FIFA CWC: Lionel Messi cruelly denied revenge as PSG dominate Inter Miami 4-0

Lionel Messi could have dreamt of rewriting an unfinished chapter in opposition to his former membership, however Paris Saint-Germain ensured there can be no fairy-tale ending. On a moist June 29 night time on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Messi’s Inter Miami had been dismantled 4-0 by the reigning European champions within the FIFA Membership World Cup Spherical of 16 — a ruthless reminder of the hole between Main League Soccer and top-tier European soccer.

For Messi, it was greater than only a knockout recreation. It was a return to face a membership that when promised a lot however gave so little — and in flip, an opportunity to place that chapter to relaxation. However PSG, led by Luis Enrique, arrived in Atlanta not with sentiment, however with objective. From the very first whistle, the gulf in high quality was seen in each blade of grass. And it took simply six minutes for PSG to make their presence felt.

Joao Neves, rising unmarked contained in the field, headed within the opener after a splendidly curled free-kick from Vitinha — the Portuguese midfielder dictating rhythm and circulate like a metronome in PSG’s midfield. It was a aim born from precision and endurance, two qualities Inter Miami lacked for a lot of the night time.

Regardless of fielding a crew of legends — Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba — Inter Miami had been barely capable of sew collectively any cohesive attacking menace. Their defensive technique relied closely on our bodies behind the ball, with practically each pink shirt camped inside their very own half. However the stress was unrelenting.

Simply earlier than halftime, PSG discovered their second — once more via Neves — this time after Fabian Ruiz danced previous the Miami line and selflessly squared it for the Portuguese midfielder to faucet into an empty internet. The third got here moments later as Thomas Avils turned in an personal aim beneath stress from a Bradley Barcola cross. And by the point Achraf Hakimi smashed dwelling the fourth, the competition had remodeled right into a coaching train for the Parisians.

The place was Messi in all this? Remoted. Drifting. Ready. A lone determine up entrance, too typically with out service, and barely within the rhythm of play. Suarez, now 36, regarded fatigued making an attempt to cowl floor. Busquets appeared a step off the tempo. Alba’s regular bursts down the flank had been absent. And from the dugout, Javier Mascherano — the Inter Miami coach — regarded like a person nonetheless studying, even perhaps admiring the blueprint throughout the touchline from his former coach.

To Inter Miami’s credit score, they held PSG at bay within the second half, however solely as a result of the French facet seemingly stepped off the gasoline. The urgency light, changed by a collection of follow drills in possession. Even then, Messi carved out uncommon moments — together with one trademark free-kick try from 30 yards out within the dying minutes. It hit the wall.

And with that, the curtain closed on Messi’s Membership World Cup marketing campaign. No targets, no drama, only a humbling defeat that left extra questions than solutions. For Inter Miami, the night time served as a actuality examine — that the street from American ambition to European calibre is lengthy and steep. And for Messi, maybe a quiet lesson: some pasts aren’t meant to be rewritten.

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