Messi’s Inter Miami Outclassed as PSG March into Quarters

Paris Saint-Germain overwhelmed Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a dominant 4-0 victory, advancing to the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. Despite hopes that Messi’s brilliance could spark an upset against his former club, the MLS side was decisively outmatched by Luis Enrique’s formidable European champions in Atlanta.

Messi, alongside former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, had led Miami to this stage, but the stark disparity in quality became evident throughout the match. Joao Neves scored twice for PSG, benefiting from an own goal by Tomas Aviles, while Achraf Hakimi also found the net.

PSG opened the scoring early, and though Miami held firm temporarily, the French giants struck three times in a ten-minute flurry just before halftime. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement for Messi, as fans chanted his name, and the crowd of 66,000 was awash in Miami’s vibrant pink mixed with Argentina jerseys.

From the kickoff, PSG imposed their dominance, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia setting up Bradley Barcola, only for Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to make a critical save. However, trouble soon brewed for Miami when a foul by right-back Marcelo Weigandt led to PSG’s first goal. Vitinha delivered a well-placed free-kick, allowing Neves to score unmarked just six minutes in.

PSG’s Fabian Ruiz had a potential goal ruled out for offside, and Miami suffered another setback when defender Noah Allen was forced off with injury. Struggling to involve Messi, the 38-year-old superstar attempted a well-timed pass to Tadeo Allende on a rare Miami counter, but it came to nothing.

PSG extended their lead in the 39th minute when Busquets mishandled the ball in his own box, allowing Ruiz to snatch it away and assist Neves for his second goal. Miami then found themselves reeling when Aviles deflected a cross into his own net, followed by Hakimi’s fourth goal before halftime, putting the game out of reach. Hakimi’s initial attempt hit the crossbar, but he reacted quickly to score the rebound.

Frustrated, Messi aimed a swipe at Vitinha during the game, clearly expressing his discontent with Miami’s lack of defensive cohesion and PSG’s commanding play. In the second half, Messi created a golden opportunity with a stunning pass for Suarez, but the Uruguayan’s finish failed to give Miami a lifeline.

Messi was determined to make an impression despite the daunting task of a comeback, which was considerably more difficult than Barcelona’s incredible comeback against PSG in 2017. In the second half, his low attempt ultimately drew a stop from Gianluigi Donnarumma of PSG.

Luis Enrique introduced winger Ousmane Dembele, who made his tournament debut after recuperating from a hamstring issue, but the French star struggled to find his rhythm. Messi had a chance to score from a free-kick following a foul on Suarez, but his attempt struck the wall.

Ultimately, it wasn’t Miami’s day, though their performance in the second half was commendable, managing a defeat with a smaller margin compared to PSG’s previous 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final. PSG is set to face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta next Saturday.