Dramatic draw sets up Messi vs PSG in Club World Cup knockout stage

Lionel Messi is set for a blockbuster reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after Inter Miami secured a place in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup knockout stages with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Brazil’s Palmeiras.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) side looked set to top Group A after goals from Tadeo Allende in the 16th minute and Luis Suárez in the 65th minute put them 2-0 up at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Tuesday, 24 June.

But a late fightback from the Brazilians saw Paulinho and Maurício strike in the final ten minutes, snatching top spot on goal difference.

The result means Inter Miami finish second in the group, teeing up a mouthwatering last-16 clash with reigning UEFA Champions League winners PSG – where Messi spent two seasons between 2021 and 2023.

Meanwhile, Palmeiras will face fellow Brazilian side Botafogo, who finished as Group B runners-up.

Late drama in Group A

Elsewhere in Group A, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Portugal’s Porto played out a chaotic 4-4 draw at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Wessam Ali’s first-half hat-trick put Al Ahly in control, but Porto fought back through Rodrigo Mora, William, and Samu Aghehowa.

Mohamed Romdhane then restored the Egyptian side’s lead in the 64th minute – only for Porto’s Brazilian winger Pepê to break Al Ahly hearts with an 89th-minute equaliser.

The result meant both sides bowed out of the tournament with just two points each, as Palmeiras and Inter Miami advanced.

What’s next?

All eyes now turn to Messi’s reunion with PSG – a fixture brimming with narrative after his mixed spell in Paris.

Can the Argentine legend haunt his old club, or will the French giants prove too strong for David Beckham’s Inter Miami?