Messi’s Miami and PSG progress to set up CWC reunion, Porto and Al Ahly play draw

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi faces a tantalising reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup last 16 after both sides on Monday progressed to the knockout phase.

Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras to go through second in Group A, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot.

They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid but progressed from Group B in second at the expense of the Spaniards.

Champions of Europe PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the way for the clash with Messi and surprise package Miami.

Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez had Miami on course for a second victory in the tournament after their shock win over Porto.

But Palmeiras struck twice in the last 10 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium through Paulinho and Mauricio to ensure they went through.

Suarez, Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Miami coach Javier Mascherano will also face their former coach Luis Enrique, who guided them to the treble when in charge at Barcelona in 2015.

“We’re talking about the champions of Europe. We know many of their players and their coach, who I was lucky enough to have coach me, and I’ve always said he is the best in the world,” said Alba.

“I will connect with good friends there but once the game starts, we will compete, try to beat them, and why can’t we do it? This is football.”

Mascherano said Miami’s progress had elevated Major League Soccer.

“It’s a historic night for MLS, because we are into the best 16 teams in the world. All of the MLS has to be proud of Inter Miami,” he said.

For Messi, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Tuesday, the tie in Atlanta will see him face his former club PSG for the first time since leaving them to join Miami in 2023. Abel Ferreira, the Palmeiras head coach, was highly critical of his team’s opening 45 minutes but pleased with their reaction.

“I told them at half-time that it was impossible to do worse than what we did in the first half. We were unable to contain our opponents or put pressure on them up front. But our spirit of fighting until the end was particularly important in the second half, and we were rewarded for that,” he said.

Portuguese side Porto and Egypt’s Al Ahly were eliminated after a thrilling 4-4 draw which was not enough for either team to overhaul Palmeiras or Miami.

“I’m very sad, very very sad, I feel like we should have scored five or six goals, the opportunity was there to win the game,” said Palestine international Abou Ali, who netted a hat-trick for Al Ahly.

The Egyptian side took the lead after 15 minutes as Abou Ali slotted a low effort past Claudio Ramos.

Porto quickly hit back through 18-year-old starlet Rodrigo Mora, who drove through the Al Ahly defence and rounded the goalkeeper.

Abou Ali restored his team’s lead with a penalty just before half-time, but a stunning Williams Gomes strike pulled Porto level in the 50th minute.

Abou Ali completed his hat-trick little over a minute later with a towering header.

With the game lurching end-to-end Porto responded in kind two minutes later as Samu Aghehowa nodded in for 3-3.

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane curled home brilliantly from range to give Al Ahly the lead but they could not hold on.

With a minute remaining, Pepe pulled Porto level for the fourth time to save his team’s blushes on the night, although elimination in the group stage was a shock for the Portuguese side.

European champions PSG bounced back from their surprise defeat by Botafogo with a comfortable win in Seattle.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi scored either side of half-time as the Ligue 1 champions advanced as group winners because of Botafogo’s late defeat to Atletico Madrid in Pasadena.

“It wasn’t easy because the pitch was very different to what we are used to in Europe so we couldn’t play with the fluidity that we like, but we adapted,” said PSG coach Enrique.

PSG top scorer Ousmane Dembele played no part for a third game running after travelling to the tournament with an injury.

Agence France-Presse