Club World Cup Scouting Report: PSG are fun again, but can young, talented side make magic happen in the United States?

The young Parisian side have made waves in Europe, but an international club tournament would stamp their credentials

So, Paris Saint-Germain are fun again. Is this a good thing? Are we supposed to enjoy it? Can we enjoy the fact that Ousmane Dembele looks a proper footballer, that Bradley Barcola is ensuring that the loss of Kylian Mbappe doesn't hurt that much, that Joao Neves is quickly becoming one of Europe's best midfield talents?

PSG are coached by an excellent-yet-somehow-underrated manager in Luis Enrique, feature a litany of young talent, and play the kind of high-pressing counter-attacking football that captivates fans. Factor in veteran experience of Marquinhos at the back, and there's suddenly a feel-good vibe here.

Their elimination of Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield was a vindication of it all. Where they go from here is hard to tell. They will certainly wrap up Ligue 1. A Champions League title seems a stretch, but isn't out of the question.

More broadly, this is a young, fun team, complete with really very good footballers that might just be able to make some noise this summer - and for years to come.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.

Next up is PSG, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the French stars ahead of this summer's tournament.

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The Basics
DOMESTIC LEAGUE: Ligue 1
CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: First appearance
GROUP: B (Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Seattle Sounders, Botafogo)
OPENING MATCH: Atletico Madrid - June 15, 3 pm. ET, Pasadena

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How they got here
Despite their ultimate failures in the competition, the Parisians qualified for the tournament by virtue of their consistency in the Champions League. They have made the knockout stages in 11 consecutive seasons - losing in the 2020 final - but enough to rack up a sufficient European coefficient to be among the 12 UEFA teams playing in the U.S.
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The player to watch
It's hard to pick one. PSG were smart this offseason, letting Mbappe go - they really had no choice in the matter - and replacing him with a series of shrewd younger signings rather than making a big swing. The result is a bunch of 20-goal-per-season players without having one who can bag 60. That works a charm for Luis Enrique, who likes a balanced attack, anyway.
But the star man is Ousmane Dembele. A teenager standout at Dortmund and flop at Barca, he has been invigorated in Mbappe's absence, serving as the deadly roaming focal point of the attack. He can play either on the right or through the middle, and has found his scoring touch after a few poor years in front of goal.
To date, he has scored 30 and assisted six in all competitions for the Parisians. It's a remarkable mark for a player once considered "washed" at the age of 27.
Stop him, and things might get interesting. Then again, there's also Barcola, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue to worry about.

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Realistic expectation
PSG should walk this group. Atleti will be a gruesome, gnarly challenge, a 0-0 draw waiting to happen. The other two fixtures, against Botafogo and Seattle Sounders, might be far kinder. Seven points should be enough to top the group.
After that, it depends. Will the dreaded knockout football woes return? Or will their Champions League form remain? If they stay hot, then they might be one of Real Madrid's most apparent challengers for the whole thing. If not, an early exit could be on the cards. Either way, there will be fans out in droves, and the football should make for fine viewing.

The Basics

How they got here

The player to watch

Realistic expectation