MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Lionel Messi could only look down and shake his head in disappointment after the game-tying goal was scored against Inter Miami.
Several minutes later, Messi stood near midfield after the final whistle — shirtless after exchanging his sought-after, game-worn, No. 10 jersey — hoping for a simple moment to himself.
Messi briefly glanced at the jumbotron, and saw opposing fans celebrating in the stands before he was interrupted. He quickly smiled, greeted his opponents like the sportsman he’s renowned to be, and headed to the locker room.
Inter Miami’s match in the FIFA Club World Cup didn’t end the way it should have on Monday, June 23. The club was on the verge of its second historic victory in the last week. They nearly won their group at the tournament, which would have been another landmark accolade in Major League Soccer’s 30-year history — especially for the five-year-old club co-owned by Jorge and Jose Mas, and soon-to-be Sir David Beckham.
Inter Miami jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind goals by Tadeo Allende (16’) and Luis Suarez (65’), but settled for a 2-2 draw against Brazilian side Palmeiras at Hard Rock Stadium. Paulinho scored in the 80th minute, and Mauricio tied the match in the 87th minute for Palmeiras — the result as disappointing as it was heartbreaking, the night before Messi’s 38th birthday.
However, Inter Miami still advances to the Club World Cup Round of 16.
They were so close. Still, there’s plenty to celebrate.
“It’s bittersweet,” Inter Miami defender Noah Allen said after the match.
Inter Miami’s next matchup is a potential nightmare, just as much as it’s an accomplishment. They will face Messi’s last team Paris Saint-Germain — the reigning UEFA Champions League winners — on June 29 in Atlanta.
Messi will face the French club he left two years ago — shortly after leading Argentina past France for his crowning achievement at the Qatar World Cup — to join MLS and play the twilight of his career in the United States.
Inter Miami and Paris Saint-Germain would never meet on the same pitch in any circumstance, unless for a one-off friendly — before the Club World Cup.
It’s a dream matchup for MLS and FIFA. MLS commissioner Don Garber will celebrate Inter Miami’s chance to face the European champions. FIFA president Gianni Infantino will proudly boast about the Club World Cup’s ability to present this kind of quirky fantasy that soccer has never seen.
The stage is set.
“Let’s see how far we can go,” Inter Miami left back Jordi Alba said. “Obviously, we’re going to compete, we’re going to fight to win the game, knowing how difficult it is to play against a team of this caliber. And why not dream? It’s 90 minutes. These days, any team can beat you, and we’re going to fight.”
Messi continues another streak that speaks to his greatness — he’s never been eliminated in group stage of any tournament his career. He was held scoreless for two of the three group stage matches, but his free kick goal in a 2-1 win against Portuguese club FC Porto in Atlanta was the defining moment in Inter Miami’s Club World Cup run.
Inter Miami is the only MLS club to win a match at the tournament. They also became the first North American team to beat a European club when they defeated Porto — that alone, a landmark moment in MLS history. They also settled for a scoreless draw against Egyptian Premier League champions Al Ahly to open the tournament.
Inter Miami advanced to the knockout stage with two draws and a win in an international competition with 32 of the best clubs in the world, and they’ve put MLS on the map globally — on the field, just like Messi’s best-selling Inter Miami jerseys have worldwide.
Two months ago, Inter Miami appeared prime to be embarrassed on this stage. They were clinging to a top-five position in the MLS Eastern Conference winning just three times in 10 matches before the Club World Cup. Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC were both eliminated from the group stage. They have just one goal between them — Seattle scored it, while LAFC will play its final group-stage match Tuesday, June 24.
Inter Miami must quickly turn the page to focus on its next opponent, as much as they should relish the history they’re making in the moment.
“Before we started the tournament, if someone told me we would have this kind of performance against these kind of teams, I’d sign it,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. “I appreciate our players. They gave more than 100 percent. I think it’s a historic night for MLS because we’re into the best 16 teams in the world. I think the whole MLS has to be proud of Inter Miami.”
Inter Miami would have faced Brazilian club Botafogo on Saturday in Philadelphia had they won Group A. In theory, Inter Miami would have a better chance in the next round against Botafogo than Paris Saint-Germain.
Botafogo delivered the first real upset at the Club World Cup, beating Paris Saint-Germain, 1-0, on June 19. While A plus B doesn’t always equal C in soccer, Inter Miami can look to Botafogo for inspiration.
Ten years after Messi, Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and now-coach Javier Mascherano won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015, they’ll face the team that’s in the same position now.
No one expected Inter Miami to come this far. Anything after this point is like playing with house money.
Before then, Inter Miami will playfully celebrate Messi’s birthday during a recovery day on Tuesday.
Soccer players, for some reason, celebrate birthdays with some tough love.
The Inter Miami players will line up like a tunnel for Messi to run through, so they can give him a tap on the back of his head and shoulders as he runs by.
Some of his old friends, like Alba and Suarez, might tap him the hardest.
Hey, that’s how soccer players celebrate birthdays.
“We’re going to have a tunnel for him tomorrow and slap him in the head,” Allen said. “Gently.”
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