Inter Miami-PSG brings Lionel Messi reunion at Club World Cup - ESPN

ATLANTA — Inter Miami have already defied expectations at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, managing two draws against Al Ahly and Palmeiras plus a shocking 2-1 victory over FC Porto to qualify for the round of 16. But the euphoria and celebrations that accompanied the achievement were quickly interrupted by the realization that the club would now confront Paris Saint-Germain in the first knockout round, meeting on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Miami would have narrowly avoided playing PSG if they had held on to their 2-0 lead late in the second half against Palmeiras in the last group stage game, but a seven-minute spell of errors and distractions allowed the Brazilian team to tie the score. With a win, Inter Miami would have faced Botafogo in the round of 16 instead of Europe's reigning champions.

When asked whether the team preferred to face the Brazilian club in the knockout round, Miami defender Noah Allen responded, «Yeah, probably.»

For the younger players on the Inter Miami squad, the upcoming match poses a daunting and new challenge: 90 minutes against the freshly crowned European champions and one of the world's best teams. Benjamin Cremaschi and Allen, two Inter Miami homegrown players who before the Club World Cup had never even played a competitive match against a club outside the Concacaf region, will now be tasked with marking some of the game's elite, from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Ousmane Dembélé.

For Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, the round-of-16 game is also a competitive reunion with their former Barcelona coach, PSG manager Luis Enrique. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano also played under Luis Enrique during his time with the LaLiga giants and will now lead his own team