Paris Saint-Germain emphatically ended Inter Miami’s inspiring run in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a commanding 4-0 victory at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. The French champions, led by a brilliant performance from Joao Neves who scored twice, overwhelmed the MLS side coached by Javier Mascherano, exposing the gulf in quality between the two teams.
PSG wasted no time asserting dominance, opening the scoring in the 6th minute with Neves heading home a precise cross from Vitinha. Inter Miami’s defensive woes deepened when young defender Noah Allen was injured early, forcing Tomas Aviles onto the pitch. Aviles’s day worsened as he conceded a yellow card shortly after coming on and later scored an own goal, compounding Miami’s troubles.
Neves doubled PSG’s lead in the 39th minute after capitalizing on a Miami turnover, effectively putting the match beyond reach before halftime. An own goal by Aviles followed in the 44th minute, and Achraf Hakimi sealed the first-half rout with a goal in added time, sending PSG into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
Despite a more assertive second half from Inter Miami, with Lionel Messi orchestrating several attacking moves, the MLS side failed to breach Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal. PSG eased off the pressure but maintained control, demonstrating their superior tactical discipline and individual quality.
Reflecting on the defeat, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano acknowledged PSG’s overwhelming quality and tactical execution. He noted that despite their best efforts, Miami struggled to maintain possession and create meaningful chances against a well-drilled PSG side. Mascherano highlighted the challenge of facing a team that had recently won the UEFA Champions League, emphasizing the experience and depth PSG brought to the contest.
The match carried added emotional weight, featuring a reunion of former Barcelona teammates and coach Luis Enrique, now at PSG, against Mascherano and other ex-Barcelona stars like Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba on the Miami side. However, the nostalgia was overshadowed by PSG’s clinical performance.
With this victory, PSG advances to the quarterfinals to face the winner of the Bayern Munich vs. Flamengo match, while Inter Miami’s historic run as the only MLS club to reach this stage ends. The result underscores the current gap between European elite clubs and American teams on the global stage, despite Miami’s valiant efforts and star-studded lineup.