For years, the question of which is the best soccer club on the planet has had an implicit answer: the UEFA Champions League champion. In 2025, that logic seems to consolidate. Paris Saint-Germain will arrive at the Club World Cup in high spirits after thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the European final, and must now validate that dominance on a wider and more diverse stage: a tournament with 32 teams, five continents and more than a dozen champions.

PSG's forcefulness at the Allianz Arena in Munich left little doubt about their current form: high pressing, attacking amplitude, young talent and total domination over Inter, who arrived with Lautaro Martinez as the star player. It was the biggest goal difference in the history of a Champions League final, with goals from Achraf Hakimi, Désiré Doué (2), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu.

Inter, one of the European representatives at the Club World Cup, not only lost the title, but they are coming into the tournament with this recent injury. PSG, for their part, are not just looking to lift the cup: they are looking to mark an era.

A global challenge

FIFA expanded the format of this tournament precisely to answer this question. For the first time, 32 teams will take part in a World Cup-like competition, with group stages, knockout matches and matches in iconic U.S. cities such as Philadelphia, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
PSG shares Group B with Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders. None of the matches will be a formality. Botafogo arrives with continental hunger after its Libertadores campaign; Atletico has an Argentine squad (De Paul and Julian Alvarez) that combines grit and soccer; and Seattle plays at home, with the encouragement of an MLS in full expansion.

Latin America is present

The new Club World Cup will also be a showcase for Latin American stars. Messi and Suárez lead Inter Miami's advance team; Germán Cano wants to confirm with Fluminense that there is no age to shine; and River, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Boca arrive with squads full of local talent.

Even the defeated Lautaro Martínez will have a quick revenge: he will seek redemption with Inter Milan in Group E against River Plate, Monterrey and Urawa Red Diamonds.

The competition will no longer be just economic and marketing. For the first time, the world club champion will have to face very different styles, climates, calendars and soccer cultures. The throne is open.

Are PSG already the best in the world? That is the question that opens this edition of the tournament. The leadership of a peerless coach like Luis Enrique has managed to put together one of the best teams of recent times. They now have all the credentials: European champions, a multimillion-dollar squad, an established coach and global stars. But he will not have an easy road ahead. The champions of America, Asia and Africa are ready to challenge European hegemony, and this time it is not enough to say it: it has to be proven on the pitch.