Marquinhos set the tone ahead of the game with the Paris captain highlighting the capital club's attachment to Doha in an interview with FIFA: "Doha is the perfect stage for us! Each time we come here, we're welcomed well with fans, with facilities to train, and the stadiums have everything we need to."
He also noted that the club's trips to Doha are often for big games: "We come here often, sometimes to play for trophies as will be the case tomorrow. We spend a lot of time here. I hope we'll win the trophy and take it back to Paris."
A few hours later, Luis Enrique gave his pre-match press conference at the Ahmad-ben-Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan before a final training session for the Parisians on the pitch where they will contest the final against testing Brazilian opponents. "Flamengo are having a very good spell. They have won a lot of trophies," the Parisian coach told the world's media. "They're a good team with and without the ball."
He concluded with a clear message: "We're ready. Continuing to make history is now the aim of this season."