‘L’Équipe’ ignores recent European supremacy and views Qatar duel as opportunity to fill decades-long void in country’s football
December 16
2025
– 11:12 p.m.
(updated at 11:12 p.m.)
The French press woke up this Wednesday (17) with its eyes focused exclusively on Qatar. “L’Équipe”, the country’s main sports media, devoted its noble front page to measuring the extent of the clash between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Flamengo. Under the striking title “History in motion” (History in progress), the publication adopts a solemn tone and treats the match not as another trophy, but rather as a countdown between French football and the Club World Cup, a title which has never landed in Paris or any other city in France.
The visual composition of the cover draws attention to the choice of protagonists. While PSG appears represented by the youth of striker Désiré Doué and the energy of coach Luis Enrique, the reds and blacks are gaining ground with the figure of Filipe Luís and, interestingly, midfielder Jorginho. The Italian-Brazilian’s presence in the spotlight suggests Europeans’ respect for the Rio team’s international experience. The editorial describes this match as a “golden opportunity” for the Parisians to close 2025 with the sixth cup of the season, crowning a year of absolute hegemony.
PSG participates in the final for the first time
The text of the diary has significant historical weight. The publication recalls that this will be the first time that a French club competes in the final of the Intercontinental Cup. The only time the country came close to the world summit was in 1993, with Olympique de Marseille. But on this occasion, a corruption scandal in the national championship suspended the UEFA team and prevented the duel against Telê Santana’s São Paulo. Milan inherited the place and found themselves beaten 3-2 in a sensational match. More than thirty years later, PSG is trying to fill this gap in the national football curriculum.
The match also has an air of “second chance” for the Qatari project of PSG. The club has already reached the global goal that same year. In June, at the Club World Cup held in the United States, the French reached the final after eliminating powerhouses like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but succumbed to Chelsea 3-0. Now, facing the champion Libertadores, “L’Équipe” sees the ideal scenario so that the generation of Marquinhos, Vitinha and company can finally paint the world in the colors of France.
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