Lionel Messi is set for a high-stakes reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain as his Inter Miami side booked their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup following a dramatic 2-2 draw with Brazilian champions Palmeiras at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Despite surrendering a two-goal lead late on, Miami’s surprise run through the group stage continued, earning them a marquee knockout clash with the reigning European champions.
With the draw, both Miami and Palmeiras sealed their progression to the next round. Miami’s performance, driven by early goals from Tadeo Allende and veteran striker Luis Suarez, had the capacity crowd of 60,914, which included a large Brazilian contingent, buzzing with anticipation.
Suarez, in particular, rolled back the years with a vintage solo effort to double Miami’s lead, raising hopes of another upset following their earlier victory over Porto.
Messi, who turns 38 on Tuesday, will now face PSG, the club he left in 2023 to join Major League Soccer, for the first time since his departure, in what promises to be a highly emotional and symbolic showdown. The match will take place in Atlanta and will mark one of the most anticipated encounters of the tournament.
“This is a historic night for the MLS because we are into the best 16 teams in the world and all of MLS has to be proud of Inter Miami,” said head coach Javier Mascherano, reflecting on the magnitude of the achievement.
From the outset, Miami displayed composure and fluidity, with six Argentine players in the starting XI, linking up seamlessly in midfield. Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Federico Redondo orchestrated the tempo against a Palmeiras side that seemed content to sit back early on.
Gustavo Gomez tested Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari with a header in the opening minutes, but it was Miami who struck first.
The breakthrough came in the 16th minute when Suarez expertly controlled a long ball with his chest and released Allende, who raced past the defense and calmly slotted past Palmeiras keeper Weverton.
Miami maintained control for much of the first half, with Palmeiras struggling to break out of their defensive shell. Their only clear opportunity came through Facundo Torres, whose wayward effort failed to trouble the scoreboard.
After halftime, Messi began to exert more influence. A low shot from the edge of the box forced a smart save from Weverton, and shortly afterward, Allende nearly doubled his tally with a shot narrowly wide.
Messi himself came close again with a half-volley over the bar before Suarez produced a moment of brilliance. In the 65th minute, he dribbled through two defenders and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner, putting Miami firmly in control at 2-0.
However, Palmeiras staged a late rally that changed the complexion of the match and the group standings. Substitute Paulinho reignited Brazilian hopes in the 80th minute, latching onto a clever reverse pass from Allan Andrade to pull one back.
Then, with just three minutes left in regulation time, Mauricio capitalized on a defensive lapse and lashed the ball into the far corner, equalizing for Palmeiras.
The draw denied Miami the chance to top the group and avoid PSG, while Palmeiras will now face fellow Brazilian side Botafogo in the next round. Despite the slip, Mascherano remained optimistic and praised his team’s overall display.
“Maybe at the end we had the game in our hands so the feeling is strange, but before the start of the tournament if someone told me we were going to have this kind of performance against these kinds of teams, I would have signed for it,” he said.
Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira, though relieved by the comeback, was critical of his side’s first-half showing. “I told them at half-time that it was impossible to do worse than what we did in the first half.
We were unable to contain our opponents or put pressure on them up front. But our spirit of fighting until the end was particularly important in the second half, and we were rewarded for that,” he explained.
Miami’s unlikely journey now sets the stage for a tantalizing round-of-16 clash with Messi’s former employers, PSG — a fixture that promises fireworks both on the pitch and in the headlines.
What you should know
Inter Miami, against expectations, qualified for the last 16 of the Club World Cup after drawing 2-2 with Palmeiras. Their next opponent is Paris Saint-Germain, marking Lionel Messi’s first encounter with his former club since his move to the MLS.
Suarez and Allende were on target for Miami, while Palmeiras fought back with two late goals to secure their own advancement.
