Marquinhos States Club World Cup Loss Does Not Diminish PSG's Successful Season

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Paris Saint-Germain's captain, Marquinhos, reflected on their Club World Cup final loss to Chelsea, emphasising that it should not overshadow an otherwise remarkable season. Despite being outplayed in the match, PSG's achievements throughout the year remain significant. Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory with Cole Palmer scoring twice and Joao Pedro adding another goal at MetLife Stadium. The defeat was compounded by Joao Neves' red card for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair.

PSG had a memorable 2024-25 season under Luis Enrique, clinching Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophee des Champions, and the Champions League titles. Their semi-final win over Real Madrid marked their 48th victory of the season, surpassing their previous record of 47 wins from the 2015-16 campaign. Marquinhos expressed pride in his team's accomplishments despite not winning the revamped tournament on their first attempt.

Chelsea's tactical approach proved effective in limiting PSG's attacking prowess during the final. The Premier League side managed to restrict PSG to just eight shots with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.53 compared to Chelsea's 2.08 from ten attempts. Marquinhos acknowledged that Chelsea's strategy worked well in the first half, particularly targeting Nuno Mendes on PSG’s left side.

The Parisian team struggled defensively, conceding three goals within the first 43 minutes of play for only the third time since Qatar Sports Investments took ownership in 2011. This was also just their second final loss by more than one goal margin (excluding Super Cups), following a 2-0 defeat to Gueugnon in the 2000 Coupe de la Ligue. Marquinhos admitted that Chelsea won many physical duels and were more effective with their chances.

Reflecting on missed opportunities, Marquinhos noted how PSG failed to capitalise on their chances during crucial moments. "We had chances, but we didn’t manage to score," he said. He highlighted how efficiency can change outcomes, as seen in both this match and their Champions League final performance.

Marquinhos' Perspective

Despite the disappointment of losing the final, Marquinhos remains optimistic about PSG’s future prospects and is grateful for fan support throughout highs and lows. "The fans are always with us," he stated. He acknowledged that while they missed a golden opportunity to win a trophy that returns every four years, it doesn't diminish what they achieved this season.

PSG’s contrasting performances between matches were evident when comparing their semi-final against Real Madrid to this final. In contrast to their slow start against Chelsea, they had taken a three-goal lead within just 24 minutes against Madrid—a feat last achieved in April 2018 against Monaco in Ligue 1.

Marquinhos concluded by expressing hope for future opportunities while recognising that such chances may not come often: "It’s a trophy that comes back every four years; we don’t know if we’ll have that chance again." Despite falling short this time around, he believes fans remain proud of what PSG accomplished during this extraordinary season.