Old friends become new rivals: Messi and Inter Miami ready for PSG battle
The Club World Cup round of 16 kicks off on Saturday
In a tournament dominated by bad fields and sweltering temperatures, the FIFA Club World Cup group stage wrapped up on Thursday night as 16 teams advanced to the knockout round.
The stage is now set for the round of 16, which kicks off Saturday, starting with the all-Brazilian derby Palmeiras taking on Botafogo at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
However, another matchup already stealing the spotlight is Inter Miami’s clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For Inter Miami, it’s certainly the biggest game in the club’s five-year history. The Herons, led by Lionel Messi, are set to face the European champions, which also happens to be the Argentine great’s former team.
As a result, there are plenty of compelling storylines that will accompany the match. Messi will be stepping onto the field against PSG for the first time since leaving the French club in 2023 following two forgettable seasons.
Adding another layer of intrigue, PSG is now coached by Luis Enrique, who once managed Messi during a golden era at Barcelona in the mid-2010s. Messi, who turned 38 this past Tuesday, and his former coach have a history of both tension and triumph.
Messi, his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez and Brazilian star Neymar played together under Enrique for three seasons, forming a famed trio that terrorized defenses across Europe, combining for 364 goals and 173 assists.
“He has been very important to my career, what I learned from him and just being around him. I had a competitive DNA before I played for him, but he upgraded it even more,” Suarez said of Enrique.
At the Club World Cup, Messi and Suarez will be in unfamiliar territory. They are the underdogs. It's a rare role — especially for Messi — as Inter Miami would have to defy the odds to reach the quarterfinals. The Florida club are the only MLS side to advance out of the group stage and, Messi notwithstanding, there is a big talent gulf compared to PSG.
Nonetheless, the connections between some of Inter Miami’s current players and Enrique make for an interesting subplot. For instance, Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets also played for Enrique at Barca.
“I have said this many times, but Luis Enrique is the best coach in the world,” Alba said, “not only just as a soccer coach, but also in the way he manages the whole group, which is spectacular. He’s a phenomenon. We’ll meet him and hug him, but when the referee blows the opening whistle, we’re going try to beat him, which is what all of us here are trying to do.”
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who also played at Barcelona when the Spanish club won the treble under Enrique in 2015, still considers him a friend.
“Obviously, it will be very special facing him,” he said. “It will be an honor for me facing a great coach. One of the greatest coaches I’ve had in my career.”
Enrique guided PSG to their first Champions League title this past season. The aim now, he said, is to “go as far as possible” at this tournament.
“I think the players are ready,” he added. “The real competition starts now, and it will be very difficult.”
Inter Miami’s game against PSG isn’t the only mouth-watering contest to look forward to in the coming days.
Sunday will also feature the all-European clash between Benfica and Chelsea, while Tuesday’s Real Madrid versus Juventus game pits two of the world’s most-storied clubs against each other.
Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni summed it up best: “Every game is like a final now, so we must recover well and prepare in the best way possible,”