Club World Cup: PSG overwhelms Inter

All sorts of excited pop is playing at the Club World Cup in the USA. On Sunday afternoon, different sounds would have been called for. Chopin's "Marche funèbre," for example, a solemn, tragic-sounding, somber piece that is often played at funerals. The modest ambitions of Inter Miami were laid to rest on Sunday. The club, which has achieved global fame thanks to the charisma of Lionel Messi and - because of Messi - was invited to the World Cup by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, suffered a disastrous 4-0 defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain . PSG will face the winner of the match between FC Bayern and Flamengo from Rio de Janeiro in the quarter-finals.

The match had barely kicked off when PSG were already shouting "Rien ne va plus." Their superiority was so evident that Messi stared down in embarrassment, just as he did during FC Barcelona's 8-2 defeat to FC Bayern. João Neves scored twice (6th and 39th minutes), Tomás Aviles fired into an own net (44th minute), and in first-half stoppage time, Achraf Hakimi made it 4-0. After that, there must have been some kind of plea for mercy from Inter Miami.

The lines of communication were incredibly short. Inter had five employees with them at the 2015 Champions League final in Berlin under current PSG coach Luis Enrique: in addition to Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez, and Inter coach Javier Mascherano.

In any case, PSG noticeably slowed down in the second half – and Messi had a few opportunities to shine. Among them was a lob to the visibly aging Luis Suárez, who missed miserably from close range. "PSG had no opponent in the Champions League final (against Inter Milan). They're a great team with a great coach," said Mascherano. "PSG were an avalanche in the first half."

Despite the sobering defeat, those in charge at Inter Miami's headquarters in the small town of Coral Gables have humidors and cigar cutters within easy reach. They expect to be able to light up a Havana again soon—just as current co-chairman Xavi Asensi did when Messi agreed to join Inter Miami on June 7, 2023.

Negotiations for a new contract are reportedly at an advanced stage. Even within Messi's camp, there are voices suggesting that a major catastrophe would have to occur to prevent a contract extension.

According to sources, two reasons were decisive for Messi's decision. While Messi's relationship with club owner David Beckham is considered to be in need of improvement, Messi, in his old age, doesn't want to move again with all his belongings and three children. And he does want to play in the World Cup, which is being held in North America. Defending champions Argentina have set up their own football academy in Florida.

A contract extension would be a blessing for Inter Miami: The club plans to open its new stadium, currently under construction, next year. Furthermore, Messi is sure to attract global attention, far exceeding the interest generated by other franchises in the US professional league MLS. Inter Miami's bright pink jersey sells better than the shirt of the traditional Italian team Juventus Turin. Unlike Inter Miami, the "Old Lady" is one of the top five partners of the Herzogenaurach-based sportswear manufacturer Adidas, along with FC Bayern Munich, Manchester United, FC Liverpool, and Real Madrid.