Paris Saint-Germain capped off a historic year by lifting their first-ever FIFA Intercontinental Cup, edging past Brazilian giants Flamengo in a dramatic penalty shootout in Qatar. The final ended 1-1 after regulation and extra time before PSG prevailed 2-1 on penalties, thanks to a stunning performance from goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.
Safonov Turns Hero in Dramatic Shootout
The Russian shot-stopper produced an unforgettable display in the tiebreaker, saving four consecutive penalties to hand PSG their sixth trophy of 2025. His heroics proved decisive after Ousmane Dembele, fresh from winning both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best award, missed his spot-kick and briefly looked set to become the fall guy.
Safonov’s rise has been remarkable. Signed during the summer, he had limited opportunities early in the season before an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier opened the door.
“𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒗 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆,” 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝑺𝑮 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉.
Tight Contest Ends with PSG on Top
The final, held at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, lived up to expectations. PSG controlled proceedings with nearly 60 percent possession and broke the deadlock in the 38th minute through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Despite several chances to extend their lead, the French champions were pegged back in the 62nd minute when Jorginho converted a penalty following a foul by Marquinhos.
With no goals in extra time, the match went to penalties. Both sides scored their opening attempts, but the shootout soon became a one-man show as Safonov repeatedly denied Flamengo’s players. Even after Bradley Barcola saw his effort saved, the PSG keeper held his nerve to seal victory.
“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎,” 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒖𝒊𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒆’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇. “𝑯𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍.”
PSG Complete Golden Year Under Luis Enrique
The Intercontinental Cup triumph adds another chapter to a landmark season for PSG. Earlier disappointments in the Club World Cup were quickly forgotten as Luis Enrique’s side collected silverware across all competitions.
PSG’s trophy haul in 2025 now includes the Ligue 1 title, French Cup, French Super Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, underlining their dominance in both domestic and international football.
For Flamengo, the defeat brought an end to an otherwise successful run that saw them claim the Copa Libertadores and Brazil’s Serie A within days. For PSG, however, it was the perfect finale to a year to remember—sealed by the gloves of an unlikely hero.
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