Four first-half goals proved more than enough as Paris Saint-Germain sailed through to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ with a 4-0 win over Inter Miami CF. The Parisians attacking prowess and intense pressing proved too much for the Herons on a night where Bradley Barcola celebrated his 100th match for Les Rouge-et-Bleu. “We set the pace throughout the game. There was only going to be one outcome in that match”, the 22-year-old said after the game.
Like Ousmane Dembele, the formidable winger arrived in the United States short of full fitness due to discomfort in his right knee. Also ruled out of the tournament opener, the former Olympique Lyonnais man didn’t generate the same level of media attention as Paris No10 Dembele, despite facing a similar setback.
Off the pitch, the 22-year-old maintains a quiet, low-key presence – a sharp contrast to the sparkling flair he displays when he steps onto the field. He’s not the loudest voice in the dressing room and his fellow forwards have often been the ones in the spotlight during PSG’s rampant last six months. The more experienced Dembele has been one of the best players in the world this year, while Desire Doue’s scintillating breakthrough season reached its crescendo in the Champions League final, and former Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wasted no time in getting up to speed in the French capital following his arrival in January.
Barcola has embraced being in the shadows of his peers, never losing his spark as a game-changer – or the trust of his coach – in this close-knit Paris Saint-Germain side. And this Sunday’s match against Inter Miami marked 100 games for the French international, who arrived in the summer of 2023. “I’m proud to reach 100 games. I can only be happy today”, he reflected after the match.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami side, Barcola once again impressed, impacting the game with his creativity and dazzling footwork. The Frenchman saw a drop in his output in the second half of the season; he scored just four Ligue 1 goals in 2025 after 10 in the first four months of the season, and his contributions were overshadowed by electrifying performances from Dembele and Kvaratskhelia. Yet he remains vital to his team – whether it’s providing the final ball or the often-overlooked one before it.
Against Miami, the midfielder’s quick feet and inch-perfect pass to Fabian Ruiz allowed Joao Neves to double their lead. Barcola then almost lit up the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the second half with a deft flick and spin around the defender before his powerful strike was parried away by Oscar Ustari. After two substitute appearances against Botafogo and Seattle Sounders FC in the group stage, the young Frenchman looked back to his best in Atlanta in his first start of the tournament.
“It’s been a long time since I played 90 minutes as a starter – so I did well. I’ve been training well and I was happy with my performance today”, Barcola added.
PSG were afforded a further boost as Ousmane Dembele made an appearance off the bench as he steps up his return from injury. The French side remain one of the hot favourites to come away with the maiden Club World Cup trophy, but Barcola remained tight-lipped on the club’s title prospects: “Favourites? I don’t know about that. But when we play like we did today, we are unstoppable. In terms of pressing, playing, scoring, we did everything we needed to do – it was one of our best matches.”
Barcola is a player that often slips under the radar in a PSG team full of emerging superstars, but the young midfielder is a crucial part of Luis Enrique’s squad – and he is happy to let his football do the talking on the pitch.
