PSG throws shade at Madrid and Mbappé: “Now they have problems we used to have”

“This is just the beginning of our era, with a young team and a new culture at the club,” sources inside PSG told AS just hours after the Parisians were drawn against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup semifinals. But this isn’t just another match—it’s a de facto final. The winner takes home $29 million and the honor of being the tournament’s first-ever champion. More than that, it pits two vastly different footballing philosophies—and power structures—against each other.

Real Madrid: PSG’s final challenge

PSG vs. Real Madrid is Luis Enrique vs. Xabi Alonso. Al-Khelaïfi vs. Florentino Pérez. Mbappé then vs. Mbappé now. Every angle of the matchup is charged with drama. In Paris, Madrid isn’t just the opponent—they’re the ultimate villain. The reporters traveling with PSG from the start of the tournament have all circled Madrid as the team to beat.

There’s a lingering sense in the French capital that everything PSG is building needs to be validated with a landmark win over Real Madrid. In European soccer, there’s an unwritten rule: to be considered the best, you have to beat Madrid. Manchester City did it. Now it’s PSG’s turn.

And in Paris, they’re more than ready. Right now, the battle lines in European football are drawn along presidential lines: Al-Khelaïfi at the head of the European Club Association (ECA), and Florentino Pérez fronting the Super League movement. “Let’s talk about the semis when we get there. Right now, we’re focused on the quarterfinals,” Nasser said before facing Bayern, when asked about a potential clash with Madrid and the recently-signed Kylian Mbappé. He hasn’t spoken publicly about the match since.

PSG (almost) move on from Mbappé

The rivalry between these clubs has gone far beyond the pitch. The most recent flashpoint? Kylian Mbappé. The drawn-out transfer saga turned into a summer soap opera for years. In the end, Mbappé chose Madrid. PSG moved on—but not without a lingering bitterness toward both the player and the club that finally got their man.

In Paris, the belief is that the end of their “Galáctico” era—Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé—has given birth to a more balanced, cohesive team under Luis Enrique. “The problems we used to have? Now they’re Madrid’s,” one source remarked, clearly referencing Mbappé’s arrival in Spain.

There are layers to this matchup. In Paris, there’s a quiet hunger to take down Madrid. For Luis Enrique, beating the Blancos would mark a turning point—proof that his team has arrived. This is the reigning champ versus the perennial king. And there’s a sense that this time, the crown might finally shift.