Atleti are preparing in Los Angeles for their first match on Sunday against Champions League winners PSG.
At the Memorial Coliseum, a historic venue in Los Angeles that has already hosted two Olympic Games and is preparing to host a third in 2028, three of Simeone's key men spoke to the media: De Paul, Koke and Oblak.
Players in good place
Former Udinese man De Paul confirmed to journalists, including Flashscore's Fabio Russomando, that the mood was positive in the Atleti camp ahead of the tournament.
"We are very well in the dressing room, we will face the competition match after match, but obviously the objective is to be here from day one and stay until the end. That would mean that the team has done things right," he said.
"I think Atletico Madrid are always a dangerous team. We have shown that we can compete against all teams, and in every competition - whether it is a league or a prestigious tournament like this one - we want to be protagonists".
"A great team (PSG) with a great coach. But all teams have weaknesses, just as we do. We will try to focus on those to start with three points right away, which would be very important for us."
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Looking back at their previous meeting in November 2024 when Atleti beat PSG 2-1 in France, De Paul believes it bodes well for Sunday's clash.
"There are certainly many positive things from that match, although I won't comment on them here... we will undoubtedly take our lessons from that match. Having said that, I think Paris have grown a lot since then," he explained.
"But as I said before, we must also think a lot about Atletico Madrid. If we are well, we can have a great tournament. And this is the most important thing."
A 'renewed' Koke
It is a special moment for Koke, who like Antoine Griezmann, has renewed his contract at the club, providing an added incentive to do well in the revamped competition.
"It is really exciting to be able to play in a Club World Cup, representing Atletico Madrid, representing Spanish football, and we hope to finish as high as possible, that is, winning the tournament," Koke stated.
"It is true that if you look at the season we have had against the big teams, in the important games we have managed to come out on top. We beat Real Madrid, LaLiga champions Barcelona, and also in Paris... so yes, we are an important team and we can do great things. We really hope to finish this tournament well."
Competition will be fierce, however, with plenty of the world's best teams from several different countries taking part.
"Yes, it's true, there are clubs from every country, they all qualified on the field and deserved it. It is totally different from the Champions League, because only European teams participate there."
When asked about what PSG have improved on since losing to Atleti in the Champions League's league phase, Koke pointed to several factors.
"It's true that they have incredible confidence now, thanks to winning the Champions League. They signed well in the winter market, and in the way they play they are very similar," he said.
"Their coach has a very clear idea of the game, they want to press, keep possession, always be offensive. But yes, now they have even more quality in attack."
Oblak on Donnarumma
One of Atleti's biggest strengths is the quality of their goalkeeper, Oblak, who remains calm ahead of PSG and the rest of the group stage.
"We must not talk too much. You have to do the best you can and try to lift the cup. That is always the desire, that is always the goal, and this time too it will be no different," assured the Slovenian.
"PSG? Yes, we are still preparing the match, as it is played tomorrow. We will face the Champions League champion, the Ligue 1 champion, a team that has won everything. We know them, we have already played against them this year, we know how difficult it is.
"We don't know if tomorrow will be the same or even more difficult. We do know and we are preparing to make it difficult for them. We know what kind of game awaits us, but as always we will give our best to win."
Looking ahead to the rest of the tournament, Oblak continued: "We have achieved the necessary results over the last four years to be able to participate. But we didn't come just to participate: we are here to play and do everything we can to go far. We really hope to win the title."
Lining up on the other side of the pitch will be Gianluigi Donnarumma, who Oblak sees as one of the best in the business.
"He is a great goalkeeper. This year he has shown in so many games how strong he is. He is tall, he has great reflexes, he is young," Oblak explained.
"I think he has a bright future, but he is already a great present. I'm sure he will be a tough obstacle for our attackers. But I hope we'll be the ones to challenge him and win."