Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) cruised into the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals after a dominant 4-0 victory over Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. The match, held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, saw the French side assert their dominance early, with Joao Neves scoring twice. An own goal from Tomas Aviles and a strike from Achraf Hakimi completed the rout.
Neves opened the scoring in the 6th minute, heading home a free kick from Vitinha. He doubled the lead in the 39th minute after linking up with Bradley Barcola and Fabian Ruiz. Aviles' own goal and Hakimi's goal came shortly before halftime, effectively ending any chance of an Inter Miami comeback.
Despite fielding a team with former Barcelona stars like Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami were outplayed. PSG's relentless attack and high pressing made it difficult for Messi to get involved in the game. Messi had a few moments in the second half, including a header that forced a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma and a free kick that hit the wall.
PSG's coach, Luis Enrique, acknowledged the strong performance but emphasized the need for further improvement. Inter Miami's coach, Javier Mascherano, recognized the difference in class between the two teams but praised his players' effort.
With this win, PSG will face the winner of the match between Flamengo and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. PSG's performance has established them as one of the favorites to win the Club World Cup. Inter Miami's Club World Cup run ends with this defeat. They became the first MLS team to reach the Club World Cup knockout rounds.