Ruiz enters elite company with World Cup triumph
Fabian Ruiz has become only the fifth player this century to win both the World Cup and Champions League in the same season. The Spanish midfielder is the sole Paris Saint-Germain representative to return from North America with a winner’s medal following La Roja’s victory over defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s final at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium.
The 30-year-old’s triumph caps a remarkable campaign for the former Napoli star, who played a central role in PSG’s back-to-back European successes. His achievement places him in rare company among players who have dominated both club and international football within a single year, maintaining peak performance across multiple competitions without the customary summer break.
Nine scorers break tournament record
Paris Saint-Germain supplied 16 players to the tournament across nine different national teams, ranking them as the third most represented club at the finals. Significantly, nine different PSG players found the net during the competition, setting a new record for most scorers from a single club at one World Cup.
Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Ramos, Ibrahim Mbaye and Ruiz himself all registered goals. This tally surpasses the previous benchmark by at least two players, demonstrating the extraordinary depth available to manager Luis Enrique.
French forwards dominate attacking charts
France’s forward line provided the standout individual displays. Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé delivered a hat-trick against Norway and finished with eight goal contributions in total, comprising six goals and two assists.
Barcola contributed three goals and one assist for Les Bleus, notably striking against Senegal just two minutes after his introduction from the bench. Doué scored against Norway, won a decisive penalty against Paraguay, and provided the assist for Kylian Mbappé’s opener against Morocco.
The diverse scoring spread extended beyond the French trio to include Portugal’s Neves and Ramos, Morocco’s Hakimi, and Senegal’s Mbaye, confirming PSG’s global influence across multiple continents during the tournament.