The first “Messi! Messi!” chants inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium began at exactly 11:22 a.m. Sunday morning, as an expected crowd of more than 62,000 filed in for the highly anticipated Club World Cup Round of 16 showdown between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami team and his former team, Paris Saint-Germain.
It is a game with many interesting subplots, starting with the fact that despite having Messi and his high-profile friends on the roster, Inter Miami was a heavy underdog against a PSG team that just won the Champions League final 5-0 over Inter Milan, a team stacked with multi-millionaire stars.
The French powerhouse showed its dominance from the opening whistle, pressing high and then taking a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute on header by a wide open Joao Neves on a free kick from the left by Vitinha.
Inter Miami’s Starting XI featured Oscar Ustari, Marcelo Weigandt, Maxi Falcon, Noah Allen, Jordi Allen, Tadeo Allende, Fede Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia, Messi (captain), Luis Suarez. Allen went down with an apparent hamstring injury at the 19-minute mark, was replaced by Toto Aviles, who one minute later was shown a yellow card for a bad foul.
PSG’s starters included Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos (captain), Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola.
In addition to the Messi and PSG reunion, the game also featured PSG coach Luis Enrique against five of his former FC Barcelona players, Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba, and Javier Mascherano, now the Inter Miami coach and a protégé of Enrique’s.
Both coaches discussed their special relationship in the leadup to the game. Mascherano acknowledged that his team’s improbable undefeated three-game run in this tournament led them to a game that is much more daunting. But his team is up for the challenge, he said.
“We know going into this game that we are the weaker team, but don’t dismiss us, we are going to fight,” Mascherano said. “The beautiful thing about this game is that we earned the right to play in it. Going into the tournament, to be honest, it was difficult for us to have this opportunity. But our players did well and earned it.
“The challenge now is to come in and prove ourselves against the best team in the world. And while it will be hard, we will look for that moment when maybe the game turns and gives us a chance to reach the next round.”
Inter Miami co-owners David Beckham and Jorge and Jose Mas were at the game, and shared their thoughts with DAZN.com.
“We’re super proud, we started Inter Miami with dreaming,” said Jorge Mas. “It’s on our jersey, `Freedom to Dream’. To be standing here playing in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup against the European champions is a dream come true.
“But it’s only part of our journey. We continue dreaming big. Irrespective of the outcome [Sunday], we’re going continue dreaming so that when people think of futbol in the United States, they’ll think of Inter Miami. It’s a historic moment for our club.”
Beckham, who was an arm sling following surgery, said: “This a big moment to be playing against a team that in my opinion is the best team inn the world. It’s going to be a tough game, but anything in possible. Freedom to Dream is written on our jersey, and we have to believe in that.”
Mascherano urged his players to embrace and enjoy the moment.
“I don’t know how many chances we will have as a club to face an opponent like PSG; well, [Sunday] we have it and have to take advantage of it and enjoy it,” he said. “And, also, show that we, with our limitations and virtues, not saying go toe-to-toe with them, but give them a good game.”
Falcon said: “It’s going to be a great game, a great experience for me as a player, as I have never had that chance before. We will try to leave it all on the field, like we did the last three games, anything can happen, but we know it will be a very difficult game.”