Messi and Inter Miami's Club World Cup Dream Ends in PSG Rout, Exposing MLS Roster Flaws

Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the Club World Cup quarterfinals with a decisive 4-0 victory over Inter Miami CF on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The reigning European champions demonstrated the clinical football characteristic of manager Luis Enrique, systematically dismantling Miami’s defense with sharp passing and superior positioning.

PSG signaled their intent early, forcing a save from Inter goalkeeper Oscar Ustari within three minutes and scoring just two minutes later. A well-placed free kick from Vitinha found João Neves, who headed in the opening goal. The French club's offensive pressure was relentless, culminating in 19 total shots, nine of which were on target.

For their part, Inter Miami adopted a defensive posture, aiming to contain the European powerhouse and prevent a blowout. However, PSG's quality proved overwhelming, and the score stood at 4-0 by halftime.

The match underscored that even a player of Lionel Messi's caliber could not single-handedly overcome the significant gap in quality between his squad and Europe’s elite. While Messi can create moments of brilliance, he requires a strong supporting cast to compete against a team like the UEFA Champions League titleholders, and on this day, the necessary support was absent.

MLS Roster Rules Under Scrutiny

The result brought renewed attention to the structural challenges faced by Major League Soccer teams in international competitions. Former Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino had previously criticized the league's strict roster rules, stating they hinder clubs on the global stage. His successor, Javier Mascherano, echoed these sentiments before the match, lamenting the club’s inability to strengthen the squad due to the league's inflexible system and a tight transfer window.

"Injuries have exposed our depth," Mascherano stated. "Obviously, we know about the restrictions MLS imposes that don't allow us to compete at the economic level we would like, but we have to go into tomorrow's match and give it our all with the players we have."

The MLS roster system, particularly the Designated Player structure, often leads to imbalanced squads. Clubs like Miami invest heavily in a few star players—in this case, Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets—while filling out the roster with a less experienced supporting cast.

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas also acknowledged the need for reform. "Roster flexibility is something that we've worked on and will continue to work on in order to allow us to have deeper rosters," Mas told ESPN. He noted that the primary difference in international play is often the quality of substitutes, not the starting eleven. This issue was evident in a previous 2-2 draw with Palmeiras, where substitutions led to a squandered 2-0 lead, and it resurfaced against PSG.

The team's lack of depth was starkly exposed in the 19th minute when defender Noah Allen went down with an injury. The 21-year-old academy product was replaced by Tomás Avilés, who struggled immediately, receiving a yellow card moments after coming on before scoring an own goal later in the half. With other players sidelined by injury, Mascherano had few options.

A Platform for Growth

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Inter Miami's overall tournament campaign can be viewed as a significant step forward for the six-year-old club. After qualifying by winning the 2024 Supporters' Shield with a record point total, Miami entered the Club World Cup as underdogs. They secured draws against Al Ahly and Palmeiras before earning a stunning 2-1 victory over FC Porto.

As the only MLS team to advance to the knockout stage, and as the youngest team in the competition, Inter Miami demonstrated considerable progress. The club provided moments of excitement, including Messi's game-winning goal against Porto and a dominant first-half performance against Palmeiras.

Now, after being eliminated by what teammate Jordi Alba called "the best footballers these days," the team returns with invaluable experience.

"I know how they work because I've had [Luis Enrique] as a coach, and I know that if you don't run, you're not going to play," Alba said of PSG. He emphasized the value of the experience for the club's younger talents, such as Benjamin Cremaschi, Noah Allen, and Ian Fray, who had never faced non-Concacaf opponents in a competitive setting.

"With [Messi's] arrival, it's opened many doors for everyone," Alba added. "We're trying to help all the young players grow, evolve and learn a lot for tomorrow... I think they've lived up to expectations."

While the 4-0 defeat to Europe's top team was a sobering result, it provided Inter Miami with crucial lessons. The challenge now is to leverage this newfound experience in MLS, Leagues Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup action to secure a return to the world stage and continue its upward trajectory.