In an unexpected twist following the 2025 Club World Cup final, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique singled out Real Madrid as one of the factors responsible for his team’s shock defeat to Chelsea, who were crowned champions with a resounding 3-0 victory. The defeat at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13 marked a bitter end to a season that had been almost perfect for PSG, with a Champions League and several domestic titles to their name. However, Luis Enrique’s controversial statements have caused a stir in the football world, especially due to his reference to Real Madrid, whom PSG had humiliated in the semifinals with a 4-0 defeat.
The match against Chelsea was a severe blow for PSG. According to Infobae, the English side, led by an inspired Cole Palmer, who scored a brace, and João Pedro, completely nullified the Parisian side with an impeccable tactical approach. From the start, Chelsea imposed man-to-man marking, suffocating pressure, and lethal counterattacks that dismantled Luis Enrique’s team. Despite dominating possession, PSG failed to generate any real danger, and goals from Palmer and João Pedro in the first half left the French team on the verge of collapse. In the second half, the Parisians found no answer, and the frustration culminated in a post-match brawl where, according to Sport.es, Luis Enrique lost his temper and assaulted João Pedro, an incident that could lead to severe sanctions from FIFA.
In the post-match press conference, Luis Enrique surprised fans by blaming Real Madrid for his team’s performance. According to the Asturian coach, the overwhelming 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the semifinals generated overconfidence in his players, which led them to underestimate Chelsea. “After thrashing Real Madrid, a team everyone considers the best in the world, my players believed the final would be easier. That match gave us a false sense of invincibility, and that cost us dearly,” he stated. This statement, reported by El Confidencial, sparked criticism and debate, especially because Luis Enrique, known for his past as a player and coach of Barcelona, did not miss the opportunity to take a dig at his arch-rivals.
PSG had reached the Club World Cup final after a stellar season. Under Luis Enrique, the team won the 2024-2025 Champions League with a crushing 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich, according to Infobae. They also swept Ligue 1 and other domestic competitions, establishing themselves as an attacking football machine led by players like Ousmane Dembélé and Fabián Ruiz. The semifinal against Real Madrid was, according to Flashscore.es, a masterpiece of football, with PSG dominating all aspects of the game, taking advantage of defensive errors by Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rüdiger to score two goals in the first nine minutes. However, that same superiority, according to Luis Enrique, may have been their Achilles heel in the final.
The international press was quick to react to Luis Enrique’s words. From Barcelona, where the coach is considered a legend, according to ESPN, social media was filled with messages of support, but also mockery of Real Madrid. Meanwhile, in Madrid, the statements were seen as an unnecessary provocation. José Félix Díaz of Marca.com described Luis Enrique’s words as “a lame excuse to justify a defeat that exposed PSG’s tactical shortcomings against a better-prepared Chelsea team.” Furthermore, the attack on João Pedro, captured on camera and highlighted by El Heraldo, has further tarnished the coach’s image, and he could face a ban that would temporarily keep him out of the dugout.
The context of the defeat also puts the challenges facing Luis Enrique into perspective. Despite his success in the Champions League and Ligue 1, the lack of a pure center forward, following Kylian Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid, has been a recurring problem. As Sport.es points out, PSG creates numerous chances but struggles to convert, a shortcoming that was evident against Chelsea. The French press, according to Le Parisien, has begun to question whether Luis Enrique’s strategy, based on associative play without a clear offensive focus, is sufficient to compete at the highest level in decisive moments.
Despite the defeat, Luis Enrique remained optimistic about the future of his project. In statements reported by TyC Sports, the coach highlighted his team’s ability to learn from failure: “We’ve won almost everything this year, but this defeat will make us stronger. Chelsea were superior, but we’ll come back.” However, his decision to blame Real Madrid has generated more controversy than empathy, especially since PSG failed to reproduce the level of performance they had shown in previous matches in the final.
The Club World Cup final was also marked by the presence of figures such as Donald Trump, J Balvin, and Doja Cat, according to El Heraldo, who attended the event at MetLife Stadium, adding a touch of glamour to a night that, for PSG, ended in disappointment. While Chelsea celebrated their first title in this competition, PSG and Luis Enrique returned to Paris empty-handed and a lesson that, according to the coach himself, could be the turning point for a new era of success. However, the shadow of the controversy with Real Madrid and the attack on João Pedro will continue to haunt the Asturian coach in the coming days
