It's time to talk about Vitinha for the Ballon d'Or

At a certain point in the season, and with the Spanish League limited to the battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title, Atlético Madrid played almost as if they were in a pre-season test. They managed the players, tried to work on other tactical nuances and movements, and played without much concern until they confirmed third place. Diego Simeone, who had a huge breath of fresh air last season when many were pointing to the end of a cycle, did not seem worried. He did not always admit it directly, but, faced with the inability to do much more in a season that once again fell short of expectations, he looked at the Club World Cup with a focus that not everyone had. The problem? The competition was starting in the USA against PSG. And that was the biggest possible test for a team that could fit in with the French.

It's easy to explain: among all the teams used to playing in the Champions League, Atlético Madrid is the one that cares least about the numbers. If they have to play lower, they do. If they have to take on more, they take on more. If they make two passes for every 20 passes the opponent makes, they don't care either. The way they approached the two matches against Real in the Champions League round of 16 showed that they are a team that is well-tuned to adapt to any circumstances without fear of not having a great individual reference because the most important thing is the team. However, sometimes even that isn't enough to even aspire to be better.

That's what happened again. In addition to all the individual and collective quality of a season in which the biggest secret was the way Luis Enrique managed to work the team, PSG exudes confidence everywhere, manages the matches as it wants and may face a great physical opponent in this competition, considering that after the long season there were still competitions like the Nations League. The result was different, the type of game was the same: the French began the Club World Cup as they had ended the season in the Champions League, showing total superiority on the field and coming away with a comfortable victory that once again had Vitinha as a key player, this time with a goal in a game in which he filled the field.

Julián Álvarez, with a long-range free-kick attempt that went just wide of Donnarumma's goalpost, gave the first sign of danger in the third minute, but it would be short-lived in a scorching Rose Bowl where PSG remained faithful to the style of play that earned them their first ever Champions League victory this season: control of possession, well-defined pressure zones from the final third with the defence up and control of the moments of play between going out in transitions or keeping possession. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before the advantage fell to the French side, with Fabián Ruíz opening the scoring with a shot from outside the area that started after a high recovery by João Neves (19') and Vitinha making it 2-0 in first-half injury time after a dangerous shot by Griezmann, with a quick clearance putting the Portuguese on a run in the central zone for the goal (45+1').

A left slap ???? Fabián Ruiz

???? @FIFACWC | @PSG_inside 1 x 0 @Atleti @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All the games live and exclusive on the DAZN app. pic.twitter.com/GLSLtpbXFZ

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

It's time to start writing in big letters: VITINHA ????

???? @FIFACWC | @PSG_inside 2 x 0 @Atleti @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All the games live and exclusive on the DAZN app. pic.twitter.com/vpGhQsQYu4

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

The second half continued in the same vein, with Kvaratskhelia coming close to scoring the winner with a curling shot that Oblak deflected onto the crossbar (49′), but a scare in a move in which Julián Álvarez scored but VAR indicated a foul by Koke on Doué early in the move ended up being a wake-up call for a PSG side who were overconfident in their lead (57′). Sorloth also had an incredible opportunity that he missed in the six-yard box when Atlético Madrid were already down to ten men after Lenglet was sent off (78′), but the result would only change again towards the end of the game, with Mayulu taking advantage of a second poorly cleared ball in the box to shoot for 3-0 (87′) and Kangin Lee having the opportunity to score from the penalty spot after Le Normand's handball to make it 4-0 (90+7′).

???? You are the VAR: Was it a foul or shouldn't Alvarez's goal have been overturned for this move?

▫️ Decision was to disallow the goal after checking VAR. @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyAgee | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All games on… pic.twitter.com/p2Etifw0c5

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

Double yellow for Lenglet ????‍???? @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All the games live and exclusive on the DAZN app. pic.twitter.com/nXLxfYaB7F

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

Even me, Sørloth ???? That's the right reaction, Simeone @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All the games live and exclusive on the DAZN app. pic.twitter.com/uFVbqu6BWu

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

Bad decisions after bad decisions and Mayulu ⚽

???? @FIFACWC | @PSG_inside 3 x 0 @Atleti @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All the games live and exclusive on the DAZN app. pic.twitter.com/QZAVXtDC3U

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

Kang-in Lee closed the result ????

???? @FIFACWC | @PSG_inside 4 x 0 @Atleti @FIFACWC | 14 June – 13 July | Watch all the games for free at https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld ???? All the games live and exclusive on the DAZN app. pic.twitter.com/zQ4GbD43yZ

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) June 15, 2025

The pearl

• Another imperious performance, filling the pitch and setting the pace of PSG's game between quick transitions and control of possession, another goal just before half-time that almost sealed the victory. After the excitement of winning the Nations League, Vitinha returned to Luis Enrique's team, stood out more than he has been able to do for the national team and ended up as the MVP of the match, a rule that has continued from the Champions League to the USA. The midfielder, probably one of the best in the world at the moment in his position, doesn't have Lamine Yamal's magic in 1v1s, doesn't score Kylian Mbappé's goals and doesn't make the final third as decisive as Dembélé, but isn't it time to talk about the Ballon d'Or?

• It could all be summed up in a conversation with Mayulu and Zaire-Emery after the 3-0 scored in the final minutes: João Neves, a “kid” who arrived at PSG this season and won the Champions League and the Nations League among all the French titles, called his teammates and explained the positions they should follow even with the “closed” result. The midfielder may not appear as much in the game as Vitinha and may not score as much as Fabián Ruíz but he is increasingly decisive in the team’s maneuvers, with and without the ball. Even though he did not have a direct involvement in either goal, the genesis of the 1-0 and 3-0 are in actions that the Portuguese international took and that were decisive in the rest.

• With this victory, even by the margin, PSG has a foot and a half in the next phase, while Atlético Madrid loses a margin for the two remaining matches in the group. Everything will become clearer after Botafogo-Seattle Sounders this morning, whether or not there is a team that joins the French team at the top of the group to “explain” the rest of the accounts in Group B of the Club World Cup.

• Atlético Madrid are known as a team that may not score many goals but are also difficult to break down in terms of defense, with one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Jan Oblak. However, the days of Diego Simeone and the foundations on which he builds his teams at the Colchoneros seem increasingly dated. Changing players is not enough to make a Club World Cup or a 2025/26 season different for the better, and it is up to the Argentine coach to realize that he will have to turn things around in order to get the club back in the running for titles.