Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), under the guidance of Luis Enrique, cruised into the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals with a resounding 4-0 win over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
The Round of 16 clash, staged at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, highlighted the gulf in quality between Europe’s elite and Major League Soccer’s best.
From the first whistle, PSG asserted their dominance with a high-tempo, possession-heavy style of play that left Inter Miami struggling to respond.
Despite fielding an experienced lineup featuring former Barcelona stars Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez, the MLS side found themselves overwhelmed by PSG’s pace, physicality, and tactical cohesion.
The scoring began early, with Joao Neves heading in a well-placed free-kick from Vitinha in the 6th minute. Neves continued his standout performance by netting his second in the 39th minute, this time finishing off a smooth passing sequence orchestrated by Fabian Ruiz.
Just before halftime, Inter Miami’s challenges worsened when a deflection off Tomas Aviles resulted in an own goal in the 44th minute. Moments later, Achraf Hakimi pounced on a rebound during stoppage time to add PSG’s fourth goal.
The first-half demolition left little doubt about the outcome, as the French champions effectively sealed their advancement before the break.
In the second half, PSG lowered their intensity, allowing Inter Miami more time on the ball. Lionel Messi had a few individual moments, including a header that forced a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma, but none of his efforts altered the scoreline.
While the American side showed glimpses of quality, they were unable to match PSG’s superior tactical execution and squad depth.
With this commanding win, PSG progressed to the quarterfinal stage, where they will face the victor of the upcoming Flamengo vs. Bayern Munich encounter. Their performance in this fixture sent a strong message about their ambition to capture the Club World Cup title.
As for Inter Miami, the loss ended their debut run in the prestigious tournament. The team will now return to focus on their MLS campaign, aiming to apply the lessons learned from facing one of Europe’s most formidable clubs.
The match served as a clear benchmark of the standards needed to compete at the highest level of international club football.