The six-time champion creates a new goalkeeper hero in a 2-1 penalty shootout; Safonov’s four consecutive saves help Paris win the Intercontinental Cup.

At 1 AM Beijing time on December 18, 2025, the Intercontinental Cup final took place at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, with Champions League holders Paris facing off against South American Libertadores Cup winners Flamengo.

In the first half, Kvaratskhelia broke the deadlock, Fabio scored but the VAR overturned it due to the ball going out of bounds, so Paris led 1-0 at halftime; in the second half, Marquinhos conceded a penalty and missed an open goal, while Chelsea former player Jorginho scored the penalty to equalize for Flamengo.

During extra time, neither side managed to score. In the penalty shootout, Safonov saved four consecutive shots, leading to a rare 2-1 shootout result. Paris won 3-2 on aggregate against Flamengo, securing the Intercontinental Cup and achieving the six-title milestone.

Paris vs Flamengo,Enrique deployed a 4-3-3 formation, with South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in playing as a striker, flanked by Kvaratskhelia and Doku. Joao Neves and Vitinha, two billion-euro players, partnered Fabian in the midfield. Emery played as right-back alongside Marquinhos, Paqueti, and Mendes in defense, with Safonov in goal. The starting lineup’s total value was 700 million euros, with an average age of 24.2 years.Felipe Luis set up a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a starting lineup valued at only 80.5 million euros, under 100 million euros, and an average age of 30.5 years. Chelsea’s former player Jorginho started in the lineup.

Although Paris fielded a rotated squad, their overall strength was still far superior to Flamengo’s.Paris dominated possession with 63%, taking 23 shots including 9 on target; Flamengo had 11 shots but only 2 were on target.The small, skillful midfielder Lee Kang-in’s role as striker was ineffective, while the main striker G. Ramos remained on the bench without playing. The regular time ended 1-1, extra time was scoreless, and in the penalty shootout, Paris’s third-choice goalkeeper Safonov became a hero, saving four consecutive penalties like a towering guardian, turning the shootout into a 2-1 victory and ultimately helping Paris claim the Intercontinental Cup and join the six-title club.