European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have successfully navigated the group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup, securing a 2-0 victory over host club Seattle Sounders FC on Monday, June 23, 2025. The win at Lumen Field in Seattle not only propelled PSG into the knockout rounds as Group B winners but also brought an end to the Sounders’ campaign, who exited the tournament winless.
The match, played in front of 50,628 fans, saw PSG rebound from a surprising defeat to Botafogo earlier in the group stage. Goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi sealed the crucial victory for the Ligue 1 champions. Seattle, needing an improbable three-goal margin of victory to even have a chance at progression, started the game with intensity, pinning PSG in their defensive third during the opening minutes. However, the MLS side failed to capitalize on early corner kicks, with Obed Vargas’s volley sailing wide and Marquinhos clearing a dangerous ball.
PSG soon found their rhythm, and in the 12th minute, Désiré Doué forced a save from Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei. The breakthrough for PSG came in the 35th minute when a cleared corner fell to Vitinha, whose strike deflected off Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s back and into the net, giving PSG a fortunate but deserved lead. The Parisian side doubled their advantage in the 66th minute. Substitute Bradley Barcola drove into the box, drawing multiple Seattle defenders, before laying off to a wide-open Achraf Hakimi, who calmly slotted home.
Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer acknowledged his team’s initial effort, stating, “It was a good start. We knew we were going to have to come out and be ready for the best league team in Europe so our guys came out into the game fired up.” However, after the break, Seattle appeared to lose some of their early drive, while PSG continued to press, showcasing their counter-attacking prowess. PSG manager Luis Enrique expressed satisfaction with the win, noting the challenge of the playing surface. “We managed to succeed in winning this match, I am happy,” Enrique said. “Of course, there’s a few things to fine tune but it is not easy to play on this type of pitch. It’s very different to European pitches. The grass is different and therefore it is not so easy to have the same smoothness to play our style of play but we did adapt well.”
The result had significant implications for Group B. With this victory, coupled with Atlético Madrid’s 1-0 win over Botafogo in another group fixture, PSG finished atop Group B with six points from three games. Despite also accumulating six points, Botafogo secured the second qualification spot, likely due to their head-to-head victory over PSG earlier in the tournament. Atlético Madrid, despite their win against Botafogo, were eliminated from the tournament, marking a surprising early exit for the Spanish giants. Seattle Sounders FC concluded their Club World Cup journey at the bottom of Group B, with zero points from three matches.
Looking ahead, PSG will now face the Group A runners-up on Sunday in Atlanta, while Botafogo is set to play the winner from Group A on Saturday in Philadelphia. PSG midfielder Joao Neves reflected on the team’s achievement, saying, “It’s a happy day. It feels good. We are going to Atlanta. We will try to put our idea into the game no matter what team we are playing against.” The full match report and statistics can be found on ESPN.
