Reunited at last — but now on opposing sides

Eight years have passed since Paris Saint-Germain endured one of their darkest nights in Europe — a humbling at Camp Nou, where a star-studded Barcelona side featuring Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Javier Mascherano dismantled them. Fast forward to today, and that very same Mascherano is now set to lead his former Barça teammates as head coach of Inter Miami in a surreal reunion of sorts.

Ironically, PSG’s current manager is none other than Luis Enrique, the mastermind behind that dominant 2015 Barcelona team which went on to lift the Club World Cup. This time, he’ll be in the opposing dugout, facing a 38-year-old Messi — now donning the pink of Inter Miami — in an unexpected twist made possible by FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup format, which has pitted the two sides against each other in the round of 16.

Few could have imagined a competitive clash between PSG and Inter Miami when Messi left Paris for the MLS, but the football gods have delivered. PSG, stung by a rare defeat just days earlier, responded with efficiency, sealing a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders to punch their ticket to the knockout round.

Atletico Madrid’s win over Botafogo, PSG’s earlier tormentors, ensured the French giants topped Group B with six points. Despite a stumble against the Brazilian champions, PSG opened the group with a statement 4-0 demolition of Atleti and never looked back.

They’ve asserted their usual dominance, controlling matches with an average of 73% possession and spreading the goals across the team — six different players have found the net, and ten have tested goalkeepers. Defensively, they've been rock solid, conceding just once in five outings — a lone strike by Igor Jesus in the loss to Botafogo — and that run includes a 3-0 victory in the Coupe de France final.

Now, with last season’s historic treble — Ligue 1, Champions League, and domestic cup — fresh in the memory, PSG have their eyes set on global glory and a new addition to their trophy cabinet.

Inter Miami’s path was more turbulent. They finished second in Group A, scraping a goalless draw with Al Ahly thanks to Oscar Ustari’s heroics before Messi’s trademark free-kick helped them overturn a deficit against Porto. In their final group match, they nearly pulled off an upset over Palmeiras.

Suarez gave them a 2-0 lead, but the Brazilian side clawed back to secure a 2-2 draw, leaving Mascherano’s men in second place — and facing one of the tournament’s toughest opponents.

Now unbeaten in six straight matches and scoring at least twice in five of them, Inter Miami stand as the sole American hope in this USA-hosted Club World Cup. But with PSG standing in their way, their fairy tale run faces its biggest test yet.

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

1/8 finals

Saturday

Palmeiras - Botafogo 1-0 AET (0-0)

/Paulinho 10/

Benfica - Chelsea 1-4 AET (1-1)

/Di Maria 90+5 pen - James 64, Nkunku 108, Neto 114, Dewsbury-Hall 117/

Sunday

19.00: (1.22) PSG (7.00) Inter Miami (11.0)

23.00: (5.30) Flamengo (3.60) Bayern (1.70)

Monday

19.00: (1.80) Inter (3.50) Fluminense (4.70)

Tuesday

04.00: (1.35) Manchester City (5.00) Al-Hilal (9.00)

22.00: (1.67) Real Madrid (3.70) Juventus (5.50)

Wednesday

04.00: (1.80) Dortmund (3.60) Monterrey (4.60)

***odds are subject to change***