Lionel Messi has shared his biggest regret from Inter Miami’s campaign at the 2025 Club World Cup, and it doesn’t stem solely from their bruising 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Instead, the Argentine superstar pointed to the team’s failure to hold onto a commanding lead in their final group stage match against Palmeiras as the true turning point.
After progressing to the knockout stages with a second-place group finish, Inter Miami found themselves pitted against Messi’s former club PSG, the current European champions.
The result was a sobering 4-0 defeat, ending the Herons’ hopes of a fairytale run at the global tournament. But according to Messi, the real damage was done days earlier.
Speaking after the PSG loss, Messi said: “We remain with the sentiment against Palmeiras that winning the game 2-0 and drawing we had to face PSG which was more complicated… Getting the draw in the final minutes left a sour taste.”
Late collapse haunts Miami’s Club World Cup journey
The disappointment comes down to a dramatic late collapse in the group finale. Inter Miami, leading 2-0 against Brazilian side Palmeiras, conceded twice in the final 10 minutes, allowing the match to end in a 2-2 draw.
That result demoted them to second place in the group standings, setting up a brutal clash with PSG rather than a more favorable draw against Botafogo.
Veteran Spanish left-back Jordi Alba, who shared countless victories with Messi at Barcelona, echoed his teammate’s sentiments after the PSG rout.
“I’ll say it openly, we were better than all three of our group rivals, in my opinion,” Alba stated. “Today, we were talking about a very great rival, and they really put you through their paces, but, well, things are what they are.”
Inter Miami had entered the Club World Cup amid much fanfare, boasting a lineup featuring not only Messi and Alba, but also Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets. Despite this star-studded cast, the team struggled to match the pace and tactical execution of Europe’s top clubs.
Luis Suárez did deliver a moment of brilliance with a goal against Palmeiras, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to prevent the draw that sealed Miami’s difficult knockout path.
A bitter potential end to Messi’s global club career
For Messi, the frustration carries deeper meaning. At 38, this likely marks his final appearance in the Club World Cup, a tournament he’s won three times.
Inter Miami’s exit, marred by defensive lapses and what might have been with a stronger group-stage finish, is a painful conclusion to his international club tournament legacy.
Though reaching the knockout stages was, by many accounts, a significant achievement for an MLS team, Messi and his veteran teammates leave with a sense of what could have been.
With the next Club World Cup not taking place until 2029, the wait will be long, and for Messi, perhaps one he will not endure on the pitch.
Inter Miami will now turn their focus back to domestic competition, but the bitter taste of their missed opportunity on the global stage lingers.
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