manager Luis Enrique said, “We can aim for another championship in the last game of the season. However, we must recognize how difficult this match will be. Chelsea’s manager Maresca is one that I love. Chelsea has won the Conference League and finished fourth in the league. They are continuing to grow. They build up from the back, keep pressing, and constantly try to attack. They are a very well-rounded team and have had an amazing season. They are not an easy team.”
He also reaffirmed, “We will concentrate 100% to wrap up this historic season.”
He continued, “If you ask me whether we are having the best season, I could say ‘maybe.’ But the finish is more important. There is always a winner and a loser in the final. Being a loser does not mean you did something wrong. Let’s see what the outcome will be.” He added, “Football is played by 11 stars. However, the entire team must be the real stars. The fans should also be the same. It is not one star, but the entire Parc des Princes that is the star. That is the path we want to take.”
When a reporter asked Enrique, “Aren't you the real star?” and “You are a strong candidate for the Ballon d'Or award for managers,” Enrique replied, “I don't really believe in individual awards, especially for managers. The team is always above individuals. I don't have any star attributes. I enjoyed my career as a player and I'm enjoying it now as a manager. Especially during tough moments. Those are the moments when I am the happiest. Of course, it’s nice when things go well too.”
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