Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov was the big surprise of the day after becoming the hero of Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the 2025 Intercontinental Cup, where he saved four penalties and gave the French club its first world title in history. Safonov, 26, was decisive in the penalty shootout against Flamengo, held at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. The match had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes in an intense duel between the European and South American champions. Safonov had already suffered during the match, as at the 61st minute, Jorginho scored a penalty to equalize for Flamengo with a shot that unsettled the PSG goalkeeper after a Marquinhos foul on Giorgian De Arrascaeta inside the area. From that moment on, the match became tight, and the decision was left to the penalty shootout. It was there that his career-defining performance appeared: Safonov saved four of the five penalties taken by Flamengo and was crucial in tipping the balance in favor of the team coached by Luis Enrique. Uruguayan Nicolás De la Cruz was the only one to score, while Saúl Ñíguez, Pedro, Léo Pereira, and Luiz Araújo were stopped by the Russian goalkeeper. Safonov, trained at FK Krasnodar, stood out for several seasons in the Russian league, where he established himself as one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the tournament, with his performances that led him to make the leap to elite European football, eventually arriving at Paris Saint-Germain, where he gained prominence. The penalty shootout against Flamengo not only gave PSG a historic title but also confirmed the international hierarchy of the goalkeeper and positioned him as a key figure in closing an unforgettable 2025 for the Parisian club.
