Lionel Messi is set for a highly anticipated reunion with his former club Paris Saint-Germain after Inter Miami advanced to the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Monday.
Miami secured second place in Group A after a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras, who rallied from two goals down to clinch top spot. The result sets up an all-Brazil clash in the next round between Palmeiras and Botafogo, who edged through from Group B despite a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, eliminating the Spanish side.
PSG, the reigning European champions, topped Group B after a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the way for a mouthwatering matchup with Inter Miami — featuring Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and coach Javier Mascherano — in the next round.
Messi, Suárez, and Allende had given Miami a two-goal lead at Hard Rock Stadium, following their earlier shock win over Porto. But Palmeiras struck back with late goals from Paulinho and Mauricio to seal the draw and the group win.
The fixture will also see a reunion with PSG manager Luis Enrique, who coached Messi, Alba, Busquets, and Mascherano to a historic treble with Barcelona in 2015.
“We’re talking about the champions of Europe,” said Alba. “We know many of their players and their coach, who I was lucky enough to have. I’ve always said he’s the best in the world. We’ll connect with friends, but once the game starts, we’ll compete and try to beat them — why not? This is football.”
Mascherano hailed Inter Miami’s progression as a landmark moment for Major League Soccer. “It’s a historic night for MLS because we are into the best 16 teams in the world. All of MLS should be proud of Inter Miami,” he said.
In other action, a thrilling 4-4 draw between Porto and Al Ahly was not enough to keep either side in the tournament, as both were eliminated.
PSG rebounded from their unexpected loss to Botafogo with a dominant performance in Seattle. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi scored in each half to secure the win, helped by Botafogo’s late defeat to Atletico Madrid in Pasadena, which allowed PSG to finish as group leaders.
PSG head coach Luis Enrique admitted the match wasn’t straightforward: “It wasn’t easy because the pitch was very different to what we are used to in Europe, so we couldn’t play with the fluidity we like. But we adapted.”
Ousmane Dembélé, PSG’s top scorer, missed a third consecutive game due to injury.
