Messi's team advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, facing his former club Paris Saint-Germain.

In the same group stage match on June 24, Inter Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras, who secured the top spot in Group A based on goal difference, while Inter Miami came in second, both moving on to the Round of 16. However, Inter Miami will face Group B winners Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16, marking a matchup for the nearly 38-year-old Messi against his former team PSG.

Messi

In this match, Inter Miami took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez. However, their defense faltered, allowing Palmeiras to close the gap with a goal from Paulinho in the 80th minute, followed by Mauricio equalizing in the 88th minute. The match ended in a draw.

Palmeiras and Inter Miami both finished the group stage with 5 points, but Palmeiras had a goal difference of +2, while Inter Miami had +1, thus Palmeiras advanced as the group leader and Inter Miami as the runner-up.

Messi (center)

Inter Miami will face Group B winners Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 match on June 30 local time. This will also be an opportunity for Messi to meet his former club. In a recent interview, Messi admitted, "I had to leave Barcelona and spent two years in Paris, which I did not enjoy... I was unhappy every day, and adapting to the games and training was difficult for me."

Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain once featured star players like Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé, but they have never reached the pinnacle of the UEFA Champions League. However, this year, the "de-starring" of PSG led them to a historic victory in the Champions League final, defeating Inter Milan 5-0 and claiming their first-ever Champions League trophy.