MIAMI: Lionel Messi will lead a quartet of former Barcelona players into a meeting with their former coach Luis Enrique when Inter Miami face his former club Paris St Germain in Atlanta on Sunday after both sides progressed to the last-16 phase of the Club World Cup.

Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras on Monday to go through second in Group ‘A’, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot.

They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid but progressed from Group ‘B’ in second at the expense of the Spaniards.

European champions PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the way for the clash with Messi and surprise package Miami.

Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez had Miami on course for a second victory in the tournament after their shock win over Porto. But Palmeiras struck twice in the last 10 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium through Paulinho and Mauricio to ensure they went through.

Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez all played under Luis Enrique in Spain, and were in the side who knocked PSG out of the Champions League last 16 in the 2016-17 season. Miami coach Javier Mascherano will also face his former coach Luis Enrique, who guided them to the treble when in charge at Barca in 2015.

“If we make these mistakes against PSG we will pay a heavy price,” said Suarez. “Obviously, in this kind of tournament there is always going to be a favourite, that’s just a fact. We’ll be facing the European champions and we will have to try and take our chances. Luis Enrique has seen many players and he influenced me a lot. I already had a competitive DNA but he made me even more competitive.”

PSG have certainly moved on from their traumatic Champions League exit in 2017, when they won the first leg in Paris 4-0 but were thrashed 6-1 in the return match in Barcelona.

The French side claimed their first Champions League title this season in a campaign masterminded by Luis Enrique, but Messi and Co. will be eager to cause another upset.

“We’re talking about the champions of Europe. We know many of their players and their coach, who I was lucky enough to have coach me, and I’ve always said he is the best in the world,” said Alba.

“I will connect with good friends there but once the game starts, we will compete, try to beat them, and why can’t we do it? This is football.”

Mascherano said Miami’s progress had elevated Major League Soccer. The Herons were the only MLS club to advance to the round of 16 after Los Angeles FC and Seattle were eliminated.

“It’s a historic night for MLS, because we are into the best 16 teams in the world. All of the MLS has to be proud of Inter Miami,” he said. “They [PSG] are probably better than us, but in football you never know. Maybe Sunday will be our day.”

Allende handed Miami the lead with a clinical finish following a counterattack in the 16th minute before Suarez made it 2-0 by dancing around Bruno Fuchs and firing a shot past goalkeeper Weverton in the 65th.

But the Sao Paulo-based club lifted their intensity and Paulinho pulled a goal back by slotting home from 10 yards after Allan’s layoff. The equaliser came three minutes from time when Mauricio pounced on a loose ball and smashed a rising effort beyond Oscar Ustari.

Messi, who turned 39 on Tuesday, had numerous chances but did not score despite the crowd chanting his name throughout the match.

“We weren’t able to play the way we wanted to in the first half but in the second half we regained our fighting spirit,” Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira said. “Our first objective is now completed. Now we can rest, recuperate and prepare for the knockout phase.”

Portuguese side Porto and Egypt’s Al Ahly were eliminated after a thrilling 4-4 draw which was not enough for either team to overhaul Palmeiras or Miami.

Earlier, PSG bounced back from their surprise defeat by Botafogo with a comfortable win in Seattle.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi scored either side of half-time as the Ligue 1 champions advanced as group winners because of Botafogo’s late defeat to Atletico Madrid in Pasadena.

PSG opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Vitinha’s long-range effort deflected in off Kvaratskhelia.Hakimi doubled the lead just after the hour, controlling Bradley Barcola’s cross before rifling a shot past Swiss goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

“We want to go as far as possible, and I think the players are ready,” Luis Enrique told a post-match news conference. “The real competition starts now, and it will be very difficult.”

ATLETICO EXIT

Atletico’s 4-0 defeat by PSG in their opener left them needing a big win against Botafogo to progress.

Former France international Antoine Griezmann scored the game’s only goal, lashing home a Julian Alvarez cross in the 87th minute to give Atletico a victory that ultimately was in vain. Atletico needed a two-goal swing and were upset at penalty appeals being turned down.

Atletico arrived in the United States with high hopes but their heavy loss to PSG and lacklustre performances overall raised further questions about the team’s direction under their long-serving manager Diego Simeone.

Reflecting on the campaign, Simeone expressed pride in his players efforts but lamented what he deemed poor officiating.

“Proud of the boys’ work. We gave absolutely everything we had. We won two out of three matches and even so, sadly were out,” he told DAZN after the Botafogo win.

“With six points, it wasn’t bad, but the match against PSG condemned us, where every refereeing decision always went against us. Today’s game also had a penalty decision overturned after a VAR review. It’s more of the same. We know what we need to improve, and this will help us move forward.”

Despite dominating possession, Atletico rarely troubled Botafogo’s organised defence and needed their goalkeeper Jan Oblak to work their magic against their Brazilian rivals to avoid a worst result.

The previous defeat by PSG had already exposed familiar weaknesses, including frail defending against wide players and a lack of creativity in the final third — issues that have plagued them during their four consecutive trophy-less seasons.

Blaming the refereeing rather than facing their own issues seems like a tough pill to swallow to Atletico fans as this latest disappointment heaps further pressure on Simeone, Europe’s highest-paid manager, as he prepares for his 14th season in charge of the side.

Atletico, who won La Liga in 2014 and 2021, and finished runners-up in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League final, have been far closer to the elite than they are right now.

For all the excuses, one line from Griezmann cut straight to the heart of the matter. “We have to look at ourselves and see that there are times when we are not at the level and we have to resolve that,” said the veteran French forward.

Botafogo, captain Marlon Freitas, meanwhile, emphasised the achievement of advancing to the knockout stage from what many had dubbed the ‘group of death’.

“Sure, we wanted to win, and I think we had our chances. We knew how to defend, and I believe we deserved at least a draw. Conceding that late goal was heartbreaking because we wanted to finish top of the group,” Freitas told TV Globo.

“However, we should celebrate because, before the tournament started, everyone thought we had no chance against two top opponents from major European leagues. We’ve shown the value of Brazilian football. We are champions of South America, and we deserve respect.”

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2025