Luis Enrique Fired Up to Stop Real Madrid at Club World Cup

Luis Enrique hopes to add another global trophy to his stacked résumé, and the Paris Saint-Germain coach admits that facing Real Madrid provides all the fire he needs ahead of this month’s FIFA Club World Cup. The former Barcelona boss, eternally linked to the blaugrana, has never hidden his competitive streak, yet the prospect of eliminating his old enemy on a neutral international stage has sharpened his focus even further.

Luis Enrique’s Barcelona roots still run deep

Having worn the Barça shirt for eight seasons and coached the Catalan giants to a treble in 2015, Luis Enrique’s identity remains entwined with Camp Nou. “That rivalry never leaves your blood,” he told reporters in Paris. “Playing Madrid in any competition brings out something extra in me—and, I hope, in my players.” It is the first time he can meet Los Blancos in an official match since taking over PSG last summer, and the Asturian tactician sees it as the perfect proving ground for his current squad.

PSG’s route to the Club World Cup

The French champions sealed their place in the expanded 2025 edition thanks to consistent Champions League runs, but the traditional, seven-team 2023 tournament in Saudi Arabia is now the immediate target. PSG enter at the semi-final stage, where they may face either the CONCACAF representative or the Asian champion. Real Madrid, meanwhile, await on the opposite side of the draw. If both clubs progress, a blockbuster final is on the cards—one dripping with subplots and Catalan-Madridista tension.

Why the trophy matters to PSG

Qatar Sports Investments crave every available title, and adding a Club World Cup to their collection would strengthen PSG’s continental credibility. It would also swing momentum ahead of a second half of the European season in which Kylian Mbappé’s future, financial fair-play constraints, and domestic rivals like Monaco loom large. Luis Enrique believes a mid-December championship could galvanize his dressing room: “Winning early in the year creates a winning habit. We want to lift the cup and carry that mind-set into February’s Champions League knockout phase.”

Luis Enrique versus Real Madrid: the numbers

During his three seasons at Barcelona, Luis Enrique met Madrid 10 times, winning six—including the unforgettable 4-0 romp at the Bernabéu in 2015. His teams scored 25 goals and conceded 15. He also holds a personal Club World Cup winner’s medal from that same 2015 campaign, when Barcelona breezed past River Plate in Yokohama. Claiming a second crown with a completely different club would place him in an elite managerial bracket.

Tactical wrinkles to watch

Pressing triggers: Luis Enrique’s high block demands Lionel Messi-era intensity, something he now entrusts to Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Bradley Barcola.

Midfield rotations: Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz interchange positions to free Warren Zaïre-Emery as the hybrid 8-10, mirroring Luis Enrique’s old Barça interiors.

Defensive reset: Milan Škriniar and Marquinhos will have to manage Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, whose late box entries are the competition’s sensation.

Madrid’s own motivation

Carlo Ancelotti knows that beating PSG would reinforce Real’s status as kings of the big occasion. Yet the Italian also remembers Luis Enrique out-coaching him in prior Clásicos. “I respect him a lot,” Ancelotti said recently. “His teams are organised, courageous, and direct.” The Italian understands that any matchup is bigger than the two managers; still, personal pride will be on the line in Riyadh.

Players relishing the showdown

• Kylian Mbappé: Faces a club he long flirted with; a statement display could silence Santiago Bernabéu chants for good—or reignite them.
• Jude Bellingham: The Englishman thrives on grand stages and sees PSG as another marker in his meteoric rise.
• Achraf Hakimi: A Real Madrid academy graduate eager to remind his former employers of what they let slip away.
• Rodrygo: In Vinícius Júnior’s absence, the Brazilian’s cut-inside runs will test Lucas Hernández’s positional discipline.

Luis Enrique eyes legacy beyond club colours

Though forever linked to Barcelona, Luis Enrique insists tennis-match rivalries cannot overshadow professional ambition. “History matters,” he noted, “but the badge on my jacket is PSG. I will do everything to make our fans proud.” The French side have never won this competition; by bringing in a manager who has, the owners have signalled a hunger for more than domestic dominance.

How Barça supporters feel

Many culés still regard Luis Enrique as one of their own. Social media reactions to his latest comments were mostly supportive, with fans delighting in the prospect of their former coach derailing Madrid again—even if it means cheering for PSG for a single night.

The global stage and broadcast impact

FIFA projects record viewership for the tournament, buoyed by time-zone-friendly kick-off slots across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Commercial partners such as Visit Saudi, Adidas, and Pepsi are ready to amplify storylines like Luis Enrique’s Barcelona past and the Mbappé-to-Madrid saga.

What happens if PSG face Madrid?

Victory would hand Luis Enrique his second Club World Cup and PSG their first. Defeat could reignite the club’s “nearly men” narrative and heap pressure on the Spaniard before domestic crunch fixtures against Lille and Marseille. Either way, the clash promises tactical intrigue, emotional stakes, and a fresh chapter in one of football’s longest feuds.

Opinion: For all his talk of professionalism, Luis Enrique is clearly energised by the thought of denting Madrid’s aura once more. That emotional charge could be the difference—if he channels it into clear tactical directives rather than touchline theatrics.