California, USA — Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their Club World Cup journey in ruthless fashion, cruising past Spanish giants Atletico Madrid with a statement 4–0 win at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. The Champions League winners were in no mood for pleasantries as they tore through Diego Simeone’s men, sending a clear warning to other contenders in this expanded 32-team tournament.

PSG’s dominance was apparent from the get-go. Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a crisp long-range effort, while Vitinha doubled the lead just before the break after a slick counterattack. Atletico’s brief hopes of a fightback were extinguished in the second half after Clement Lenglet was sent off, followed by goals from Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in to seal the rout.

Vitinha, who was named Man of the Match, described the performance as “very good” given the intense 31°C heat. “We controlled all of the game. We’re happy with the result,” the midfielder told DAZN. Coach Luis Enrique, decked in a training shirt and shorts on the touchline, praised the team’s collective showing: “Every single player showed their best quality to the team.”

Atletico’s frustrations boiled over when Alexander Sorloth missed an open net, prompting Simeone to drop to his knees in disbelief. The Spanish side’s day got worse when VAR ruled out a Julian Alvarez strike for a foul in the buildup, while PSG continued to apply pressure until the final whistle.

Meanwhile, in another Group B demolition earlier on Sunday, Bayern Munich turned Cincinnati into a goal fest, hammering New Zealand’s Auckland City 10–0 in front of 21,152 fans at TQL Stadium. Jamal Musiala, making his return from injury, grabbed a second-half hat-trick in just 17 minutes. Thomas Müller, Kingsley Coman, and new signing Michael Olise all bagged braces, as Bayern outshot their opponents 17–1 on target.

But it wasn’t just football on the pitch — fans in the stands made their voices heard too. A bold banner reading “Smash FIFA!” referenced the 2015 Zurich corruption scandal and called out what they see as the continued mismanagement of the sport’s global body.

With PSG and Bayern both flexing their muscle in the group stage, football fans across the globe will now be watching closely. If this is the tone being set, then the Club World Cup might be delivering more fireworks than anyone expected.


By WafricNews Sports Desk.