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PSG, Bayern thrash way to potential Korean derby in Club World Cup quarterfinals

Published: 30 Jun. 2025, 15:13

Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi reacts during a match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 29. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae could go head-to-head in a tantalizing Korean derby as the two European powerhouses meet in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

PSG powered through to the last eight with a commanding 4-0 win over Inter Miami in the round of 16 on Monday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Lee, the 23-year-old Korean midfielder, came off the bench in the 69th minute and quietly impressed — completing all 19 of his passes, including a sublime through-ball from deep in his own half to Bradley Barcola in the 88th minute. He had a long-range attempt blocked by Miami's Luis Suárez during stoppage time.

The match was billed as the “Messi Derby,” pitting Lionel Messi against his former club. But the Argentine icon — flanked by ex-Barcelona teammates Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba — failed to leave a mark, mustering no shots in the first half and just one late header on target.

PSG, meanwhile, put the game to bed early.

João Neves opened the scoring with a header off a Vitinha free kick in the sixth minute and doubled his tally in the 39th. An own goal from Inter Miami’s Tomás Avilés and a strike from Achraf Hakimi rounded out the first-half barrage.

Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal from the penalty spot during a match at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, on June 15. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Lionel Messi appears to swing his arm toward Vitinha’s head while contesting possession during a match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta on June 29. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Late in the game, Messi appeared to swing his arm toward Vitinha’s head while contesting possession, a moment that did not make contact but sparked criticism on social media over his sportsmanship. Messi and Vitinha were previously PSG teammates during the 2022–23 season, when reports of a rift between the two emerged.

In another round of 16 match, Bayern Munich defeated Brazil’s Flamengo 4-2 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Harry Kane scored twice, netting a powerful left-footed strike in the ninth minute and sealing the win with a right-footed finish in the 73rd.

PSG and Bayern will now meet at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday. A Lee-Kim faceoff remains in doubt with Kim suffering from an injury, but the matchup already carries star power and narrative weight, rekindling a rivalry that has defined European football in recent years.