Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo face each other this Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, in the Intercontinental Cup final, and the two teams have had very different preparations in recent days.

PSG and Flamengo are almost done with their interminable 2025 year. The Parisians, who only had a three-week break this summer, have already played 65 matches in 2025, but the Brazilians have played even more, with 77 matches to their name since Jan. 1.

Since the end of their participation in the Club World Cup, PSG and Flamengo have also played a lot: 23 matches for the Parisians and already 38 for the Brazilians. An element that could be important on Wednesday night, especially if the match goes into extra time.

Former Lille striker Luiz Araujo has been playing for Flamengo for two and a half years, where he is not an undisputed starter. Before facing PSG, against whom he won 3 times and lost 6 times during his time in France, the left-footed player spoke to Brazilian media and mentioned two elements that, according to him, play in favor of his club before Wednesday's final.

The first concerns the time difference. Between Rio and Doha, there is a 6-hour time difference (when it is 12 p.m. in Rio, it is 6 p.m. in Doha), while there is only a 2-hour difference between Paris and Doha (when it is 12 p.m. in Paris, it is 2 p.m. in Doha). In principle, the time difference is therefore more difficult to digest for the Brazilians than for the French, but Flamengo arrived in Doha on Dec. 7, a week before PSG.

"Even though PSG is the best team, the fact of being here longer makes things easier for us; we have adapted to the time difference. I myself have a lot of trouble sleeping, but it makes things easier for us," said Luiz Araujo, who pointed out another element: "We are used to the pitch. It will be a very difficult match, but nothing is impossible."

Before taking on PSG, Flamengo indeed defeated Cruz Azul on Wednesday, Dec. 10, and then Pyramids FC on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, where this Wednesday's Intercontinental Cup final will be played. The Brazilians will therefore have certain points of reference in this stadium, which can accommodate up to 45,000 people, and where PSG will train this Tuesday, starting at 4 p.m.

Despite these two elements, Luiz Araujo believes PSG remains the favorite for this Intercontinental Cup: "It's a final, and everyone wants to win. If we had had the choice, we wouldn't have wanted to face PSG either, but we didn't have a choice. Everyone knows the greatness of Flamengo, its supporters, and everything we have accomplished this year. We have had some great performances, and we are at our peak physically and mentally. It makes us stronger, but PSG is clearly the favorite; it is the best team."

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