CLUB WORLD CUP
Past meets present as PSG face Messi’s Inter Miami at Club World Cup
When Paris St Germain meet Inter Miami in the Club World Cup last 16, it will mark a rare reunion of European football greats, all layered with old loyalties, recent regrets and the chance for Lionel Messi to settle a score.
Sunday’s game features a compelling contrast of eras – a PSG side powered by youth and energy fresh off their maiden Champions League title, and an Inter Miami team built around aging but iconic former Barcelona stars.
On the PSG touchline, Luis Enrique comes face to face with four players he once led at Barcelona – Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
They are all now reunited under Miami coach Javier Mascherano, another figure from Luis Enrique’s treble-winning era at Camp Nou.
“Luis Enrique is a phenomenon,” Alba said this week. “I’m excited to see him and will give him a hug, but when the ref blows the opening whistle, we’ll try to beat him.”
Suarez, now 38, reflected on his former manager’s impact:
“I already had a competitive DNA, but he injected even more into me,” he said.
In another layer of intrigue, Miami’s contingent of former Barcelona players were all part of 2017’s “Remontada” against PSG.
That was PSG’s darkest night, when Barca thrashed them 6-1 in Spain after losing 4-0 in Paris in their last-16 Champions League tie.
That was when Miami’s veterans were at their peak.
Now they rely on memory and rhythm, while PSG’s core has been reshaped by a rising generation: Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Vitinha have helped inject fresh energy into Luis Enrique’s system, culminating in a Champions League triumph just weeks ago.
But the Parisian side arrive in Atlanta after a 1–0 loss to Brazil’s Botafogo in the group stage raised questions about fatigue following a long European season.
Though PSG remain heavy favourites on paper, that defeat showed cracks in a squad that has played more high-stakes matches than most of their rivals.
“It will be an honour for me facing a great coach – one of the greatest I’ve had in my career,” said Mascherano of Luis Enrique.
Now in his first major club coaching role, Mascherano brings an emotional edge and tactical sharpness to a Miami side that, while physically limited by age, can still threaten, especially with Messi in form.
The Argentine great endured a turbulent two-year stint at PSG after leaving Barcelona in 2021. Though he won domestic silverware, Messi never found peace in Paris, and after his World Cup win in 2022, some fans turned on him.
“I didn’t enjoy myself at PSG,” Messi told reporters earlier this year. “It was a tough period.”
Mascherano believes that memory still drives him.
“When something’s stuck in his mind, Messi gives a little extra,” he said this week.
-Reuters
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In a nation where bitter football feuds typically simmer across generations, Botafogo and Palmeiras are poised to add another chapter to Brazil’s explosive new rivalry when they meet in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Saturday.
The feud, which erupted in 2023, has seen dramatic twists both on and off the pitch.
Palmeiras, spearheaded by teenage sensation Endrick, overturned a three-goal deficit to defeat Botafogo 4-3, a result that triggered the Rio club’s collapse in the Brazilian championship race.
Palmeiras subsequently clinched the league title, sparking tensions that spilled into public exchanges between club officials.
Palmeiras president Leila Pereira called Botafogo’s owner John Textor “an idiot” and suggested he should be “banned from Brazilian football” after the American alleged referee bias in favor of Palmeiras.
The rivalry defies Brazil’s traditional city-based football feuds, with Palmeiras hailing from Sao Paulo and Botafogo from Rio de Janeiro.
Unlike the century-old feuds of Flamengo-Fluminense or Atletico-Cruzeiro, this cross-country animosity has evolved into a pressure-cooker dynamic, with each encounter carrying heightened stakes.
Botafogo exacted revenge in the 2024 Copa Libertadores, eliminating Palmeiras in the round of 16 en route to claiming the continental title.
When the two met again in the Brazilian league at Palmeiras’ home ground, Botafogo won again and eventually secured a domestic and international double.
Since that 2023 defeat, Botafogo have gone unbeaten against Palmeiras in five consecutive matches.
Saturday’s encounter at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field will test the limits of a rivalry that has transcended mere competition, with local commentators describing it as “collective catharsis” for fans and players alike.
“It means a lot. The last few games between Botafogo and Palmeiras have been high-level and intense,” defender Alex Telles told reporters on Friday.
“It’s a healthy rivalry for Brazilian football. It’s great to see two Brazilian teams facing each other in the Club World Cup and also to have all four teams advancing (to the last 16).”
On Saturday in Philadelphia, a new chapter will be written in this captivating and intense rivalry that has gripped the South American nation.
-Reuters
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Chelsea are facing a logistical headache at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, forcing an unexpected trip to Charlotte for their last 16 match instead of staying in Miami, where the club thought they would be based for the knockout stage.
A club source told Reuters that travel, accommodation and training arrangements were all made with the assumption that the West Londoners would top Group D and play their round of 16 match at Hard Rock Stadium.
Instead, after a 3-1 loss to Brazil’s Flamengo and only managing second place despite a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group stage fixture in Philadelphia, Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium.
The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice, but the club still intends to return to its Miami base after the match, adding more miles to an already hectic itinerary.
If Enzo Maresca’s side reach the quarter-finals, they will return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo.
-Reuters
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Manchester City secured top spot in Group G of the Club World Cup with a 5-2 thrashing of Juventus on Thursday, exposing the Serie A side’s defensive frailties in emphatic fashion.
With both teams already through to the knockout stage, City underlined their status as title favourites by becoming the only team to finish the group phase with three wins, showing flashes of their brilliant selves.
Pep Guardiola’s side finished three points clear of Juventus, who will face the winners of Group H in the last 16.
Real Madrid can clinch that group later on Thursday with a win over RB Salzburg. Both Salzburg and Al-Hilal, who face already-eliminated Pachuca, remain in contention for qualification.
City took the lead early through Jeremy Doku, who finished a precise move set up by a superb through pass from new signing Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Juventus responded quickly, capitalising on a mistake from City goalkeeper Ederson, whose poor clearance allowed Teun Koopmeiners to pounce, and the Dutch midfielder made no mistake, driving in the equaliser.
City regained the lead in the 26th minute when Matheus Nunes delivered a low cross into the box from the right. Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu, under little pressure, deflected the ball into his own net past a helpless Michele Di Gregorio.
The Premier League side added another with a third goal from Erling Haaland. After a quick break, Nunes again provided the assist, threading a pass into Haaland’s path for the Norwegian forward to bundle the ball over the line from close range.
Phil Foden put the result beyond doubt in the 69th minute, poking the ball home after Savinho tapped Haaland’s low cross into his path.
Savinho rubbed salt in Juve’s wounds when the ball fell to him at the edge of the box and he crashed a thunderous effort in off the crossbar.
Dusan Vlahovic reduced the arrears six minutes from time, but it was way too little, and much too late for Juve.
-Reuters
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