As many people predicted, Paris St-Germain defeated Inter Miami in the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 to advance to the quarter-finals, winning 4-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The reigning European champions have shown an elegant football style under coach Luis Enrique. They broke down Miami's defense with accurate passes and players in perfect positions.
PSG took just three minutes to force Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to make his first save, and five minutes before they found the net. A free kick right outside the penalty area by Vitinha became the perfect assist for Joao Neves to score the opening goal.
The pressure of the attack continued, as PSG ended the match with 19 shots and 9 on target. If they had been a little luckier at the end of the match, PSG could have scored more than 4 goals.
Inter Miami initially responded as expected, defending as much as possible to prevent fierce attacks. However, by the end of the first half, the score was 4-0 in favor of the French team.
Even Lionel Messi could not narrow the gap in level between the two teams. The Argentine player can create a miracle from a small space or make a great free kick. However, football is a collective sport.
Although Messi shined against Porto, he still needed help against the Champions League champions, and no one else in the pink shirt could reach the level he needed.
Before leaving the position of Inter Miami coach, Gerardo Martino expressed concern about the limitations in the players list of Major League Soccer. He warned that strict rules only contribute to preventing teams from becoming more competitive.
Before the first match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Martino's successor, Javier Mascherano, complained about the club's lack of transfer activities. The inexistent system of the tournament and the short transfer window provided by FIFA to MLS teams put Inter Miami at a disadvantage.
"Injuries have exposed our depth. It is clear that we know about the limitations imposed by MLS that do not allow us to compete to the extent we desire. However, we have to go into tomorrow's match and give our all to the players we have," said Mascherano.
Even co-owner of Inter Miami, Jorge Mas, reiterated the need for a change in the league.
"Spacing is something we have been working on and will continue to do to get in depth," Mas told ESPN before the tournament began.
"The difference between MLS and some teams we have to face in international competitions is not just the starting lineup. When you look at the bench, it's a big difference."
The audience saw that in the match against Palmeiras, when changes were made to give the starting players a break after more than 65 minutes of fatigue. This eventually caused Miami to lose the 2-0 lead in the 2-2 draw. This problem recurred in the match against PSG.
Miami suffered a heavy blow when Allen left the field due to injury in the 19th minute. The 21-year-old graduated from the academy, who has become an indispensable part of Mascherano's squad after playing all three of his group stage games, was replaced by Toman Aviles. Aviles struggled, receiving a yellow card just a few seconds after entering the field and also coming home in the first half.
With a number of players sidelined through injury, Mascherano have no one else to look forward to. Cremaschi then replaced Telasco Segovia in the second half and had difficulty controlling the left wing.
MLS regulations may work for other teams in the league, but the match against PSG once again exposed the difference. However, Inter Miami should be proud of what they have done. Not because of their playing style in the 0-4 loss to PSG, but because of the development they have shown in the international arena.
Miami brought fans extremely happy moments, in Messi's goal against Porto and when they dominated Palmeiras. Even against PSG, Miami still created attacks that led to 3 shots on target, forcing thousands of fans to get up in wait for a goal.
Not everything is gone after the disastrous defeat to PSG, but now Inter Miami have to apply what they have learned and develop further.
