On a thrilling night in Doha, Matvei Safonov rose from understudy to hero, saving four straight penalties to hand Paris Saint-Germain their sixth trophy of 2025.
The Russian goalkeeper, thrust into the spotlight after Lucas Chevalier’s late-November ankle injury, became the decisive figure in a tense FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo on Wednesday, December 17. With the match locked at 1-1 after extra time, Safonov repelled spot-kicks from Saúl Ñíguez, Pedro, Léo Pereira and Luiz Araújo to prevail 2-1 in the shootout.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring in the 38th minute, only for Marquinhos’ late challenge to gift Jorginho a 62nd-minute equaliser for the Copa Libertadores champions, who were chasing a second Intercontinental Cup crown since 1981. Flamengo had entered the final on the back of Copa Libertadores and Brazilian championship wins.
The result caps a trophy-laden 12 months for PSG. Before lifting the Intercontinental Cup in Doha, they had already celebrated victories in:
- Trophée des Champions
- Ligue 1
- Coupe de France
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Super Cup
In the shootout, only three of nine penalties found the net. Vitinha and Nuno Mendes converted for PSG, while Nicolás de la Cruz scored for Flamengo. Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola were the only PSG takers to miss alongside Chelsea veteran Jorginho.
For digitally savvy football fans and global sports enthusiasts, Safonov’s performance underscores how a single night can redefine a career—and how football continues to deliver drama on the world stage.
Reference(s):
Safonov makes four penalty saves to help PSG win Intercontinental Cup
cgtn.com
