Seattle, June 23 — Paris Saint-Germain cruised into the last 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a composed 2-0 victory over MLS side Seattle Sounders on Monday night at Lumen Field, rebounding from a prior setback against Botafogo in Group B.
A crowd of 50,628 watched as the reigning UEFA Champions League holders delivered a professional if unspectacular performance, with goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi securing their advancement as group winners on goal difference.
PSG’s qualification was further aided by Atlético Madrid’s dramatic late win over Botafogo in Pasadena, which saw the Brazilian club slip to second.
Luis Enrique’s men entered the match under pressure following a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo, but they responded with calm assurance against a Seattle team that never truly threatened to mount an upset.
The Sounders needed a large-margin win and favorable results elsewhere to progress — a scenario that quickly proved unlikely.
The breakthrough came in the 35th minute, albeit somewhat fortuitously. A speculative effort from Vitinha at the edge of the area took a decisive deflection off Kvaratskhelia’s back, wrong-footing goalkeeper Stefan Frei and giving PSG a 1-0 lead.
It was a moment that summed up Seattle’s evening — valiant but ultimately undone by superior individual quality and a slice of misfortune.
Despite missing key forward Ousmane Dembélé for a third consecutive match due to injury, PSG had no shortage of attacking flair. Désiré Doué, particularly lively in the opening stages, forced a fine save from Frei with a fierce strike early on.
However, the French champions rarely reached top gear, content to control the tempo and minimize risk. The Sounders were gifted their best chance in the first half when PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma misjudged a clearance under pressure.
The ball fell to Jesús Ferreira, but the striker dragged his effort wide of the post, squandering a rare opportunity to level the score.
The decisive second goal came in the 66th minute following a beautifully constructed move. Doué, instrumental again, threaded a pass to substitute Bradley Barcola, who weaved in from the left flank and laid it off for Hakimi.
The Moroccan full-back showed composure as he took a touch before calmly slotting home his 10th goal of the season, extinguishing any hope of a comeback for the home side.
The win ensures PSG finish atop Group B and now face the runners-up of Group A in the round of 16, a match scheduled for Sunday in Atlanta — marking their first departure from the U.S. West Coast since arriving for the tournament.
Luis Enrique rotated his squad for the tie, bringing in Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz, and João Neves to freshen up the side. The move paid dividends, as the team delivered a mature performance underpinned by defensive solidity and clinical finishing.
For the Sounders, the tournament ends in disappointment, though their participation as 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners remains a landmark achievement. For PSG, the road to global supremacy continues.
