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Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami is set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup on June 29 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
This upcoming match will be the first time Messi will face his former club, PSG, following his departure from the French side in 2023.
In an interview with Apple Music earlier this year, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner opened up about his two-year tenure at Parc des Princes and said,
"The way things turned out in my last years in Paris, even though I had to make a quick decision to leave Barcelona, I ended up spending two years that I didn't enjoy. I wasn't happy day to day—whether it was training, matches, or just adapting to everything."
Now ahead of their first knockout match in this year's competition, PSG star Achraf Hakimi, who has shared the pitch alongside Messi at the Ligue 1 giants, has sent out a 'no friends on the pitch' warning.
What did PSG's Achraf Hakimi say about facing Leo Messi in the Club World Cup?
Messi and Hakimi have played together in 59 matches for PSG, while having one joint goal participation. The 26-year-old defender stated (comments via GOAL) that while a reunion with the Argentine icon would be 'nice,' friendship is not a relevant factor during the match.
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"It will be nice to see Messi again. There were a lot of great moments. On the pitch, there are no friends. He’s going to try and win, and we’re going to try and win too. We’re going to give everything to try and get through to the next round," said Hakimi.
The upcoming match between Inter Miami and PSG is anticipated to be an intense one as both sides will be fighting to lift their first-ever Club World Cup trophy.
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