Safonov makes 4 penalty saves in shootout as PSG beats Flamengo to win Intercontinental Cup

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Matvei Safonov made four straight penalty saves in a shootout to help Paris Saint-Germain beat Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday and win a sixth trophy of 2025.

The Russian goalkeeper was thrown in the air by his teammates after his exploits in the shootout that was won 2-1 by PSG after a 1-1 draw after extra time.

It completed a trophy-laden 12 months for the French team, which had already won the Trophée des Champions, the French league, the French Cup, the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup — also on penalties against Tottenham in August.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave PSG the lead in the 38th minute before Marquinhos conceded a penalty converted by Jorginho in the 62nd minute for Flamengo, which was looking to win a second Intercontinental Cup title after 1981.

Flamengo captured the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian championship titles in recent weeks.

It was a first global title for PSG.

Safonov, PSG's backup goalkeeper, hadn't played a single minute for the team until summer signing Lucas Chevalier sustained an ankle injury at the end of November.

Chevalier was fit enough to make the bench against Flamengo, but Safonov kept his place and ended up being the shootout hero after successive saves from Saul Niguez, Pedro, Leo Pereira and Luiz Araujo.

Of nine penalties taken, only three were scored — Flamengo's first by Samuel Lino and then Vitinha and Nuno Mendes for PSG.

Ousmane Dembele, crowned as the best men’s player of 2025 at the FIFA awards on Tuesday, was one of two players to fail to score from the spot for PSG.

PSG's success maintained a run of victories for European teams in the final of the Intercontinental Cup, which was played for more than 40 years until 2004 before it was rebranded as the Club World Cup.

FIFA brought back the Intercontinental Cup last year after revamping the Club World Cup as a 32-team summer tournament which had its inaugural edition this year — with PSG losing in the final to Chelsea.

The last non-European team to win either the Club World Cup or the rebranded Intercontinental Cup was Corinthians in 2012.

Despite the loss, Flamengo still returns from the Intercontinental Cup with two trophies — awarded by FIFA for winning inter-confederational matches to get to the final.

Flamengo beat Cruz Azul in what was classed by organizers as the “Derby of the Americas.” Then the Brazilian champions beat Pyramids 2-0 in what was essentially a playoff to get to the final and won the “Challenger Cup.”

The Intercontinental Cup contained the six teams that won the continental title in each of FIFA’s confederations. PSG, as the Champions League winner in Europe, went directly to the final.

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Flamengo fans pose for a photograph prior to the start of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final soccer match between Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)

Flamengo's Jorginho scores his side's opening goal during the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final soccer match between Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)

PSG players celebrate after winning the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final soccer match between Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)

PSG's goalkeeper Matvey Safonov stop a ball in the penalty shootout during the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final soccer match between Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)

PSG's goalkeeper Matvey Safonov holds the trophy after winning the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final soccer match between Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian police said on Wednesday that Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old Barcelona de Guayaquil defender and former national team player, was shot dead in an apparent attack as violence escalates in the Andean nation.

Another person who police did not identify was also killed in the incident, and a third was wounded.

Ecuador's Interior Ministry confirmed Pineida's death without providing details. Barcelona de Guayaquil said in a statement its fans are saddened by Pineida's death.

Pineida played eight games for Ecuador but was not involved in the team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. His last game for Ecuador was at the 2021 Copa América, as a late substitute in a group-stage game against Brazil. He also went to the 2017 edition.

Pineida started his professional career at Independiente del Valle, where he played from 2010 to 2015. He then moved to the club of the coastal city of Guayaquil in 2016 and won two league titles there. The defender also had a brief spell at Brazil’s Fluminense in 2022.

Ecuadorian media reported the incident took place in the region of Samanes in the north end of Guayaquil, which lies 265 kilometers (165 miles) southwest of the capital Quito.

Ecuador is expected to have its most violent year on record with more than 9,000 homicides, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime. That figure was at 7,063 violent deaths last year and a then-record 8,248 in 2023.

President Daniel Noboa has pledged to fight criminal organizations that have expanded their operations in Ecuadorian territory in connection with international drug cartels.

In November, a 16-year-old footballer of Independiente del Valle died from a stray bullet, also in Guayaquil. Two months earlier, Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yépez, both players of Exapromo Costa, and Jonathan González, of 22 de Junio died from gunshot wounds.

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FILE - Ecuador's Mario Pineida, center, and Colombia's Abel Aguilar battle for the ball during their 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium in Quito, Ecuador, March 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)