Lionel Messi will come up against a former club for the first time in his storied career when Inter Miami take on Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 at the Club World Cup
Lionel Messi will face his former club Paris Saint Germain in the Club World Cup with a huge point to prove. Inter Miami superstar Messi, 38, had two years at PSG when even one of football’s all-time greats could not take the French giants where they wanted to go.
Incredibly, Messi scored 32 goals and assisted 35 in 75 appearances for PSG before moving onto Inter Miami. But it simply did not work as PSG had the best names - Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Co - and yet they looked like a group of individuals rather than a team.
Fast forward two years and PSG boss Luis Enrique finally delivered the Holy Grail of the Champions League and proved you can win European football’s biggest prize without the biggest names.
The Messi experiment did not work for PSG and it ended amid some bitterness, acrimony and disappointment. It was good on the pitch for Messi but he did not really fit into a team structure.
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There was also public fall-out as Messi’s family struggled to settle in Paris and, as a result, there is no particular love lost there.
And yet he has been a phenomenal success for Inter Miami. He has been a transformational signing. Bigger than when David Beckham went to LA Galaxy and arguably the biggest in MLS history.
This week, as they always do, Major League Soccer published the earnings of their players and Messi was top as he pocketed £14.5m - or £290,000-a-week - which was way ahead of anyone else.
Messi has been in the US for two years. His debut was a star-studded affair where even LeBron James and Kim Kardashian queued up for selfies.
His influence on and off the pitch has been huge. When he first arrived, he saw United States international Benjamin Cremaschi in training and told him: “run less, think more.” His influence has been huge. Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets followed.
The reality is that Inter Miami and the MLS believe he is worth every penny of that giant salary and the charade is now beginning over his future.
Messi is in the final year of his contract, they are desperate for him to stay and it is huge for the United States generally because there is less than a year to go until the main World Cup.
That is the background and story behind Messi’s date with destiny against PSG and a chance to prove his worth and make his point in the last 16 tie on Monday in Atlanta.
This is the sort of showdown that FIFA could only dream about when they created the Club World Cup. It was also probably a bit of a pipe dream when Inter Miami started their Club World Cup with a goalless draw against Al Ahly. Inter Miami were lucky to escape with a draw.
But the fairytale began when Messi scored a winner with a glorious free kick to beat Porto. They drew against Palmeiras but threw away a 2-0 lead and yet for a MLS side to reach the knock-out stages was a huge moment for the league.
That is how they view it here. And also Inter Miami are growing in confidence, belief and meanwhile they are gaining momentum. They have been the best of the three MLS teams in this tournament.
Yes, PSG should win. And they are among the favourites to win the Club World Cup. They blitzed Atletico Madrid, lost to Botafogo and then got the job done against Seattle Sounders.
They were the best team in Europe bar none last season. Along the way, Enrique kept referencing winning without big stars and names. That will surely fire up Messi. And when Messi is in the mood, he is still a force to be reckoned with.
KasongoWaKenya
146
It doesn't matter how good Messi is. PSG players are all good. Inter Miami can't match in quality
carvajal33
63
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
Nino_Luxury
40
Please remove this cl*wn from here. I blame FIFA for giving Porto some crazy bonus💵 to allow their designed goat to proceed because Porto wouldn't go far anyway. How they alerted Palmeiris to score two against Inter Miami after they noticed that Porto will tie with a draw with Al Ahly, a draw will just be fine now, we know everything that happened
Yohabi1
20
I don't think Messi will entertain any negative thoughts about Enrique or PSG. Messi wants to enjoy football and he'll play football when PSG meet Miami. Messi knows PSG have all the money and the superstars on their side and it will be an embarrassing thing for PSG not to beat his Miami side. Let us watch the greatest of all play against the new European champions. Nothing more.
Nusinptuyz
13
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
Mess's name will always give you diarrhea.Nitwit.
gm11
12
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
An ordinary player still scoring and assisting more than anyone in his squad and league. He can still do everything you just don't watch him play but then again the truth hurts the Ronaldo fan girls so as always you just gotta ignore them leave them too it 😂, fifa wants to favour him yet put them against one the best teams in the tournament meaning everything but favouring. But hey atleast Ronaldo and his teammates can watch the real goat on the TV screen in a tournament Ronaldo isn't good enough for. You been making excuses since 2010 really? Jesus Ronaldo fans really have lost it. Thank god I don't have listen to irrelevant Ronaldo fans anymore. LM10 🐐🐐🐐🐐 WORLD CUP X1
VawulenceProMax
12
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
Since 2022 your tears has not stopped flowing I love what Messi did to his hatersC hw have you people everlasting tears 😭
Fazilmrstu
12
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
Ronaldo fan idiot
Tiackmsyz
12
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
a fool is always a fool nothing much
Viwiloyz
10
whether you gree ooo you not gree ooo Messi is just an ordinary player now, he can't do the things that he used to do before when he was at Barça, unless his pa. FIFA wants to favor him again like they have been doing through out his career (most especially 2010 and 2023)
Cry about its kiddo
Truthishere
10
Please remove this cl*wn from here. I blame FIFA for giving Porto some crazy bonus💵 to allow their designed goat to proceed because Porto wouldn't go far anyway. How they alerted Palmeiris to score two against Inter Miami after they noticed that Porto will tie with a draw with Al Ahly, a draw will just be fine now, we know everything that happened
I can see you know more than us. Pls tell FIFA to give Messi and Miami the trophy. Please!
adedefender
9
It doesn't matter how good Messi is. PSG players are all good. Inter Miami can't match in quality
You were bitterly honest here
voabeimos
8
Please remove this cl*wn from here. I blame FIFA for giving Porto some crazy bonus💵 to allow their designed goat to proceed because Porto wouldn't go far anyway. How they alerted Palmeiris to score two against Inter Miami after they noticed that Porto will tie with a draw with Al Ahly, a draw will just be fine now, we know everything that happened
If you have a hypocrite mind this is how you speak. Stupid idiot 🔥🔥🔥