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Le Parisien newspaper names Russia's Safonov player of the month for PSG

This month, Safonov appeared in four matches, allowing no goals in two of them

PARIS, December 24. /TASS/. Journalists from respected French daily Le Parisien named Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who plays for the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), as the club’s player of the month, the daily reported on Wednesday.

This month, Safonov appeared in four matches, allowing no goals in in two of them. Last week Safonov shined bright at the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar final match in Qatar, leading Paris Saint-Germain to victory after a dazzling performance minding the net in the penalty shootout. After letting the first one in, he set a FIFA record by saving four balls in a row.

The final match of the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup between Paris Saint-Germain football club from France and Brazilian Flamengo FC was played at the 45,000-seat capacity Ahmad bin Ali Stadium with a reported attendance of over 42,100.

The match stood at 1-1 after regular time, with PSG left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia netting the first ball in the 38th minute and Flamengo’s Italian-born midfielder Jorginho tying it on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute.

No one scored in extra time, paving the way for a dramatic penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Safonov stole the show in PK’s, saving four out of five balls to give his club the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup. On the first penalty kick, the Russian goalie dived to the left, while Flamengo’s midfielder Diego De La Cruz sent one into the net near the right post. However, the Russian goalkeeper made four consecutive saves after that, denying Flamengo’s Saul, Pedro, Leo Pereira and Luiz Araujo.

Safonov, 26, joined PSG in the summer of 2024. He has played behind the club’s main goalie, Lucas Chevalier, for most of his time there, but this season he started with at least 17 matches for the club, seven of them clean sheets.

The 2025 Intercontinental Cup in Qatar is the second edition of the annual football club associations’ tournament organized by FIFA. The tournament comprised the six teams that won the previous edition of the continental championships in each of the FIFA Confederations, playing against each other in a single-elimination bracket between September 14 and December 17, 2025.

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This month, Safonov appeared in four matches, allowing no goals in two of them

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