Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4-0 victory over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on Sunday to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup. Despite hopes that Messi could inspire his MLS side against his former club, Inter Miami were convincingly outclassed by the reigning European champions in Atlanta.
The match, played in front of 66,000 spectators, was a one-sided affair from the start. PSG, managed by Luis Enrique, controlled possession and tempo, exposing the defensive frailties of Inter Miami throughout the contest. Former Barcelona stars Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba had performed admirably to reach the Club World Cup’s last 16, but PSG’s quality proved far superior over the 90 minutes.
Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves opened the scoring for PSG early in the first half, heading in a free-kick from Vitinha after Miami’s Marcelo Weigandt committed a foul on Desire Doue. PSG continued to press, and although Fabian Ruiz had a goal disallowed for offside, Miami struggled to get out of their own half and failed to bring Messi meaningfully into play.
Neves added a second goal after Busquets lost possession near his own box, allowing Ruiz and Barcola to set him up for a close-range finish. PSG’s third came shortly after when Tomas Aviles turned a cross from Doue into his own net, and the fourth arrived just before the break when Achraf Hakimi followed up his own deflected shot to score.
Although Messi tried to create chances; most notably a lofted pass for Suarez early in the second half, Inter Miami were unable to convert. The Argentine forward did test PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low strike, but it was clear the match was beyond reach.
Suarez drew a foul near the box, but Messi’s effort from the resulting free-kick was easily defended. PSG remained in control, even as substitute Ousmane Dembele made his tournament debut after recovering from injury, though he struggled to find rhythm.
Despite the heavy loss, Miami’s second-half showing was more disciplined. It was a respectable finish compared to PSG’s 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final. PSG will now face either Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup, scheduled to take place on Saturday in Atlanta.
