Arshavin: Safonov Wouldn't Be a Hero if PSG Scored Their Penalties

Former Zenit striker Andrey Arshavin commented that the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players' poor execution in the penalty shootout of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final indirectly paved the way for Matvey Safonov's heroics. In the final, the Russian goalkeeper deflected four shots from Flamengo players, securing the sixth trophy of 2025 for the Parisians.

"PSG players performed very poorly. If they had converted their shots into goals, Safonov wouldn’t have had so many saved attempts," Arshavin was quoted as saying by "Match TV."

In the penalty shootout, the Brazilian team missed four attempts, while the Parisians squandered two penalties. Among the unsuccessful players were “Ballon d’Or” winner and FIFA-proclaimed Best Men’s Player of 2025, Ousmane Dembele, alongside Bradley Barcola.

Safonov made history by becoming the first goalkeeper in world football to save four consecutive penalty shots in an official FIFA-sponsored match. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!