Inter Miami closed its historic participation in the Club World Cup with an emphatic 4-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the round of 16, in a match played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Despite the adverse result, the U.S. team, led by Lionel Messi, made significant progress in its first foray into this international tournament.
An ‘easy’ game for PSG
Luis Enrique was able to make changes and rest his players in the second half.
Ousmane Dembélé, now recovered from his left quadriceps injury, also made his tournament debut in the 62nd minute.
Inter Miami tried to take risks and stepped up at the break, but could not close the gap despite PSG taking their foot off the accelerator.
This match featured multiple crossover stories surrounding Barcelona, with Luis Enrique as coach and Dembélé at PSG and Javier Mascherano as coach and Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami.
A promising start to the group stage
– FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 29, 2025
Buzzy
Inter Miami was invited to the Club World Cup as a representative of the host country, the United States, after winning the Supporters’ Shield in the 2024 MLS season.
Placed in Group A along with Palmeiras, FC Porto and Al Ahly, the team led by Javier Mascherano debuted with a 0-0 draw against Al Ahly.
They then beat Porto 2-1, with a decisive goal from Lionel Messi from a free kick, and closed the group stage with a 2-2 draw against Palmeiras, thus securing their place in the round of 16 as second in the group.
In the match against European champions PSG, Inter Miami were outplayed from the first minutes.
The French team scored four goals in the first half: a brace from João Neves, an own goal from Tomás Avilés and a goal from Achraf Hakimi.
Despite the efforts of Messi and his teammates, the U.S. team was unable to turn the situation around.
After the match, coach Javier Mascherano highlighted the experience gained:
Este torneo nos ha mostrado el nivel de exigencia del fútbol internacional. Debemos seguir trabajando para cerrar la brecha con los equipos europeos
Despite the elimination, Inter Miami’s participation in the Club World Cup represents a milestone for U.S. soccer and MLS, evidencing the club’s growth and international projection.
