Lionel Messi, Inter Miami thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain: What’s the biggest loss in Leo’s career?

On Sunday, Inter Miami‘s hopes in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 came to an end. They suffered a tough 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16, officially ending their run in the tournament. For Lionel Messi, it marked one of the most painful defeats of his professional career.

In his 21 years as a player, Messi has grown accustomed to starring in nearly every competition he plays, holding the remarkable record of never having been eliminated in the first round of any club or national team tournament. However, Sunday’s 4-0 loss to PSG ranks among the top ten worst defeats of his life.

The most devastating loss Leo has suffered came in the form of an 8–2 defeat with Barcelona against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Champions League. That day, the Spanish giants went into halftime trailing 4–1. After briefly reviving hopes with a Luis Suarez goal early in the second half, they were steamrolled by the German side, who would go on to win the title.

Trailing that six-goal margin is the 6–1 defeat suffered by the Argentina national team against Bolivia during the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In 2009, the team—then led by Diego Armando Maradona—couldn’t handle the 11,980 ft altitude of La Paz and endured the worst loss in their history.

Messi suffered the worst defeat of his career with Barcelona against Bayern Munich in 2020.

Other heavy defeats in Messi’s career

Beyond those historic losses with Barcelona and Argentina, Messi has experienced several other defeats by a four-goal margin. With the Catalan side, Leo endured four such matches: 4–0 to Bayern Munich in 2013, 4–0 to PSG in 2017, and 4–0 to Liverpool in 2019 (all in the Champions League), along with a 4–0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the 2015 Spanish Super Cup.

see also

Joao Neves shines as PSG dominate Messi’s Inter Miami (4-0) in FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16: Highlights and goals

Outside of his Barcelona years, the only other four-goal defeat Messi suffered with Argentina came during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals after a 4–0 loss to Germany.

Messi’s worst defeats with Inter Miami

Sunday’s 4-0 loss to PSG clearly tops the list of Messi’s worst defeats with Inter Miami. However, since joining the Herons in mid-2023, the forward had already endured a few tough losses.

Coincidentally, like the PSG match, all of them came this year under head coach Javier Mascherano. In Major League Soccer play, Inter Miami lost 4–1 to Minnesota United on May 10 at Allianz Field and were beaten 3–0 by Orlando City just eight days later at Chase Stadium.