Inter Miami make Club World Cup history as Messi extends impressive record Cristiano Ronaldo never achieved

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami reached the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after managing a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras on Monday night. The feat now means that the Argentine captain has a perfect record in group stages, something that his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo can’t say.

Messi has now advanced out of all 33 group stages he has appeared in over his career for both club and country. That includes his participation in tournaments like the Champions League with both Barcelona and PSG, as well as Copa America and World Cup with Argentina.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo lost his perfect record in 2014, when Portugal failed to reach the Round of 16 in the World Cup held in Brazil. At the time, the Portuguese national team was thrashed by Germany (4-0) and were held to a 2-2 draw with the USMNT, which resulted in their early exit.

Coming back to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Messi is now set to face his former team PSG, as Miami ended the group A in second place. The European champions finished above Botafogo on goal difference.

Lionel Messi during the Club World Cup match against Palmeiras (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The Herons had everything to finish first, as they were dominating 2-0 with goals by Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez, but Paulinho and Mauricio equalized the result in the second half, in which the Brazilians were superior.

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Messi to reunite with former coach Luis Enrique

On the other hand, Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets will be facing their former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. “We’re talking about the champions of Europe,” Alba said about the upcoming match. “We know many of their players and their coach, who I was lucky enough to have coached, and I’ve always said he is the best in the world.”

For Miami, this is already a historic moment as they become the first MLS team to reach the knockout stages of the revamped tournament. But they are not content with just making history.

“Once the game starts, we will compete, try to beat them, and why can’t we do it? This is soccer,” added Alba. As part of the new format of the Club World Cup, the match has the potential to deliver another exciting match.