PSG, who are fresh off winning their first-ever UEFA Champions League title, will face Inter Miami in the Club World Cup round-of-16 clash on June 29. The match will also see Lionel Messi’s first-ever meeting as an opponent against the club since leaving Europe.
Messi, now the face of Inter Miami, guided the team through an unbeaten group stage campaign.
A gritty 2-2 draw against Palmeiras on Monday was enough to secure second place in Group A and push the only MLS team in the tournament into the knockout rounds.
On the other side, PSG are in the middle of their most successful season ever.
The French giants lifted four major trophies during the 2024–25 campaign, including Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophee des Champions, and the Champions League. Their dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final proved they are Europe’s new powerhouse.
Messi, who spent two seasons at PSG (2021–2023), now leads an American side chasing history.
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Has PSG Defeated Lionel Messi?
Yes, Lionel Messi has lost to PSG three times in his career, when he was part of Barcelona. The first loss came during the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League group stage, when Catalan side were beaten 3-2 in Paris.
Their second win came in the 2016/2017 season, when they defeated Barcelona 4-0 in the 1st leg of the round of 16 in the UCL, also in Paris.
The third defeat happened in the 2020/21 round of 16, when PSG stunned Barcelona with a 4-1 victory at the Camp Nou. Messi scored that night, but Kylian Mbappe’s hat trick stole the show.
Over ten matches against PSG in the Champions League, Messi has recorded four wins, three draws, and three defeats.
He has scored six goals and recorded one assist in those games. His most iconic moment came in the 6-1 comeback win in 2017, when Barcelona overturned a four-goal first-leg deficit to knock PSG out.
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