PSG Meets Inter Miami: Messi Faces Former Club This Sunday

ATLANTA, USA — Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will face Inter Miami in the round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup this Sunday, June 29, at 1 PM local time. The match will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

This showdown is particularly notable as it marks Lionel Messi‘s first encounter with his former club since leaving PSG. The stakes are high, as the winner will advance to the quarter-finals and vie for a prize of $13.1 million USD (approximately R$ 72.5 million).

PSG qualified for the knockout stage as the top team in their group, despite a mixed performance in the group stage. They began with a dominant 4-0 victory over Atlético de Madrid but then stumbled with a 1-0 loss to Botafogo. However, they recovered to defeat the Seattle Sounders 2-0, securing their advancement.

Coach Luis Enrique will have to strategize without Ousmane Dembélé, who is sidelined due to a muscle injury. There is also speculation on whether he will field a full-strength team or rest some players for potential later rounds.

On the other hand, Inter Miami, led by coach Javier Mascherano, enters the match after finishing second in Group A. They started their campaign with a goalless draw against Al Ahly, followed by a 2-1 comeback win over Porto. In their final group match, they disappointingly drew 2-2 with Palmeiras after leading by two goals.

While Messi returns to face his old team, Inter Miami will miss key players including goalkeeper Callender and midfielder David Ruiz due to injuries. The probable lineups for both teams showcase some of the top talents in international football.

The match will be broadcast live on multiple networks, including Globo, SporTV, DAZN, and CazéTV on YouTube, allowing fans to catch the action from various platforms.