ATLANTA — Paris Saint-Germain delivered a commanding performance to eliminate Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, securing a 4-0 win to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Messi, reunited with his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, couldn’t prevent the MLS side from being outclassed by Europe’s reigning champions in front of a 66,000-strong crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dominant First Half Seals It
Joao Neves scored twice for PSG, while Achraf Hakimi added a fourth, and a Tomas Aviles own goal rounded out the first-half onslaught. The Ligue 1 giants netted three goals in 10 minutes before the break, leaving little doubt about the result.
“Messi was the main draw, but PSG were the main show,” one commentator remarked, as pink Miami shirts filled the stadium alongside Argentina jerseys.
Neves opened the scoring just six minutes in after Desire Doue was fouled and Vitinha floated a free kick to the back post. The Portuguese midfielder headed home unmarked.
Veteran midfielder Busquets was caught in possession in front of his box before Neves tapped in his second. Aviles turned a Doue cross into his own net moments later, and Hakimi capitalized on a rebound to make it four.
Messi’s Frustration and Flickers of Magic
A visibly frustrated Messi struggled to influence the game. His frustration boiled over as he lashed out at Vitinha in the first half. Despite his best efforts in the second half — including a fine assist for Suarez and a low shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma — Miami couldn’t mount a response.
Messi had one final chance from a free kick, but his effort was blocked by the wall, ending any hopes of a comeback.
PSG March On
PSG, under Luis Enrique, now advance to face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Atlanta.
While Miami’s second-half performance was more resilient, the loss exposes the gap between the Major League Soccer side and Europe’s elite. The 4-0 defeat, however, was a more modest margin than PSG’s 5-0 win over Inter Milan in last season’s Champions League final.
