Ahead of tomorrow’s Matchday 3 of the 2025 Club World Cup group stage at Lumen Field against the Seattle Sounders (kick-off 9pm CET, broadcast on DAZN), Nuno Mendes, Paris Saint-Germain’s 23-year-old left-back, spoke to the media. He talked about the mentality in the squad, the possible return of 28-year-old striker Ousmane Dembélé, and how to approach this decisive match for qualification.
Nuno Mendes “We’re motivated to get out on the pitch and do what we do best.”
What’s the group’s state of mind?
We know we have a lot of things to do, a lot of things to improve in our games. Even if we won the first one 4-0, there’s no point losing this one. So we’re motivated to get out on the pitch and do what we do best, which is play soccer.
What needs to be improved?
There are a lot of things. The heat doesn’t help much, but I think there are a lot of things. The coach knows and we talk amongst ourselves.
Is elimination on everyone’s mind, or is it just not possible against Seattle?
Anything can happen. Obviously, we’re thinking about winning and staying here, and that’s all we’re thinking about. We want to win and we’ll see if we come first or second.
Nuno Mendes “I think he’s ready to play”.
How is Dembélé, eager to play again?
He’s training with us, doing specific work. I’ve got a good feeling about him. That’s the most important thing. If he’s training with us, I think he’s ready to play.
How are you feeling physically after all that training?
I’m feeling a bit tired (smiles), but I’m trying to manage myself, recover well and get a good night’s sleep. That’s important. There’s a big time difference, but I think we’ve been able to adjust. We’re fine, we’ll be ready for the moment.
What were your main areas of focus during the week?
We still have our philosophy of play. The coach doesn’t change what we have to do. We’ve got our own way of playing and we’re not going to change it just because we’ve lost a game. We’re going to carry on doing what we’ve been doing up to now.
Nuno Mendes “We have to respect all the teams and that’s what PSG are going to do.”
What do you know about this team?
It’s a good team, with a mix of old and young. They’re here because they have qualities. We mustn’t underestimate them. We saw that with Botafogo, who did well and won the match. You have to respect all teams, and that’s what PSG are going to do.
Were you surprised by Botafogo?
No, we knew it would be a tough game. They won in America last season. They’ve got a lot of quality. It’s a defeat, but we have to pick ourselves up and carry on.
How did you feel about it?
They defended well and showed a lot of desire. It was the match of their lives, they were very aggressive.
