Lionel Messi, Inter Miami to Meet PSG in Knockout Stage of Club World Cup
PSG have booked their spot in the knockout stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after a 2-0 win over MLS side Seattle Sounders on Monday at Lumen Field. Up next, they'll face a familiar opponent in the knockout stage in Inter Miami—led by former PSG star Lionel Messi.
Inter Miami appeared to be heading on their way to topping Group A after they took a 2-0 lead over Palmerias. However, the MLS side conceded two goals in the second half to the Brazilian side, allowing them to finish first and the South Florida club to finish second.
Messi played three years with the Parisians from 2021 to 2023 after he unexpectedly left FC Barcelona. With Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé, Messi joined a stacked attack, but even with this trio, the capital club could never advance past the Round of 16, losing to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
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The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner left on a sour note after PSG supporters whistled him and protested having signed him in the first place. Moreover, Messi has stated in the past how he truly feels about his tenure in Paris, as he noted in an interview this year with Apple Music.
'The way things turned out in my last years in Paris, even though I had to make a quick decision to leave Barcelona, I ended up spending two years that I didn't enjoy,' Messi said. 'I wasn't happy day to day—whether it was training, matches, or just adapting to everything.'
Now, the two parties will meet in the knockout stage, and all the interviews of the player bashing the club will resurface. Furthermore, PSG fans will want a convincing win to have a final laugh over a player who didn't want to be there in the first place.
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