The Trophée des Champions is an annual match between the Ligue 1 champions and the winners of the Coupe de France. Since PSG won both last season, they will face the runners-up in Ligue 1, Olympique de Marseille.
Typically, the Trophée des Champions is played at the start of the season, but it was postponed until January 8, 2026. The soccer match will take place in Kuwait City, Kuwait. The Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium will host two of the biggest clubs in Ligue 1, and both will want to return to France with the trophy.
Marseille and PSG have already faced off once this season. On September 22, PSG traveled to the South of France to take on their rivals and lost a tough match 1-0. It should be noted that PSG were without several players due to injury, and the match took place during the Ballon d’Or ceremony, in which Ousmane Dembélé took home the big award. It’s safe to say the players on the pitch against Marseille may have been distracted somewhat.
The two teams are leading Ligue 1 once again, and many expect the race to come down to the late in the season. That’s what makes the Trophée des Champions one of the most exciting soccer matches of them all. Roberto De Zerbi, Marseille’s manager, will take any opportunity to defeat PSG and if there’s a trophy on the line, I think we can expect the best from Marseille.
The same goes for Luis Enrique. He wants to win everything and wants 100% from his players. The defeat last September would only add to his desire to beat Marseille and win the first trophy of the season.
However, Luis Enrique will be without Achraf Hakimi, who will be representing Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations. He’s the best right-back in the world, and PSG doesn’t really have a replacement for him. Marseille could undoubtedly take advantage of his absence.
Marseille has proved this season that they are capable of playing with the best. Not only did they beat PSG, but they probably should have come away with a win against Real Madrid, only to ultimately lose 2-1 after a Kylian Mbappé penalty in the 81st minute.
Paris Saint-Germain has won the Trophée des Champions for three straight seasons and nine of the past 10 seasons. If Les Parisiens want to continue their dominance, they’ll have to be up for a fight against their domestic rivals and perform at a high level.
