Inter Miami may be the lone MLS team to crack the Club World Cup’s last 16, but after punching above their weight in the group stage, things will not get easier – they take on Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, Lionel Messi‘s former team.
Messi left the French champions in 2023 to join Miami, bringing an end to a two-year spell in his club career that was defined by friction and underachievement more than anything else. Though he did win two Ligue 1 titles and the Trophee des Champions during his brief spell in Paris, the team’s inability to win the UEFA Champions League during the era of Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe is a lasting legacy of that two-year period. It paled in comparison to his accomplishments with Argentina, beating Mbappe in the World Cup final during his final months as a PSG player.
Sunday’s round of 16 match in Atlanta comes with fresh reminders of that period in Messi’s club career, especially since it may just be the most unique matchup in the knockouts. Miami are expected to be the only non-European or South American side to advance out of the group stage, making them the underdogs against PSG, who finally won the Champions League for the first time a few short weeks ago. How Messi’s matchup against a familiar foe – coached by his former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique – will not only be the dominating narrative ahead of the match, but may very well be a defining moment in the round of 16.
Here’s a look back at the major moments in Messi’s time at PSG.
How to watch Paris Saint-Germain vs. Inter Miami, odds
- Date: Sunday, June 29 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
- TV: TNT | Live stream: Watch on DAZN (for free)
- Odds: Paris Saint-Germain -600; Draw +600; Inter Miami +1200
August 10, 2021: Messi joins PSG
Two days after bidding a tearful farewell to Barcelona because the club’s finances made them unable to re-sign him, Messi officially made the move to Paris Saint-Germain. He described the club as one that “matches my football ambitions” in PSG’s statement confirming the move, one that felt like the most natural fit considering Messi’s wage demands and the club’s financial might since Qatar Sports Investments’ 2011 takeover. It was a move that instantly made PSG, then managed by Mauricio Pochettino, an instant contender for the Champions League, especially with Neymar and Mbappe joining him in one of the most star-studded frontlines in recent memory.
September 28, 2021: Messi’s first Champions League goal
As PSG began to take a commanding lead in Ligue 1 yet again, they notched their first Champions League win of the season against Manchester City, with Messi facing his ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. He scored his first goal for PSG in the competition that day, and in stellar form. In the 70th minute, Messi received the ball from Marco Veratti on the halfway line and basically ran the length of City’s half before spotting Mbappe in front of him on the edge of the penalty area and passing the ball his way. With one touch, Mbappe sent it back to Messi, who was now on the edge of the area himself, and he smashed the ball into the back of the net from there.
March 9, 2022: PSG lose to Real Madrid in Champions League
On the topic of familiar foes, Messi’s PSG finished second in their group and drew Real Madrid in the round of 16. The series did not play out in their favor – though Messi missed a penalty in the first leg, PSG had a 1-0 lead at home thanks to Mbappe’s stoppage time winner and the France international scored in the first half in Madrid to give PSG a 2-0 aggregate lead. Karim Benzema‘s 17-minute hat trick in the second half, though, meant the star-studded PSG were ousted from the competition much earlier than they would have liked.
March 8, 2022: Bayern Munich oust PSG from Champions League
Almost a year to the day that PSG crashed out of the previous season’s Champions League in the round of 16, they did the very same thing. This time, it was in a resounding defeat to Bayern Munich, with PSG – then managed by Christophe Galtier – losing 3-0 over the course of two legs. From PSG’s run to the final in 2020 to their win this year, their two seasons with Messi were the only times they missed out on a spot in the Champions League semifinals.
April 8, 2023: Messi breaks European club scoring record
Though Messi later described his time at PSG as “difficult,” it was not all doom and gloom during his two-year spell in the French capital. In a match at Nice in the spring of 2023, Messi became the top goalscorer in European club soccer with his 702nd goal at that level, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo to do so. Messi also notched his 1,000th goal contribution at the club level with his tally in PSG’s 2-0 win.
June 3, 2023: Messi plays final match for PSG
Two days after Galtier confirmed Messi’s exit, the World Cup winner played his final match at the Parc des Princes as a PSG player. It was an eventful outing, though exactly a positive one for PSG – Messi was booed by some fans and the hosts went on to lose 3-2 to Clermont despite Mbappe scoring a brace at the start of the game.
