Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are gearing up to face UEFA Champions League winners PSG in the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Inter Miami have already punched above their weight as they have managed to make it to the knockout rounds of the tournament, but for them to make it to the quarter-finals, Lionel Messi’s team will have to take down the best team in Europe, Paris Saint-Germain.

The Ligue 1 champions have been a force to reckon with under Luis Enrique. Having just won the treble last season, they are one of the favourites to win the FIFA Club World Cup. While their defeat to Botafogo was a massive surprise, Les Parisiens bounced back with an easy 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders to finish top and book a place in the round of 16. They will certainly be out-and-out favourites against the MLS outfit.

Meanwhile, not many would have expected Inter Miami to make it this far in the tournament. On the back of a win over Portuguese giants FC Porto and draws against Al Ahly and Palmeiras, the team from Miami are now ready to square up against PSG.

While the Herons do have one of the best players in the world in Messi, there is a massive gulf in the quality of both teams. As a result, everything has to go right for them to stand a chance against the Champions League winners. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

PSG

While Ousmane Dembele is back in training, he is unlikely to feature in this fixture but might be named on the bench. Luis Enrique has no other injury concerns, so expect him to name a similar XI to the one that started in their last outing.

Against Inter Miami, PSG will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will be the full-backs for Les Parisiens, while Marquinhos will partner with Willian Pacho at the heart of the defence.

Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz will be in support of Vitinha in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dominate the ball and ensure they dictate the pace of the game. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue will take charge on the flanks, with Goncalo Ramos likely to come into the XI to lead the line for PSG against Inter Miami.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Ramos, Doue

Inter Miami

Javier Mascherano will be without the services of Drake Callender, Gonzalo Lujan, and Yannick Bright. Meanwhile, Jordi Alba is back fit, but he is unlikely to start.

Inter Miami will continue to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Oscar Ustari will be in goal, with Callender out injured. Marcelo Weigandt and Noah Allen will be the full-backs, while Maximiliano Falcon will partner with Tomas Aviles in the heart of the defence.

Tadeo Allende and Telasco Segovia will feature out wide on the flanks in midfield. Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets will partner with Federico Redondo in a more central role. While Busquets is the one who tends to control the tempo of a game more often than not, he might be at the receiving end this time around. In the final third, skipper Lionel Messi will partner with Luis Suarez.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Ustari; Weigandt, Aviles, Falcon, Allen; Allende, Redondo, Busquets, Segovia; Messi, Suarez

Key Stats

• PSG have averaged more than 70% of the ball in all three of their group-stage fixture.
• Messi’s Inter Miami have been unbeaten in their last five matches.
• The French giants have scored six goals in the tournament so far, with each one coming from a different player.
• In the 10 UEFA Champions League matches that Lionel Messi played against PSG during his Barcelona days, he had four goals and three assists.
• Luis Enrique’s team have only conceded one goal in their last five matches across competitions.

Player to Watch

Desire Doue

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Doue had a sensational debut campaign at PSG last time out. While the youngster was not an important part of Luis Enrique’s plans at the start, he worked his way into his XI. By the end of the season, the 20-year-old was one of the first names on their team sheet, and he certainly had a massive say in them winning the treble.

He finished the 2024/25 season with 15 goals and 16 assists in 54 outings. While he has featured in all three of their Club World Cup games, the French forward is yet to contribute towards a goal, and he will be eager to make a difference against Inter Miami.

Prediction

PSG 3-1 Inter Miami

Paris Saint-Germain will head into this round of 16 clash as overwhelming favourites, and rightfully so. The French champions have been one of the most dominant teams in Europe under Luis Enrique. While their shock defeat to Botafogo was a minor hiccup, PSG showed their class with a comfortable 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders.

With quality across all areas of the pitch and plenty of experience in high-stakes fixtures, they are expected to take control of the game early and impose their style on the American side.

Inter Miami, on the other hand, have already exceeded expectations by making it to the knockouts. However, facing a treble-winning European powerhouse will be their toughest challenge yet. With Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez leading the line, they do possess moments of magic in their locker, but they will need a near-perfect performance to keep up with PSG’s relentless intensity.

Despite their resilience and the Messi factor, the gulf in quality is likely to show as the match progresses. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the European giants.