Key Takeaways
- The FIFA Club World Cup semifinals feature a must-watch encounter between PSG and Real Madrid on Tuesday in New Jersey.
- Both clubs have flourished in this tournament and will battle it out for a spot in the showpiece.
- We'll break down the H2H history, provide a match preview, and shed light on any notable injuries.
Ousmane Dembele #10 of Paris Saint-Germain (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
We’re in the final four of the new-look FIFA Club World Cup, and Wednesday’s semifinal brings a must-watch clash between Champions League title-holders PSG and record European winners, Real Madrid. This fixture will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kick-off scheduled for 3 PM ET.
Below, we’ll dive into the head-to-head history between these two European giants, provide a match preview, and shed light on any notable injuries the two clubs are dealing with as they battle it out for a spot in the Club World Cup final against either Chelsea or Brazilian outfit Fluminense.
PSG vs Real Madrid H2H History
PSG and Madrid are by no means strangers. They’ve locked horns eight times dating back to 2015-16, all in the Champions League. Los Blancos have four wins during that span, while Paris has two victories. The other meetings ended level.
Most recently, Real knocked PSG out in the Round of 16 in the 2021-22 edition of Europe’s most prized competition, beating them 3-2 on aggregate across two legs. This will also be Kylian Mbappe’s first game against his former club. The superstar just dropped a criminal complaint against his ex-employer on Monday.
Match Preview
It’s been quite the impressive season for the French giants, winning Ligue 1 once again, capturing the Coupe de France title, and also conquering the Champions League for the first time in club history. While Mbappe may not be around anymore, this side has an electrifying attack with no shortage of options. Ousmane Dembele has led the line all year, but Desiree Doue, Bradley Barcola, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, among others, have all done their part. Doue bagged a brace in the UCL showpiece en route to a 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan.
PSG has carried their impressive form into the Club World Cup. They finished atop Group B with a 2-0-1 record, and while a defeat to Botafogo came as a surprise, Paris dominated in every other match of the tournament. They’ve beaten both Atletico Madrid and Inter Miami by 4-0 scorelines and also secured a 2-0 victory in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich to book their spot in the last four. Doue and Dembele both produced the goods versus the Bundesliga champions, netting late in the second period.
The Xabi Alonso era has started positively. After taking over for Carlo Ancelotti following the conclusion of the LaLiga season, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss has led one of the world’s most successful clubs to the semifinals of this new-look competition. This is a clear opportunity for Madrid to win hardware after going trophyless in 2024-25. That’s simply unheard of for a club of this stature. While their Club World Cup journey began with a disappointing draw with Al-Hilal on matchday one, it’s been all business since.
Los Blancos proceeded to hammer both Pachuca and RB Salzburg, helping them claim top spot in Group H. Madrid then breezed past Juventus in the Round of 16 before beating Dortmund 3-2 in the last eight, the same opponent they took down in the Champions League final in 2024. While Madrid did concede two late goals to the Germans, it was still an impressive performance, with Mbappe scoring his first goal in the States after recovering from a stomach illness. But Alonso’s men will face their biggest test yet in PSG, who are arguably the most confident side on the globe at the moment.
PSG vs Real Madrid Injury News
Lucas Hernandez and Willian Pacho were both handed red cards late in the second half against Bayern, and as a result, they will miss out here. Dembele, meanwhile, is dealing with a minor injury, but he could still suit up. It may just be as a substitute. For Madrid, they won’t have summer signing Dean Huijsen at the back after he received a red card on the weekend against Dortmund. Raul Asencio is expected to replace the former Bournemouth defender on the Los Blancos backline.
This should be a thrilling encounter in New Jersey between two of the world’s best.
