Return of 'best player' Dembélé 'critical' for PSG

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey -- Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique will hope to count on striker Ousmane Dembélé for Sunday's Club World Cup finale against Chelsea, after a stunning 4-0 thrashing over Real Madrid in the tournament's penultimate stage.

The Ballon d'Or frontrunner rested the entire group stage after sustaining a thigh injury while on duty with France and was limited to substitute appearances in earlier knockout rounds, getting his first start of the tournament on Wednesday against the LaLiga titans.

He made an immediate impact, aiding Fabián Ruiz in the opening goal in the sixth minute before sending one into the net three minutes later at MetLife Stadium.

Luis Enrique previously told reporters that he believed Dembélé is deserving of the Ballon d'Or, and on Wednesday said there was no doubt that the Frenchman had once again shown himself worthy of soccer's top individual honour.

"I'd like to highlight that this is the first game that I had my best player, Dembélé, at his best," he told reporters. "We'd seen him very little throughout this tournament, this is a critical player, a unique player, a player that every fan wants to see... hopefully we can have him for the final."

The trophy on Sunday against Chelsea would mark a glittering end to a terrific season, as Luis Enrique steered the team to the continental treble, with a 5-0 defeat of Inter Milan in the Champions League final in his second year with the team.

"We are one game away to not just make history but to build to history of Paris, of a French club that might get every cup, every tournament," Luis Enrique told reporters. "This is very significant for us, for our fans."

The Club World Cup final is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium to bring a close to the inaugural edition of the 32-team FIFA club competition.

Real Madrid has 15 European and five world titles, a modern global superpower brand established two decades ago in the Galacticos era of David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo, then lifted loftier by Cristiano Ronaldo from 2009-18 and the rise of social media.

PSG hadn't won a Ligue 1 title since 1995 when Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011. Paris has won 11 of 13 French championships since 2013 but until May failed to become Europe's best, despite emulating Madrid's star collection when its lineup included Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.

A group achieved more than the star system.

"We've all made history, that is, the players, the staff, the sports director, the managers, the fans, we've all made history," Luis Enrique, hired in July 2023, added.

PSG dominated every aspect with a 631-255 advantage in completed passes and 67% possession, including 76.5% in the first half.

"It's a painful defeat. We were not up to standard today," Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said after the game.

PSG has outscored opponents 16-1 in six matches, getting three goals from Ruiz, two each from Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi and João Neves, and one apiece from Désiré Doué, Lee Kang-in, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Senny Mayulu, Gonçalo Ramos and Vitinha. It hasn't allowed a goal since a 1-0 loss to Botofogo in its second group-stage match.

"We're truly happy to be in another final. Now we have to enjoy it because we're doing something historic," Ruiz said. "It's very difficult to reach every final this season, and now we're one step away."

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.