Why PSG Had to Lose With Messi and Mbappé to Finally Win
Why PSG Had to Lose With Messi and Mbappé to Finally Win originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
PSG finally did it - lifting the Champions League trophy not on the backs of megastars but through grit, hustle and a shared vision. In the most ironic twist, Europe's most expensive club won big by doing the simplest thing: playing like a team.
PSG's Identity Change This Season
"The socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share of the rewards. It's the way I see football, the way I see life." Former Liverpool manager, Bill Shankly
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Has there ever been a more capitalistic soccer team than PSG? Since 2011, PSG have been majority-owned by Qatari government-backed investment fund Qatar Sports Investments.
The Qataris have pumped billions into the club with the elusive goal of capturing Europe's greatest prize, the Champions League, which they finally achieved on Saturday in emphatic fashion with their 5-0 rout of Inter Milan.
The Cost of Chasing Stars
Prior to that their exploits in Europe were widely considered a failure, including multiple quarter-final exits. That's despite throwing the kitchen sink at it. PSG's total spending on transfers (and wages) for Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe alone is estimated to be $1.2 billion.
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Related: Mbappé is making Real Madrid Worse
And while it's true that match-winners Doué, Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé didn't come cheap - costing a combined $200m - the ethos with which PSG finally clinched the trophy they craved only came once they abandoned the emphasis on superstars and concentrated on building a team, who, as Shankly said, "worked for each other."
A Tackle That Meant Everything
There was no greater example of this than this incident late in the match when Kvaratskhelia sprinted back to make a defensive tackle.
For context, PSG were winning 4-0 at the time with only minutes left on the clock. There was no need to do this.
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Except there was; it exemplified how and why PSG won. Workmate; commitment; playing for the team. As their manager Luis Enrique eloquently said:
"Yes, there's a star, a star that shines more brightly than anything else, that is the team. ... That is marvelous in a team sport"
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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