East Rutherford, NJ-Luis Enrique said, Paris Saint-Germain “Team of Stars” can deliver the “Icing on the Cake” for their incredible season in the final of the FIFA Club World Championship after the club had overcome Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar's exits in order to be the best team in the world.
PSG competes in the final on Sunday at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey as a strong favorite to expand the World Cup in the Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coupé de France title, which were already won in the 2024-25 season.
The Enrique team is now generally recognized as the number one of the world clubs and a victory on Sunday would confirm this status.
Selection of the publisher
2 related
After the former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique PSG had rebuilt after the departure of her superstar players, the key to the success of the team was her team of stars rather than one person.
“We have 11 stars – that's football,” Luis Enrique told reporters on Friday. “We don't just want a main player.
“We want 11 stars, maybe 14-15 in our squad, and that is the obligation we have from our directors and presidents.
“We want a team of stars. There is not a single PSG fan that acts as a star, the entire parc of the Princes is the star, and we want that on the field.
“This team is over the individual players and for this reason we are leading. We will lose at some point, that's how it works and we want stars – but only as a team.”
PSG booked her place in the final with a 4-0 semi-final victory against Real Madrid after having already hit Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid on the way to the final.
A 5-0 final of the Champions League against Inter Milan, after defeating four Premier League teams in the competition this season, underlined PSG's dominance, but Luis Enrique says that his team has to defeat Chelsea to have a perfect end of the season.
“This is the last game in the season and we felt good,” said Luis Enrique. “We had a very good year and it is very important for us to end this historical season in the best possible way.
“We were absolutely incredible, we wrote history and we want to continue and win the game on Sunday. We have to win to bring the icing on the cake to the cake.
“But if you believe that this game will be a walk in the park, you really don't know what football is about
“Chelsea won the Conference League, they are a growing team. I love Enzo Maresca as a coach because his team always attacks and press them really well. This is not just an old game.
“It is very important that we are aware of how difficult this game will be. Chelsea has talented people and they can defend themselves under pressure. Your team is comparable to us.”
Luis Enrique has already led Paris Saint-Germain to the first Champions League title of the club this season. Alex Grimm/Getty Images
PSG captain Marquinhos has asked his teammates to take the chance to become world champion by saying that it was a rare opportunity for the club.
“We are aware of the importance of this game,” he said. “It is a golden opportunity in a competition that takes place every four years.
“Every game has its own story. The club is ready for this title and the trainer has prepared us very well.”
“It is a 50-50 bet in a final, but we really want this title and that is our attitude at the moment.”
The 31-year-old Marquinhos has been with PSG since his arrival of Roma in 2013 and has seen how the club developed from a team from superstars to the modern version of the Luis Enrique site.
And despite the talent that he played alongside Mbappé, Neymar, Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, says Marquinhos that today's team is the best of the lot.
“We have played an extraordinary level in the past few months,” he said. “It is a real honor to be part of this team, it is a very strong team.
“With regard to the results, this is definitely the best team in which I was at PSG, but I played with some amazing players who have achieved incredible things in football – players who won more than these players.
“But if all of this has taken into account, this is the team that has done the most collective.
“When I joined, I played with players who were idols of mine, and I lived wonderful times here with wonderful players. But with regard to results and titles, this is probably the best squad to date.”
