Flamengo was on the brink of glory, challenging a team that has caused a sensation in Europe, validating the work of Filipe Luís, who not only won the national title and reaffirmed it with the Copa Libertadores, but also left a brilliant image.
In football, sometimes the heroes are the most unexpected, and Paris Saint-Germain found theirs in their second goalkeeper, the Russian Matvey Safonov. Little accustomed to the media spotlight, Safonov, in an excellent penalty shootout against Flamengo, secured his team their first-ever Intercontinental Cup, the sixth title of the season for Luis Enrique's side.
The first Intercontinental Cup for PSG, and also the first for French football, will be somewhat linked to the name of Safonov, who emerged at the crucial moment, saving the penalties of Spanish Saúl Ñiguez and Brazilians Pedro, Léo Pereira, and Luiz Araújo.
For Flamengo, De la Cruz scored, and for PSG, Vitinha and Nuno Mendes scored.
While PSG seeks to recover for the rest of the season, Filipe Luís's Flamengo arrives at the end of a grueling campaign, having had to fight to reach the final and face PSG head-on, whose dominance barely allowed them to generate danger.
Luis Enrique pushed his team forward, brought on Dembélé, and pinned Flamengo back. The Brazilian side defended with great order, waiting for an opening, which came through a counterattack that Pedro, who had replaced Carrascal, failed to capitalize on.
However, the Flamengo players held on well, forcing a penalty shootout where the feat was accomplished by Safonov, who is writing a new page in his team's history.
Filipe Luís's side maintained the initiative during the first half of extra time, undeterred by discouragement despite having run more for the ball, which PSG monopolized during the match.
The entry of Spanish Saúl Ñiguez balanced Flamengo's game, which ended up more settled in the opposition half, although in the final moments Marquinhos had a chance to avoid extra time, but was not accurate.
If Chilean Erick Pulgar could have equalized with a header in the 59th minute, the balance was restored after a penalty on Marquinhos against De Arrascaeta, which Jorginho converted.
Although Frenchmen Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola also missed their penalties, it was not enough to give the Brazilian team victory, who had already won the Intercontinental Cup in 1981 after defeating Liverpool.
PSG's number two goalkeeper, starting due to physical problems with Lucas Chevalier, saved 4 out of 5 penalties from a Flamengo side that faced PSG, had their chances to win the title, and took the match to the very last breath.
Their only blemish was the Club World Cup final last summer, which they lost to Chelsea, but this does not tarnish a historic journey capped by a tight match in Qatar, the country of PSG's owners.
After a match decided by the lottery of penalties, with PSG winning (2-1) after regulation time and extra time ended in a 1-1 draw.
But fortune smiled on Luis Enrique's side, who has won six titles this season, a feat only two other coaches had achieved before: Spanish Pep Guardiola in 2009 and German Hansi Flick in 2020.
Fatigue began to be felt in the second half, when it was Luis Enrique's men who accelerated and saw how Dembélé had two chances that lifted his team, who launched themselves in search of victory.
The Frenchmen are navigating turbulent waters, awaiting the return of some of their stars, such as Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, also named FIFA The Best, but who started on the bench due to problems he has carried since the summer.
PSG maintained its European hegemony, which has lasted since Corinthians defeated Chelsea in 2012, and takes over from Real Madrid, the previous trophy winner.
Gradually, Luis Enrique's PSG is regaining the intensity that was its trademark last season and which relaxed at the beginning of this one.
Booked were: Fabián Ruiz (32), Vitinha (44), and Pacho (85) from PSG; and Jorginho (20), Alex Sandro (23), Pulgar (64), Plata (95+), Saúl (96), and Juninho (120) from Flamengo.
This happened after an error by Rossi in the 9th minute that allowed Fabián Ruiz to score, but the VAR intervention disallowed the goal, considering the ball had gone out of play in a previous intervention by the Argentine goalkeeper.
The Brazilian team did not lose their composure when Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put PSG ahead in the 38th minute, managed to equalize thanks to a penalty converted by Jorginho in the 62nd, and remained intact throughout the match.
The prospect of a historic trophy awakened the European champions, who took possession of the ball against an opponent who did not back down from the duel.
The same could be said for Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, while Desire Doué returned and was placed at the tip of the attack.
The goalkeeper also did not have a good performance in the 38th minute, when he failed to deflect enough a cross from Doué into the area, which ended up at the feet of Kvaratskhelia, who only had to push the ball into the net.
Penalty shootout: 2-1.
Technical details: 1 - Paris SG: Safonov; Zaïre-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Fabián Ruiz (Ndjantou, 106), Vitinha, Joao Neves; Lee (Mayulu, 35)(Barcola, 64), Doué (Dembélé, 78), Kvaratskhelia (Mbaye, 96) 1 - Flamengo: Rossi; Varela, Ortiz, Pereira, Sandro; Pulgar (De la Cruz, 74), Jorginho (Saúl, 74); Carrascal (Pedro, 56), De Arrascaeta (Everton, 74), Plata (Samu Lino, 108); Bruno Henrique Goals: 1-0, 38': Kvaratskhelia, 1-1, 62': Jorginho, penalty. Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA).
