ATLANTA — If Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s cast of former Barcelona stars hope to pull off one of the biggest upsets soccer may ever see against Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup, they’ll have to outsmart one person who may know them all the best.
Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano last raised the Champions League trophy together with Barcelona in 2015 under the leadership of coach Luis Enrique.
Ten years later, Enrique reached the sport’s mountaintop again, leading Paris Saint-Germain to its first Champions League title last month.
Now, they’ll reunite again on the same pitch Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium – this time as adversaries with plenty of love and respect at the forefront of their round-of-16 matchup in the Club World Cup.
“I’m sure it’s going to be much more difficult than anyone can imagine,” Enrique said Saturday night before the match.
“They have the level. They have the quality. And they are winners. They’re players who have won a lot throughout their careers (with) that spirit inside them they’ve had all their lives.
“Emotionally, it’s very difficult to prepare for a game like this.”
It’ll be Messi’s first match against PSG since leaving the French club in July 2023 to join Inter Miami.
And he’s leading a Major League Soccer club just five years into its existence into a match against the European champions.
Inter Miami is the biggest underdog of any team in the Club World Cup round of 16. They have +1050 odds to beat PSG, the heavy favorite at -450, according to BetMGM.
But Enrique isn’t overlooking the opponent one bit.
He knows better.
Especially coaching against No. 10 on the other side.
“I had the opportunity to meet Leo Messi at the height of his career. Leo Messi’s peak has lasted 10, 15 years – I don’t know how long it will last,” Enrique said. “He is the best soccer player in history – without a doubt.”
Enrique still believes Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets are at the top of their games.
He looks forward to the few moments they’ll share together on the pitch Sunday, before and after the whistle is blown.
“When you give it some space and look back at what we’ve been through over the years, a smile appears on your face, and you want to share things again – even if it’s just 10 minutes before or after the game,” Enrique said.
Rising PSG star Désiré Doué, a 20-year-old who scored twice in the Champions League final, is excited to face Messi and the other Barcelona legends.
“Yes, it’s a special match, but it’s still a soccer game,” Doué told DAZN. “We’re lucky to be able to play against one of the greatest players in history and some of the greatest players who have marked the history of soccer.”
Messi’s heroics will be key if Inter Miami is going to pull off an upset against PSG, which dominated Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final on May 31.
Messi’s free-kick goal against Porto in Atlanta on June 19 is Inter Miami’s defining moment in the Club World Cup to this point. It was instrumental in helping them reach the knockout stage of a tournament featuring 32 of the best clubs in the world.
Some would argue Inter Miami has already peaked in the Club World Cup. They were the only MLS club to reach this point, while the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC both failed to win a match during the group stage.
Many don’t expect them to pull off the upset on Sunday.
Even they know the odds are stacked against them.
“It’s clear and we’re not naïve – we know that we’re the weaker team, but that doesn’t mean you can kill us off beforehand. We’re going to fight, which is what it’s all about,” Mascherano said.
“I think the nice thing about (Sunday’s) match is that we’ve earned the right to play it. … The challenge is to come out tomorrow and test ourselves against what is possibly the best team in the world today.”
Added Inter Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt: “We are a very humble team. We try to give our all. And hopefully, God willing, tomorrow will be kind to us and we can get a good result.”