Inter Miami, a haven of Barça veterans and a young franchise with big ambitions

Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) American adventure at the Club World Cup is cloaked in the scent of reunion. PSG is playing for its place in the quarter-finals of the tournament on Sunday, June 29, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia – kick-off at 6 p.m., metropolitan France time – against Inter Miami… of its former player, Lionel Messi . The Argentinian left a bitter memory with the supporters. He himself described his time in the French capital, between 2021 and 2023, as a "difficult period" , during which he "did not feel happy" .

Having since settled in Florida, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, aged 38, is thriving at the club chaired by David Beckham . The former Manchester United star, who also played for PSG for half a season in 2013, was delighted to have managed to attract the playmaker, who many consider to be the best footballer in the world, to his ranks.

His arrival has allowed Inter Miami to become the second largest franchise in Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American championship, now valued at more than $1.2 billion (more than €1 billion), according to Forbes magazine. It is even getting its own stadium: out goes the 21,000-seat Chase located in Fort Lauderdale, 45 kilometers from Miami. In comes Miami Freedom Park, a 25,000-seat venue located near the city's international airport. A project that should be finalized just in time for the World Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States in the summer of 2026.

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