PSG vs Inter Miami

Three days after a rare defeat, Paris Saint-Germain rebounded with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders on Tuesday, securing their spot in the knockout stage. Atletico Madrid’s win over Botafogo, who had previously beaten PSG on matchday two, ensured PSG topped Group B with six points. Despite losing to the Brazilian champions, Luis Enrique’s squad kicked off the group stage with an impressive 4-0 thrashing of Atleti.

Without playing at their peak, PSG maintained their characteristic dominance, averaging 73% possession across their three group matches and scoring through six different players, with 10 registering at least one shot on target. Defensively, they’ve been nearly impenetrable, conceding just once in their last five games—a goal by Botafogo’s Igor Jesus—since their 3-0 triumph in the Coupe de France final.

Coming off a historic treble of Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League, and Coupe de France titles, PSG are determined to claim the revamped Club World Cup. A win on Sunday would advance them to the quarter-finals, where they’d face either Bayern Munich or Flamengo, leaving no room for nostalgia as familiar faces meet in Atlanta.

Eight years ago, PSG endured one of their worst European losses, dismantled by a Barcelona side led by Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Javier Mascherano at Camp Nou. This weekend, Mascherano, now Inter Miami’s head coach, will face his former mentor, Luis Enrique, who led that 2015 Club World Cup-winning Barcelona team. Messi, now 38 and playing for Inter Miami, adds intrigue to the matchup.

Few anticipated a competitive clash between PSG and Inter Miami when Messi left Paris for the MLS, but FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup has brought them together in the round of 16. Inter Miami advanced as Group A runners-up, with goalkeeper Oscar Ustari earning a point in a 0-0 draw against Al Ahly, Messi’s signature free kick securing a comeback victory over Porto, and a 2-2 draw against Palmeiras, where Suarez scored before the Brazilians fought back.

Unbeaten in their last six matches, with at least two goals in five, Inter Miami are the only American team to reach the knockout stage of this USA-hosted tournament. However, their chances of progressing further against a formidable PSG side appear slim.