The secret weapon Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar’s PSG never used: Kick-off routine could decide FIFA Club World Cup final vs. Chelsea

Hidden beneath the surface of flair and firepower lies a nuance—a routine that PSG have quietly perfected, something they simply couldn't pull off during the reign of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe.

As Paris Saint-Germain prepares to face Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, a battle that carries not just prestige but also more than $100 million in prize money, one intriguing tactical element may prove decisive. This final, staged between two rising European powers, is expected to showcase the next generation of soccer excellence. But hidden beneath the surface of flair and firepower lies a nuance—a routine that PSG have quietly perfected, something they simply couldn’t pull off during the reign of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe.

Luis Enrique’s PSG is a team transformed. With a midfield engine room featuring Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabian Ruiz, Les Parisiens possess arguably the best midfield trio in the world right now. Their cohesiveness, intensity, and control shape everything PSG does. The challenge for Chelsea, despite having formidable options like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, will be in matching PSG’s tempo and transitions.

The key to PSG’s dominance, however, is not just in possession. It’s in how they begin each match—and that is where the kick-off tactic comes into play.

PSG’s kick-off: Trap disguised as simplicity

Soccer purists have noticed PSG doing something unusual, even counterintuitive. From kick-off, PSG boot the ball deep into the opponent’s half, often straight out near the corner flag. It’s a tactic that looks clumsy on the surface but is in fact a calculated trap.

“It’s a trap, and it’s brilliantly planned,” explained Football TacticDive on YouTube. “There’s a hidden flaw within throw-ins. You can’t move the ball quickly or across long distances. The angles are tight, the tempo slows, and it’s hard to build something meaningful. PSG counts on this to press and suffocate you.”

This is something they never attempted during the Messi-Neymar-Mbappe era. Back then, the front three preferred the ball at their feet and space to work in. High pressing wasn’t part of their identity. Today, however, the French giant starts games like a ‘pack of wolves’, pressing relentlessly from the very first whistle.

This approach has reaped staggering dividends. Since their comeback win against Manchester City in January, PSG have scored the opening goal inside the first 20 minutes in nine of their last 17 major matches, including the Champions League and Club World Cup. Against Inter in the Champions League final, they were 2-0 up after just 20 minutes. In their Club World Cup semi-final, they led Real Madrid 3-0 by the 24th minute.

“These sorts of games can change drastically after the first goal. I’ve experienced that,” Luis Enrique said before the Champions League final. “We didn’t put the brakes on,” he later commented after the 4-0 drubbing of Madrid, underlining the team’s intent to press and dominate early.

High press, high reward

This aggressive out-of-possession strategy is complemented by ultra-organized pressing routines, especially from players like Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who track back and press with urgency. During Madrid’s goal kicks, PSG executed man-to-man presses, with Achraf Hakimi pushing from full-back to full-back, leaving no room for build-up.

“If you want to spend more time attacking, you have to recover the ball if you lose it,” Joao Neves told The Athletic. “In those five to 10 seconds, you have to give 100, 120 percent. That’s the best way to attack again.”

This method, reminiscent of rugby drop-kicks, serves as the ignition to their high press. It’s also a psychological weapon—a statement that the Parisians will not wait to play the game; they will force it on you.

Though some commentators might label this as innovative, it’s actually an old-school strategy repurposed with modern precision. In the 1990s, Nantes and coach Jean-Claude Suaudeau applied a similar philosophy, viewing pressing as “the highest form of collective expression.” And yet, few teams have used it as effectively in the modern game as PSG do now.