Atlético Madrid makes its Club World Cup debut against PSG, the big favorite.

Atlético Madrid makes their Club World Cup debut tonight (9 p.m. Spanish time) at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, against PSG, the newly crowned Champions League winners, arguably the most in-form team at the moment and the competition's big favorite. Also in the group are Brazilian side Botafogo, winners of the Libertadores, and the home side Seattle Sounders, winners of the 2022 Concacaf Champions League .

After a poor season (third in the league ), Atlético Madrid traveled to the United States with great excitement. On its website, Atlético Madrid recently recalled that last season marked the 50th anniversary of its only Intercontinental Cup title, a two-legged victory over Argentina's Independiente de Avellaneda.

The precedent Atlético won this season at the Parc des Princes

To find reasons for optimism, Simeone's team doesn't have to go far back in time. In the last Champions League and in the group stage, they defeated PSG at the Parc des Princes (1-2) with goals from Nahuel Molina and Correa, the latter in added time, in a lethal counterattack that is in the club's DNA.

Diego Simeone arrives at the World Cup with all his players available. His biggest headache will be choosing his starting eleven. Julián Álvarez, the season's top scorer with 29 goals, is undisputed. Normally, he would be joined by Norwegian Alexander Sorloth, which would mean Antoine Griezmann, Atleti's all-time top scorer, would be relegated to the bench. The Norwegian is experiencing a very different moment: with 24 goals in his first season in Atleti, he has scored seven goals in his last four matches and is eyeing a starting spot.

PSG will be very similar to the one that thrashed Inter (5-0) in the Champions League final in Munich. Luis Enrique will likely only replace Dembélé with Barcola. One fact worries Atlético Madrid. Atlético have lost all three matches refereed by Romanian international referee Istvan Kovacs, who was appointed to referee their match against PSG. The referee also officiated the last Champions League final.

The concern Wind chill of 38 degrees

The match will be played amid tight security due to the recent incidents in Los Angeles over the Trump administration's anti-immigration policy. The World Cup is being played in a country with little interest in football , and it's unknown whether the stands will be full. Another concern is the intense heat. At match time, the thermometer will read 31 degrees Celsius, but the wind chill will be 38 degrees Celsius.