Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi smashed 4-0 by PSG - Where does MLS go from here?

At FIFA Club World Cup 

After Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders have already crashed out, the final  Major League Soccer club has been eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday. And in truth, it was mostly over after 45 minutes. On Sunday, Inter Miami CF, featuring Lionel Messi, were dismantled inside the first half by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. João Neves (6’ & 39’), an own goal by  Tomás Avilés (44’), and Achraf Hakimi (45+3’) secured an easy win for PSG over the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

While PSG took the foot off the pedal in the second half, the first 45 minutes were a demonstration of power by the Champions League winners. The Ligue 1 side scored their four goals from an xG of just 2.42. They also never allowed Inter Miami, who finished the game with an xG of just 0.26, into the match. "We were great in the first half," Luis Enrique said to DAZN. "The second half, we controlled the match and never allowed a goal." On the ball, PSG’s dominance was also absolute. The Parisians completed 621 passes, compared to Inter Miami’s 253. After the first half, PSG had 73% possession, which dropped to 68% at the final whistle, highlighting that Paris was trying to manage the game.

Without a doubt, it was a demonstration of power by PSG that we have seen before in recent weeks. Paris won the Champions League 5-0 against Inter Milan and dismantled Atlético Madrid 4-0 to start the tournament. But Luis Enrique’s side hasn’t always been flawless. The 1-0 defeat to Botafogo on matchday 2 comes to mind. Also, Inter Miami’s league rivals, the Seattle Sounders, kept the match far more competitive than Lionel Messi & Co. managed on Sunday. "We knew this was going to be a difficult task," Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said to DAZN. "We tried our hardest but they are one of the best teams in the world." 

Inter Miami eliminated by PSG – Where does MLS stand?

Although Inter Miami did well to qualify for the round of 16, today’s result is another rude wakeup call for the Beckham-owned club. Overall, there is no shame going out against Europe’s best team. But the fashion in which it happened is worrisome. After all, it isn’t the first time that Inter Miami have demonstrated an incredible ability to completely fall apart defensively. It hasn’t just happened at this level. The second half against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concacaf Champions League second leg comes to mind. There, too, Miami were dissected by a far more disciplined side, as the Whitecaps scored three unanswered goals in the second half to reach the final.

A big part of the story here is roster construction. Like many MLS teams, Inter Miami are extremely top heavy. Against PSG, the combined market value of the attack and midfield was €30.8m (€5.13m on average per player). In comparison, the four defenders and goalkeeper had a market value of just €6.6m (€1.32m). Granted, the attack included Messi, who remains one of the most valuable players in MLS with a market value of €18m. But still, the fact that a significant part of the resources are placed in the attack over defenders and goalkeepers is a big part of how rosters are constructed in MLS.

In some ways, this makes sense. MLS is an entertaining product with many goals. But at this level, the lack of tactical discipline was evident for everyone to see. PSG at times cut through Miami’s defense, scoring at will, and the 4-0 scoreline could have been far worse. In fact, this wasn’t the first time at this tournament either that the Herons were exposed. Miami also threw away a two-goal lead against Palmeiras on the final matchday. For MLS, this has the chance to be an eye-opening experience. The level between the league and the top European teams at times wasn’t a massive gap, and more balanced roster construction could go a long way to close the gap further.