PSG Hit With Double Suspension Blow Ahead of Club World Cup Semi-Final vs Real Madrid: While Madrid’s Huijsen Escapes With One-Game Ban
Just when things were heating up in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, PSG have been slapped with a brutal double whammy. Two key defenders, Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez, are officially out for the rest of the tournament. Yep, the entire rest of it.
Pacho got himself sent off in the 82nd minute
Luis Enrique’s side might have edged past Bayern Munich 2-0 in the quarter-finals, but they’ll now have to face Real Madrid in the semis without two-thirds of their defensive spine. Pacho got himself sent off in the 82nd minute after flying into Leon Goretzka like it was a UFC bout. Minutes later, Hernandez decided to up the ante, elbowing Raphael Guerreiro in the face in stoppage time. Red card. No VAR debate. No sympathy.
FIFA hit both with two-match suspensions
FIFA didn’t mess around either. The Disciplinary Committee invoked Article 14, paragraph 1(e) of the code (sounds official enough) and hit both with two-match suspensions. Translation: they’re banned for both the semi-final and the final, if PSG get that far, of course.
Meanwhile, over in the Real Madrid camp, there’s a sigh of relief. Young defender Dean Huijsen, who was sent off for a late challenge on Serhou Guirassy in Madrid’s chaotic 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund, has escaped with just a one-match ban.
No tournament exit. No drama. Just one game on the sidelines.
Still, it’s a big miss. The 20-year-old has been rock-solid under Xabi Alonso, quickly becoming Madrid’s go-to man at the back. And with Kylian Mbappe and co. breathing fire, Huijsen’s absence could be just the break PSG need.
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So here we are. PSG vs Real Madrid. Wednesday. MetLife Stadium, New York. Semi-final showdown with a ticket to Sunday’s Club World Cup final on the line. Chelsea or Fluminense await on the other side.
