With just one day to go before the Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo, Paris Saint-Germain face a busy schedule in Doha. After arriving in Qatar on Sunday evening, the Parisian delegation trained on Monday, fulfilled marketing commitments, and welcomed back Senny Mayulu later in the day. This Tuesday, the workload intensifies, highlighted by the FIFA The Best awards ceremony taking place in Doha tonight.
First training session in Doha
Having settled in Qatar — the home country of their majority shareholder — PSG wasted no time. Luis Enrique’s squad trained on Monday morning at the Al Ersaal Training Site, the same venue used by Flamengo. With temperatures hovering around 25°C (77°F), the players trained in short sleeves, with a relaxed atmosphere and visible smiles.
Encouraging signs came from Marquinhos, who was rested against Metz due to “muscular fatigue in his right hip”, and Ousmane Dembélé, who has recovered from flu-like symptoms. Both players took part fully in the session and are expected to get minutes against Flamengo on Wednesday.
Mayulu arrives, press conference and open training ahead
Senny Mayulu, who missed the weekend due to illness and was unavailable against Metz, arrived in Doha on Monday evening, one day after the rest of the squad, according to L’Équipe. The young midfielder is expected to take part in Tuesday’s training session at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, starting at 4:00 PM (French time).
The first 15 minutes of the session will be open to the media, followed by a mixed zone. Earlier in the afternoon, at 3:00 PM, Luis Enrique will address the press, accompanied by one of his players, as part of FIFA’s official pre-final media duties.
FIFA The Best ceremony on the eve of the final
The day will conclude with the FIFA The Best awards ceremony, scheduled for 6:00 PM and streamed free on FIFA’s official website. PSG are well represented among the nominees: Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and Achraf Hakimi are all in contention for Best Player of the 2024–25 season, with Dembélé considered the favorite.
Hakimi remains in Morocco, but the other three players are in Doha. Whether they will attend the ceremony on the eve of such an important match remains to be seen.
Will PSG attend The Best?
Luis Enrique, who has often expressed his dislike for individual awards, is himself nominated for Best Coach. The Spanish coach notably avoided attending the Ballon d’Or ceremony earlier this season. It will be interesting to see whether he chooses to attend Tuesday’s gala, which will take place at the Fairmont Katara Hall in Doha.
According to FIFA, around 800 guests are expected at the event, including PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, who is set to attend.
Earlier on Monday, PSG players also took part in several commercial and marketing activities, footage of which was shared by the club on its official channels.