Reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to get past Real Madrid C.F. on 9 July and book their place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ final.
The sides have never met this deep into an official competition, but they are certainly no strangers on the continental stage. In 12 previous competitive meetings, Los Blancos have the edge with five wins to PSG’s four, with three draws between the pair.
Ahead of their 13th showdown, at MetLife Stadium, FIFA takes a look back at three unforgettable matches between these European powerhouses.
Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 Real Madrid (5-4 on aggregate)
UEFA Cup | Quarter-final, second leg | 18 March 1993
In 1993, PSG were far from the European heavyweights they are today, while Los Blancos had not tasted European glory since 1966.
In the first leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-finals at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid racked up a 3-1 advantage, thanks to goals from Emilio Butragueno, Ivan Zamorano and Michel. Luis Enrique, then part of the Merengues ranks, was unable to make an impact.
Paris Saint-Germain : Bernard Lama ; Jean-Luc Sassus (Bruno Germain 77’), Patrick Colleter, Ricardo Gomes, Antoine Kombouare ; Paul Le Guen (c), Amara Simba (Daniel Bravo 73’), Vincent Guerin ; George Weah, Valdo, David Ginola – Head coach: Artur Jorge
Real Madrid : Paco Buyo ; Ricardo Rocha, Mikel Lasa, Ivan Perez Munoz, Luis Migue Ramis Monfort, Fernando Hierro, Emilio Butragueno (Francisco Villaroya 65’), Michel, Ivan Zamorano, Robert Prosinecki, Luis Enrique (Alfonso Perez) – Head coach: Benito Floro
Back at the Parc des Princes, George Weah threw Les Rouge et Bleu a lifeline with an opener just after the half-hour mark, but the Parisian attack struggled to break down Real Madrid’s defence, until a whirlwind final ten minutes turned the tie on its head.
David Ginola, who had scored PSG’s only goal in the first leg, fired home a superb effort before Valdo added a third with just three minutes to go. At 3-0, Artur Jorge’s men were on the verge of qualification, but Zamorano struck in the 90th minute to level the aggregate score, handing the Spaniards the advantage on away goals.
But the French club were not done yet. Cue Antoine Kombouare. From a free kick, TheGolden Helmet soared above the defence and slotted a header beyond the reach of goalkeeper Paco Buyo, sealing the French side’s passage to the semi-finals.
“Every French football fan fell in love with our team that night. We made a lot of people very happy,” recalled PSG’s then-President Michel Denisot.
Although they subsequently fell to defeat against eventual champions Juventus FC in the semi-finals, that UEFA Cup run marked the start of a golden era at PSG, who reached European semi-finals in three consecutive seasons (the 1992-93 UEFA Cup, the 1993-94 European Cup Winners’ Cup and the 1994-95 UEFA Champions League), before lifting the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996 and returning to the final the following year.
Real Madrid 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain (5-2 on aggregate)
UEFA Champions League | Round of 16, first leg | 14 February 2018
By 2018, QSi’s takeover and investment had elevated PSG to a new level. The club had secured four Ligue 1 titles and signed rising star Kylian Mbappe, fresh from leading Monaco to the French title in the 2016-17 season.
Real Madrid, under Zinedine Zidane, were chasing their fourth Champions League title in five years, with Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his powers.
Real Madrid : Keylor Navas ; Nacho, Rafael Varane, Sergio Ramos (c), Marcelo ; Luka Modric, Casemiro (Lucas Vazquez 79’), Toni Kroos ; Karim Benzema (Gareth Bale 68’), Isco (Marco Asensio 79’), Cristiano Ronaldo – Head coach: Zinedine Zidane.
Paris Saint-Germain : Alphone Areola ; Yuri Berchiche, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos (c), Dani Alves ; Adrien Rabiot, Giovani Lo Celso (Julian Draxler 84’), Marco Verratti ; Neymar, Edinson Cavani (Thomas Meunier 66’), Kylian Mbappe – Head coach: Unai Emery.
“This is a clash that can define an entire season,” Ronaldo said ahead of the contest. “We’re up against a great team full of top players who we respect a lot.”
Les Rouge et Bleu drew first blood when Adrien Rabiot fired home just after the half hour. But Ronaldo, who had been denied by Alphonse Areola minutes earlier, levelled from the penalty spot just before half-time, netting his 100th Champions League goal for Madrid.
PSG held their own for much of the second half, but the Spanish side’s late surge proved decisive. Ronaldo bundled in a second in the 83rd minute, and Marcelo, outstanding throughout, sealed the win shortly after. The result left Los Merengues looking good for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Parisians were without Neymar for the second leg due to an ankle injury and, although Edinson Cavani got them on the scoresheet, they once again fell short in the last 16, thanks to goals from Ronaldo and Casemiro. Zidane’s men would continue their winning streak, lifting their third straight Champions League trophy.
PSG, for their part, enjoyed a great season on the domestic front. They lifted the Coupe de la Ligue three weeks later, wrapped up a seventh Ligue 1 title with five matches to spare and added the Coupe de France in May – but European glory continued to elude them.
Real Madrid 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain (3-2 on aggregate)
UEFA Champions League | Round of 16, second leg | 9 March 2022
PSG had enjoyed a promising spell in Europe. They reached the 2019-20 Champions League final, succumbing 1-0 to FC Bayern München after having dismantled Real Madrid 3-0 in the group stage. The following season, both sides were knocked out in the semi-finals.
A year later, they were reunited in the round of 16. Mauricio Pochettino’s charges secured a 1-0 win in the first leg, sealed by a stoppage-time strike from Mbappe. PSG had the edge heading into the second leg in Madrid.
Real Madrid : Thibaut Courtois ; Dani Carvajal (Lucas Vazquez 66’), Eder Militao, David Alaba, Nacho ; Luka Modric, Toni Kroos (Eduardo Camavinga 57’), Federico Valverde ; Marco Asensio (Rodrygo 57’), Karim Benzema (c), Vinicius Junior – Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti.
Paris Saint-Germain : Gianluigi Donnarumma ; Nuno Mendes, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos (c), Achraf Hakimi (Julian Draxler 88’), Leandro Paredes (Idrissa Gueye 71’), Marco Verratti, Danilo (Ángel Di Maria 81’) ; Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar – Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino.
Les Rouge et Bleu looked to be in complete control when Mbappe raced down the left to rifle past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and put the French side ahead just before half-time.
However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side, led by an inspired Karim Benzema, came roaring back in the second half. The former Lyon striker bagged a sensational hat-trick, his third in the Champions League, with goals coming from a Vinicius Junior cutback after a Gianluigi Donnarumma error, a deflected shot following a brilliant Modric assist and a deft outside-foot finish following another Vinicius Junior run.
“Along with [Robert] Lewandowski, Karim is the best number 9 in the world right now,” said Courtois after the match. “He’s a great player, a true captain. And he led us to victory, not only with his goals but with his class.”
Real Madrid went on to claim their first Champions League title since 2018 and wrapped up another La Liga crown. PSG reclaimed the Ligue 1 title, but their agonising wait for European glory continued. That, however, was about to change…
