Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) begin their 2025-26 campaign with another chance at silverware as they face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine, Italy. Just a month after ending the most successful season in their history, the French champions have the opportunity to secure a fifth trophy of the year – and keep alive hopes of matching the joint-record six trophies in a calendar year.
PSG’s 2024-25 season was historic. They lifted the Ligue 1 title, French Cup, Trophee des Champions and, for the first time, the Champions League. The latter came in emphatic style – a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in Munich, the largest winning margin ever in a European Cup final. They also impressed at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, dispatching Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich before falling 3-0 to Chelsea in the final.
That defeat to the Blues ended dreams of a seven-trophy haul, but beating Spurs would make it five in the bag, with the Intercontinental Cup in December offering a shot at equalling Barcelona’s 2009 and Bayern Munich’s 2020 six-trophy feats.
Luis Enrique’s side are not just dominant – they’re young. Their Champions League final starting XI averaged just 25 years and 96 days, the youngest in the 21st century. Desire Doue, the 20-year-old who scored twice in the final, and fellow prodigy Joao Neves are part of a squad seemingly built for sustained success. The oldest regular starter is captain Marquinhos at 31.
On the pitch, PSG boast arguably the strongest lineup in world football. Ousmane Dembele, reinvented as a lethal central striker, leads the line alongside Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, signed from Napoli in January. The midfield trio of Fabian Ruiz, Neves and Vitinha combine energy, vision and control, while Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi provide width and penetration from full-back. Marquinhos partners 23-year-old Ecuadorian Willian Pacho at centre-half, with Gianluigi Donnarumma – still only 26 – in goal.
Enrique’s success owes much to a cultural reset. Gone are the star-studded but ego-laden days of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. Instead, the club has invested in talented young players hungry for success. That approach has paid off: Dembele, once considered inconsistent at Barcelona, has been transformed into a 35-goal, 16-assist striker and a Ballon d’Or favourite after Enrique shifted him into a false nine role.
Financially, PSG have resisted the temptation to splurge their Club World Cup windfall on marquee names, choosing instead to maintain squad stability. This continuity could be key in sustaining their dominance – though the challenge of fatigue looms large after a gruelling 65-game season.
Chelsea’s blueprint for beating PSG, laid out in New Jersey, will interest Tottenham. Blues manager Enzo Maresca employed an aggressive man-to-man press, targeting PSG’s left side and denying them space to play. That intensity proved decisive in the opening stages, and Spurs may attempt something similar.
For PSG, victory would be another step towards cementing themselves among the great club sides. Only Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Liverpool have won three European Cups in five years, but with their youthful core and tactical clarity, the Parisians could be on the verge of such an era.
Yet the road is long, and maintaining sharpness after such a short break will be a test. Still, given their form, talent and hunger, few would bet against PSG adding yet another trophy to an already bulging cabinet. Tottenham stand in their way, but if Enrique’s side play to their potential, the Super Cup could be the latest milestone in a remarkable story still being written.
