PSG vs Inter Miami: FIFA Club World Cup – team news, start time and lineups

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Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Miami
What: FIFA Club World Cup circular of 16
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta, United States
When: Sunday, June 30 astatine 12pm (16:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 9am section (13:00 GMT) successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.

FIFA’s Club World Cup serves up a dainty successful the circular of 16 arsenic Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami against his erstwhile club, Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentinian planetary guardant joined the French giants, and present first-time European champions, from the nine helium represented since childhood, Barcelona.

PSG’s coveted European occurrence was not forthcoming, and Messi headed for caller pastures with his 2023 determination to Major League Soccer.

Now, Messi faces a PSG broadside shorn of galore of the Galacticos recruited to seal European glory, but afloat of youthful exuberance and riding the crest of their Champions League wave.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a person look astatine the match.

Why does Messi’s Miami vs PSG transportation specified weight?

When PSG conscionable Inter Miami, it volition people a uncommon reunion of European shot greats, each layered with aged loyalties, caller regrets and the accidental for Lionel Messi to settee a score.

Sunday’s crippled features a compelling opposition of eras – a PSG broadside powered by younker and vigor caller disconnected their maiden Champions League title, and an Inter Miami squad built astir ageing-but-iconic erstwhile Barcelona stars.

On the PSG touchline, Luis Enrique comes look to look with 4 players helium erstwhile led astatine Barcelona: Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

They are each present reunited nether Miami manager Javier Mascherano, different fig from Luis Enrique’s treble-winning epoch astatine Camp Nou.

“Luis Enrique is simply a phenomenon,” Alba said this week. “I’m excited to spot him and volition springiness him a hug, but erstwhile the ref blows the opening whistle, we’ll effort to bushed him.”

Suarez, present 38, reflected connected his erstwhile manager’s impact: “I already had a competitory DNA, but helium injected adjacent much into me,” helium said.

FIFA Club World Cup - Inter Miami CF Training - Inter Miami CF Training Centre, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. - June 28, 2025 Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi during training

Do the Barcelona contingent person past with PSG?

In different furniture of intrigue, Miami’s contingent of erstwhile Barcelona players were each portion of 2017’s “Remontada” against PSG.

That was PSG’s darkest night, erstwhile Barca thrashed them 6-1 successful Spain aft losing 4-0 successful Paris successful their last-16 Champions League tie.

That was erstwhile Miami’s veterans were astatine their peak.

Now, they trust connected representation and rhythm, portion PSG’s halfway has been reshaped by a rising generation: Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Vitinha person helped inject caller vigor into Luis Enrique’s system, culminating successful a Champions League triumph conscionable weeks ago.

How did PSG fare successful the radical stage?

The Parisian broadside get successful Atlanta aft a 1–0 nonaccomplishment to Brazil’s Botafogo successful the radical stage, which raised questions astir fatigue pursuing a agelong European season.

Though PSG stay dense favourites connected paper, that decision showed cracks successful a squad that has played much high-stakes matches than astir of their rivals.

PSG took their radical with wins successful their opening games against Atletico Madrid and Seattle Sounders.

How did Inter Miami fare successful the radical stage?

Inter Miami finished 2nd successful their radical down Palmeiras with 1 triumph and 2 draws to their name.

The Messi-inspired 2-1 triumph against Porto was important to their progress.

Can Miami’s Argentina axis instrumentality down PSG?

“It volition beryllium an honour for maine facing a large coach, 1 of the top I’ve had successful my career,” said Mascherano of Luis Enrique.

Now successful his archetypal large nine coaching role, Mascherano brings an affectional borderline and tactical sharpness to a Miami broadside that, portion physically constricted by age, tin inactive threaten, particularly with Messi successful form.

The Argentina large endured a turbulent two-year stint astatine PSG aft leaving Barcelona successful 2021. Though helium won home silverware, Messi ne'er recovered bid successful Paris and, aft his World Cup triumph successful 2022, immoderate fans turned connected him.

“I didn’t bask myself astatine PSG,” Messi told reporters earlier this year. “It was a pugnacious period.”

Mascherano believes that representation inactive drives him.

“When something’s stuck successful his mind, Messi gives a small extra,” helium said this week.

Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi, Neymar, Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, Kylian Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos and teammates observe winning the Ligue 1

What went truthful incorrect for Messi astatine PSG?

PSG had made it to the Champions League last and past semifinals successful the 2 seasons anterior to Messi’s arrival, truthful helium looked similar the last portion successful the jigsaw.

Instead, they went backwards with him successful the side, going retired of Europe’s elite nine contention successful the past 16 2 years running.

Having to acceptable successful Messi, with his estimated yearly wage of 30 cardinal euros ($35.2 million) aft tax, arsenic good arsenic Neymar and Mbappe, whitethorn person accrued the prima appeal, but it weakened them arsenic a team.

Towards the end, the Barcelona fable was adjacent being jeered by immoderate sections of the PSG enactment who felt Messi’s committedness to the origin was not what it should person been.

Messi was a PSG subordinate erstwhile helium inspired Argentina to World Cup glory successful Qatar successful precocious 2022, but determination were lone flashes of his genius astatine nine level successful France.

His statistic basal up to immoderate scrutiny, with 32 goals and 35 assists successful 75 appearances, and helium did triumph 2 Ligue 1 titles portion helping summation PSG’s worth arsenic a brand.

Miami manager Javier Mascherano, meanwhile, believes the unhappy representation of his clip successful Paris could spur Messi on.

“It’s wide that for america it’s amended if helium plays angry, due to the fact that he’s 1 of those players who, erstwhile helium has thing connected his mind, gives an other effort,” Mascherano told ESPN.

How did PSG fare past season?

PSG’s stunning 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan successful Munich astatine the extremity of past month, which allowed them to triumph the UEFA Champions League for the archetypal time, completed an unthinkable treble-winning play for the Qatar-backed broadside nether the coaching of Luis Enrique.

How did Inter Miami fare past season?

Miami finished arsenic the nine with the astir points successful Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season, handing them a spot astatine the Club World Cup alternatively of LA Galaxy, who won the MLS Cup, which is regarded arsenic the highest prize successful the MLS.

FIFA announced Miami’s summation to the Club World Cup successful October aft they broke MLS’s regular-season points grounds with a 6-2 triumph implicit New England Revolution to scope 74 points, 1 amended than the erstwhile grounds acceptable by New England successful 2021.

PSG squad news

Ousmane Dembele has conscionable resumed grooming aft overcoming a hamstring injury, but whitethorn not adjacent beryllium acceptable capable for the bench.

Goncalo Ramos and Bradley Barcola are vying to commencement with Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in. Youngster Senny Mayulu was selected for the lucifer against Seattle successful Dembele’s role.

Inter Miami squad news

Jordi Alba has returned from wounded and volition situation youngster Noah Allen for the left-back position.

Drake Callender, Gonzalo Lujan and Yannick Bright are each inactive sidelined. Veteran goalkeeper Oscar Ustari volition proceed to deputise for the former.