Inter Miami faced Palmeiras on Matchday 3 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in a thrilling Group A decider, ultimately finishing in a 2-2 draw. As a result, Lionel Messi and company secured second place in the group and will now meet some familiar faces in the Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Herons jumped out to an early lead after a brilliant solo run by Tadeo Allende, followed by a clinical finish from Luis Suarez. However, Palmeiras capitalized on Inter Miami’s fatigue in the second half, rallying for the draw with goals from Paulinho in the 80th minute and Mauricio in the 87th.
Had Inter Miami held on for the win, they would have topped Group A and faced Botafogo, the second-place finisher in Group B. But the late comeback by Palmeiras dropped the MLS side into second place, setting up a blockbuster clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
When will PSG vs. Inter Miami take place?
Inter Miami will face Paris Saint-Germain for the round of 16 in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 on Sunday, June 29, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 PM ET, marking the opening match of the knockout stage.
Both teams already building the hype
With Inter Miami emerging as one of the tournament’s surprises and PSG showing some vulnerability during the group stage, this matchup is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing of the round. Several key figures have already weighed in, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, who shared his thoughts after PSG secured first place early Monday:
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“A matchup with Messi would be fantastic for us — and for me. I spent two fantastic years here with him, playing alongside the best in the world. But now, I hope we win. He already has plenty of titles. I hope we win and reach the final,” Donnarumma said in a post-match interview with DAZN.
Jordi Alba also offered his take. When asked about the upcoming clash with PSG, the veteran defender was candid after his team’s impressive group-stage performances: “We’ll see if we can compete with them. We’ve competed well in all three matches so far, but now we’re talking about the European champions.
“We know many of their players, and their coach, who I was fortunate to have, and as I’ve said before, he’s the best coach in the world. I’ll be seeing some old friends. But once the match starts, it’s all about competing and trying to beat them. Why not? This is football, and we’ll see how far we can go,” the defender concluded.
