ATLANTA – Paris Saint-Germain handed Inter Miami a humbling 4-0 defeat on Sunday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to advance to the Club World Cup quarter-finals, as Lionel Messi’s reunion with his former club ended in disappointment.
The highly anticipated last-16 clash saw a crowd of 66,000—many decked in Inter Miami pink and Argentina jerseys—hoping for a Messi-inspired upset. But Luis Enrique’s Champions League-winning side proved far too powerful for Javier Mascherano’s underdogs.
PSG dominated from the outset and were 4-0 up by halftime, with Joao Neves bagging a brace, Tomas Aviles scoring an own goal, and Achraf Hakimi adding the fourth. The result showcased the gulf in class between the French giants and the MLS hopefuls.
One-Sided First Half
Inter Miami’s defence crumbled under early pressure, with Neves heading home Vitinha’s free-kick in the sixth minute after Marcelo Weigandt conceded a foul on Desire Doue.
Despite moments of resistance and a disallowed goal for PSG’s Fabian Ruiz, the floodgates opened late in the first half. Sergio Busquets lost possession near his box, allowing Ruiz and Barcola to set up Neves for his second in the 39th minute.
Moments later, Doue’s cross was turned into his own net by Aviles, and Hakimi made it four before the break after his initial shot struck the crossbar and rebounded kindly for him to finish.
Frustration for Messi
Messi, now 38, was kept largely on the fringes by PSG’s intense pressing and tidy possession. In a rare moment of anger, the Argentine lashed out at Vitinha in frustration. His precise passes created glimpses of hope — including a delightful chip to Luis Suarez — but Miami lacked the finishing touch.
In the second half, Messi tested Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low strike and later saw a free-kick hit the wall, failing to reproduce the magic of his group-stage winner against Porto.
Respectable Exit
Though thoroughly outplayed in the first half, Inter Miami managed to steady themselves in the second, preventing further damage. Messi and his former Barcelona teammates — Suarez, Busquets, and Jordi Alba — bowed out after helping Miami reach the knockout stage for the first time.
Paris Saint-Germain will now face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in Saturday’s quarter-final, as they continue their pursuit of Club World Cup glory.
For Miami, the journey ends, but their campaign, led by one of football’s greatest icons, offered moments of promise — just not enough to overcome the reigning kings of Europe.
