Paris Saint-Germain crowned Intercontinental Cup champions

Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov led Paris Saint-Germain, champions of France and the UEFA Champions League, to the Intercontinental Cup title after a remarkable performance in the penalty shootout, saving four attempts from Brazilian side Flamengo. The Parisian club secured the trophy following an exciting 1–1 draw after both regular and extra time in the final, which was held at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Safonov, who started ahead of Luca Chevalier, showed immense focus in the decisive moments, confirming his quality after spending a long period on the bench, and handed Paris Saint-Germain their sixth title of 2025 in what has become the most successful season in the club’s history.

The Parisian side established themselves as a global football powerhouse this year after winning the French league title, the Coupe de France, the French Super Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup, before adding the Intercontinental Cup for the first time to complete a historic collection of continental and global honors.

Paris Saint-Germain took the lead in the first half through Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, capitalizing on a well-organized counter-attack, before Flamengo brought the match back level in the 62nd minute when former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho converted a penalty after a foul inside the box.

The encounter was intense and open from the outset, with both sides sharing possession and creating chances. The first half saw a PSG goal disallowed following a VAR review, after the ball was judged to have fully crossed the line before the attacking move was built.

Flamengo delivered a strong performance, once again highlighting the presence of South American football at the highest level. The Brazilian side entered the match aiming to claim a third trophy this year, having already won the Brazilian league, the Copa do Brazil, and the Brazilian Super Cup, relying on their continental experience and impressive showing at the Club World Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a significant setback when South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in was forced off injured midway through the first half, but the French side maintained their balance and went into the break with a 1–0 lead.

In the second half, PSG enjoyed a slight advantage, though Flamengo displayed strong defensive resilience and relied on counter-attacks. The match eventually went into extra time, which produced several clear chances for both teams, with goalkeeper Agustín Rossi standing out with crucial saves.

When the final was decided by penalties, Safonov stole the spotlight by saving spot-kicks from Saúl Ñíguez, Pedro, Léo Pereira, and Luiz Araújo. Vitinha and Nuno Mendes converted for Paris Saint-Germain, sealing the title with a 2–1 shootout victory despite missed efforts from Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola.

With this achievement, Paris Saint-Germain continue to cement their status among the world’s elite clubs, in a historic season that underlines the club’s qualitative transformation on both the continental and international stages.