Paris Saint-Germain made history by becoming the first French club to win a global club trophy, edging CR Flamengo on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, to claim the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. The defeat denied Flamengo a fifth trophy of 2025.

Still smarting from their loss in the FIFA Club World Cup final, the European champions started with purpose and intensity. João Neves went close early on by steering a Vitinha free-kick into the side netting, while Lee Kang-in tested Agustín Rossi with a driven effort after cutting inside.

Rossi endured a nervous moment in the 11th minute when an attempted clearance gifted the ball to PSG, allowing Fabián Ruiz to slot into an empty net. However, VAR ruled that the Flamengo goalkeeper had not conceded a corner, and the goal was controversially disallowed.

After surviving the early pressure, Flamengo began to settle and threaten. Erick Pulgar produced their best chance of the opening period, firing a powerful effort through traffic that was well saved by Matvei Safonov.

The contest grew increasingly physical, with both sides collecting bookings. PSG suffered a setback when Lee was forced off injured after 35 minutes, but his replacement, Senny Mayulu, made an immediate impact. Three minutes later, PSG opened the scoring through a slick team move. Mayulu orchestrated play through midfield before switching the ball wide to Désiré Doué, whose low cross was missed by Rossi and turned in at the back post by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Luis Enrique’s side pushed for a second goal early in the second half, with Neves forcing Rossi into a solid save. However, PSG failed to put the match beyond reach, and Flamengo were handed a lifeline just past the hour mark. Marquinhos was penalised following a VAR review for a foul on Giorgian de Arrascaeta, allowing Jorginho to calmly convert from the spot.

The equaliser invited sustained PSG pressure, but Flamengo’s defence largely held firm. Rossi was finally tested again 12 minutes from time, comfortably dealing with a Doué effort. PSG introduced Ousmane Dembélé in search of a breakthrough, yet Flamengo nearly snatched victory late on, only for Pedro and Léo Pereira to be denied by crucial blocks.

Deep into stoppage time, Marquinhos squandered a golden chance to redeem himself, failing to convert Dembélé’s driven cross, and the match moved into extra time.

PSG dominated possession in the additional period but lacked a cutting edge. Marquinhos and Neves both headed straight at Rossi, while chances for Luiz Araújo, Dembélé, and Bradley Barcola went begging as the game drifted towards penalties.

The shootout began with two successful kicks before Safonov emerged as the decisive figure. The PSG goalkeeper saved four Flamengo penalties — from Saúl Ñíguez, Pedro, Léo Pereira, and Luiz Araújo — to secure a 2-1 shootout victory. Despite Nuno Mendes being the only PSG player to score after the opening kicks, it proved sufficient.

The triumph marked PSG’s 50th win across all competitions in 2025 and delivered their sixth trophy of the calendar year. For Flamengo, their search for a second global crown continues, with their 1981 Intercontinental Cup victory over Liverpool remaining their sole success on the world stage.