PSG's success has given France a new look

The French national team has won the World Cup twice, the EURO twice, along with other major titles such as the Nations League, Finalissima and the FIFA Confederations Cup. However, at the club level, the teams from the hexagonal country have never been highly regarded. Before 2025, the only time a French club won the Champions League was Marseille (in 1993), but that championship was tarnished by a match-fixing scandal.

When PSG was taken over by Qatari owners, many thought that the day of French football's dominance had come. However, for a long time, Les Parisiens' journey to the top felt like it would never reach its destination. President Nasser Al-Khelaifi's declaration to turn the Parisian capital club into a force in world football only came true in terms of transfers, when he brought in a series of famous stars.

But Luis Enrique’s gamble paid off beyond expectations. Without needing superstars, the Spaniard assembled a team of hungry warriors who were willing to run all night to create victory. And on a late May night at the Allianz Arena, PSG set foot in the promised land called the Champions League.

The Champions League title has established a new position for PSG.

In a short time, Les Parisiens have gone from strength to strength, from one final to another. Now at MetLife Stadium, Luis Enrique's men are on the verge of becoming the first team to win the new version of the FIFA Club World Cup. Along with that comes a huge bonus of 107.4 million euros, making PSG even richer.

Data from the Centre for Law and Economics of Sport (CDES) shows that PSG's revenue grew by an average of 17.4% per year, from €95m in the 2010/11 season to €806m last financial year. Ticket sales, which were €24m in the 2010/11 season, increased to €168m, while sponsorship revenue also hit a record high of €282m last season, alongside a rise to €178m in television rights.

These figures are sure to skyrocket in the current financial year due to their outstanding success on the pitch. “With their growing revenues, PSG is no longer a traditional Parisian club but a global giant, even influencing the French economy,” said Claudio Fiorito, president of P&P Sport Management Brazil, a sports management company. “Surging revenues, developing tourism, attracting media… PSG has taken French football to new heights.”

PSG became a global giant, even influencing the French economy.

Indeed, statistics from CDES show that over the past 14 years (2011-2025), PSG has generated 243 million euros for the Parisian economy through matches at the Parc des Princes, creating jobs and attracting tourists. Last season, 29% of the fans present at the Parc des Princes came from outside the capital, and 14% from other countries. This naturally has a major impact on hotels, services and transport. In addition, PSG's community projects also bring employment and development opportunities to Parisians. It is estimated that more than 20,000 young people have benefited from such projects.

Paris is the most famous tourist city in the world, the capital of the country that gave birth to C1/Champions League as well as EURO. However, they have never owned a big-name football team until the successful PSG project with Al-Khelaifi as architect.

“In France, PSG is absolutely dominant. They are the epicenter of Ligue 1 and the driving force of French football, combined with a strong marketing strategy that attracts global sponsors,” said Thales Rangel, Marketing Director of Multimarcas Consórcios.

With the FIFA Club World Cup final, PSG are on the final frontier of greatness.

And now, in a tournament conceived by FIFA and then promoted as a gathering of the world’s top teams to find the best club in the world, PSG continues to make the French proud. Despite the harsh weather and high temperatures, Luis Enrique’s young, technically gifted, and increasingly tactically flexible team has become a nightmare for every team. They have destroyed all who stood in their way, including Real, the 15-time Champions League champions and the most popular team in the United States.

Coming into the final against Chelsea, it could be said that PSG are on the final frontier of greatness. Not only did they win their 5th Cup (and open up the opportunity to win an unprecedented 8th, with the European Super Cup, French Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup still waiting), Les Parisiens also have the certainty of being the strongest club on the planet.

This has brought with it a huge number of new global fans, sponsorship and television revenue and more. Of course, the French economy and football have also been boosted, creating a bright overall picture.