Paris Saint-Germain surged into the Club World Cup final with a commanding 4-0 win over Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium, thanks to a first-half brace from Spanish midfielder Fabián Ruiz.
The French champions capitalised on two early defensive blunders to take control of the match inside the opening nine minutes. Raul Asencio’s poor first touch in the sixth minute allowed Ousmane Dembélé to pounce, and although his initial effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois, Ruiz reacted quickest to slot home into an empty net.
Three minutes later, Antonio Rüdiger’s mis-hit pass handed Dembélé another opening. This time, the winger burst into the box unmarked before calmly finishing past Courtois to double the lead.
Ruiz struck again midway through the first half. Achraf Hakimi’s driving run down the right ended with a precise pass into the box, and Ruiz shrugged off Asencio with a feint before firing in his second of the night.
Substitute Gonçalo Ramos capped the rout three minutes from time, punishing a disjointed and toothless Real Madrid side who never threatened Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal.
“It was an incredible match, a brilliant win,” said Ruiz, who was named player of the match. “Even under the scorching heat, in difficult midday conditions, the team responded really well. We beat a top-level rival like Real Madrid in a great way. It’s job well done.”
Real manager Xabi Alonso saw his tactical gamble fall apart. Without suspended Dean Huijsen and injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alonso abandoned the five-man defence that had served his side well, opting instead for a four-man backline that was ruthlessly exposed by PSG’s attacking firepower.
The European champions, fresh from their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in last month’s Champions League final, were relentless from the off. Dembélé almost opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a curling effort that Courtois tipped away with a superb one-handed save. The Belgian also denied Ruiz shortly after with another point-blank stop.
But PSG’s pressure proved too much to contain. They dominated the remainder of the half and could have added more goals before the break. Real made no changes at half-time and never gained a foothold, with a Desire Doué effort ruled out for offside before Ramos sealed the win.
“At 2-0 down early on, the setback was tough,” admitted Alonso. “The feeling right now is not good, but we have to try and learn. PSG are a team that’s been built over two years — we’re just starting here. It will take time.”