Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has made no secret of its ambition to lift the FIFA Club World Cup trophy on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. But the competition, held in the United States, is not just a sporting milestone for the capital’s team: It is also a golden opportunity to further grow its business presence across the Atlantic.
While the tournament has drawn criticism for its commercial focus, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, of Qatar, has consistently defended the competition, seeing it as a chance to “generate more money” and increase the club’s influence in a lucrative market.
The club is not starting from scratch. It has already conducted several summer tours in the country between 2015 and 2017. In addition, it runs seven youth football academies in the US, operates stores in New York, Miami, and Las Vegas, and has maintained a partnership since 2018 with Michael Jordan’s brand, a subsidiary of Nike.
A ‘PSG House’ on Melrose Avenue
Paris also aimed to capitalize on the aura generated by its Champions League victory on May 31. While Luis Enrique and his players played their first two World Cup matches at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, near Los Angeles, California, the club took the opportunity to launch a PR campaign by opening a “PSG House” on Melrose Avenue – a famous shopping street in the City of Angels – from June 14 to 23.
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