PSG’s Champions League win was thrilling. It was still sportswashing

PSG’s Triumph: A Tactical and Youthful Masterclass

Paris Saint-Germain’s dominant 5-0 victory in the Champions League final was a landmark moment. For years, PSG had been a punchline—overhyped, underachieving, a soap opera of ego clashes. But this version of the club, built around youth, coherence, and Luis Enrique’s tactical nous, felt like the realization of long-unmet potential. Players like Yamal, Hakimi, and Rice exemplified a shift from galáctico-style stardom to structured, team-first football. It was exhilarating to watch, and in a vacuum, worthy of celebration.

Inter’s Collapse: Tactical Inferiority or Structural Disadvantage?

Inter’s performance, by contrast, was dismal. This wasn’t just a team outplayed—it was a team overwhelmed, unable to cope with PSG’s intensity. And yet, that lopsided result points beyond tactics. Inter are no minnows; they are a historic giant of the game. Their decline in comparison to the state-backed PSG highlights the widening chasm between elite clubs with infinite resources and those still operating within traditional financial constraints.

The Shadow of Sportswashing

That’s where the celebration ends and the discomfort begins. PSG’s success, however thrilling, cannot be divorced from its geopolitical context. The club is owned by Qatari Sports Investments, an arm of the Qatari state. Their rise is not just a sporting story—it’s one of soft power, diplomacy, and image-laundering. Qatar’s investment in football, from hosting the 2022 World Cup to owning a Champions League-winning club, is part of a broader strategy to rebrand its global image amid criticism of its human rights record and labor practices.

A System Tilted in Favor of the Few

State-backed clubs like PSG (and similarly, Manchester City) possess near-unlimited financial leverage. This allows them to outspend competitors, attract top talent, and reshape football’s economy in their favor. It’s not merely about buying success—it’s about buying influence. With Nasser al-Khelaifi at the helm, PSG’s president holds roles that span club leadership, media control (beIN Sports), and even European football governance (European Clubs Association). His proximity to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin speaks volumes.

Football as Geopolitical Theatre

That both of Inter’s recent final defeats have come against state-owned clubs underscores a larger truth: football is no longer just sport. It’s become a platform for geopolitical influence. Clubs like Inter, historically successful but now comparatively underfunded, are being outpaced not by better-run private enterprises, but by nations with strategic goals far beyond the pitch.

The Duality of Modern Football

So yes, this PSG side is brilliant. Their football is joyous. Their recruitment is finally rational. They’re led by a manager of rare quality and courage. But these truths coexist with others: that their success is a vehicle for state branding, that it’s underwritten by wealth unavailable to 99% of clubs, and that the moral compromises of their ownership cannot be ignored.

The PSG victory is a metaphor for modern football itself: beautiful and thrilling, but deeply compromised.