Paris Saint-Germain continues to command admiration, even among Europe’s elite players. Speaking to Canal Plus, Erling Haaland makes no secret of his awe regarding the two-time European champions. The Manchester City striker specifically highlights the style of football Paris plays, as well as the dynamic contributions of Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.
Haaland: “They have fantastic players and play top-level football, with two superb full-backs.”
“It’s going to be a huge match against the best team in Europe. But for now, I can’t think about that game because I have to focus on Liverpool. They are excellent, whether in the Champions League or the league.
They perform well in the Champions League and in their domestic league. They’ve been winning their league for so many years and are two-time consecutive European champions—which is extraordinary. They have fantastic players and play top-level football, with two superb full-backs.
Haaland: “It’s truly a special team.”
The whole team is special, really, but the full-backs—the way they get up and down the pitch… Watching Nuno Mendes and Hakimi is fascinating; I can’t even put it into words. I’ve played against them before and lost (4-2 in January 2025). We have to prepare well because they are truly a special team.”
There is something particularly delightful about hearing Erling Haaland speak of PSG with such admiration. Not only because the Norwegian is one of world football’s most formidable strikers, but above all because he looks beyond just their trophy haul. The back-to-back Champions League titles impress him, of course, but it is the Parisians’ style of play that seems to fascinate him most. And that is likely the greatest compliment Luis Enrique could receive. His admiration for Hakimi and Nuno Mendes is also telling. The two full-backs embody PSG’s constant ambition—that drive to stretch defenses and create a multitude of attacking options. Yet, behind their relentless up-and-down runs lies a genuine collective discipline. For two defenders to push forward so frequently, the rest of the team must be capable of covering the spaces they leave behind. That is the true richness of the Parisian style of play: individual talents shine, but they reach a new level thanks to the collective effort.
Then there is that final remark from Haaland—who seemed almost at a loss to explain exactly what fascinates him so much. It neatly encapsulates the journey Paris has taken. PSG is no longer merely a team respected by opponents for its results; it is also a team that the world’s greatest players clearly enjoy watching. When a striker of that caliber struggles to find the words to describe your brand of football, it means you have likely achieved something truly special.
