Lionel Messi will stand up against a former club for the first time in his legendary career, when Inter Miami will compete against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 at the Club World Cup
Lionel Messi will come across his former club Paris Saint Germain in the World Cup Club with a huge point to prove. Inter Miami Superstar Messi, 38, had two years at PSG at the time even one of the greats of football could not take the French giants they wanted to go.
Unbelievable, Messi scored 32 goals and assisted 35 in 75 performances for PSG before moving to Inter Miami. But it just didn't work because PSG had the best names – Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Co – and yet they looked like a group of individuals instead of a team.
Quick Vooruit two years and PSG boss Luis Enrique finally delivered the holy grail of the Champions League and proved that you can win the biggest prize in European football without the biggest names.
The Messi experiment did not work for PSG and it ended in the midst of some bitterness, bitterness and disappointment. It was good on the field for Messi, but he didn't really fit into a team structure.
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There was also public fall-out when the Messi family had difficulty setting up in Paris and as a result, no specific love was lost there.
And yet he has been a phenomenal success for Inter Miami. He has been a transformational signature. Bigger than when David Beckham went to La Galaxy and perhaps the largest in the history of MLS.
This week, as they always do, Major League Soccer published the income of their players and Messi was top when he fell £ 14.5 million – or £ 290,000 a week – what someone else was for.
Messi has been in the US for two years. His debut was a stars -lined affair in which even LeBron James and Kim Kardashian stood in line for Selfies.
His influence on and next to the field was huge. When he arrived for the first time, he saw the United States Internationally Benjamin Cremaschi in training and told him, “Run less, think more.” His influence has been huge. Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets followed.
The reality is that Inter Miami and the MLS believe that he is worth every cent of that gigantic salary and that the Charade is now talking about his future.
Messi is in the last year of his contract, they are desperate to stay for him and it is enormous for the United States in general because there is less than a year to go to the most important World Cup.
That is the background and the story behind the date of Messi with Destiny against PSG and an opportunity to prove his value and make his point in the last 16 draw on Monday in Atlanta.
This is the kind of confrontation that FIFA could only dream about when they created the club World Cup. It was probably also a bit of a pipe dream when Inter Miami started their club World Cup with a scoreless draw against Al Ahly. Inter Miami was lucky to escape with a draw.
But the fairy tale started when Messi scored a winner with a glorious free kick to beat Porto. They went against Palmeiras but threw away a 2-0 lead and yet it was a huge moment for the competition to reach the knockout stages.
That's how they look at it here. And Inter Miami is also growing in confidence, faith and in the meantime they gain strength. They have been the best of the three MLS teams in this tournament.
Yes, PSG should win. And they are one of the favorites to win the Club World Cup. She Blitzed Atletico Madrid, lost from Botafogo and then got the job against Seattle Sounders.
They were the best team in Europe Bar last season. Along the way, Enrique continued to refer to winning without big stars and names. Messi will certainly set up that. And when Messi is in the mood, he is still a force to take into account.