Jordi Alba is relishing the prospect of going through his former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique when Inter Miami tackle Paris Saint-Germain within the final 16 of the Membership World Cup.
Miami gave the impression to be cruising to prime spot in Group A – and a gathering with Botafogo – when objectives from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez put them in command in opposition to Palmeiras at Arduous Rock Stadium final night time.
However Paulinho pulled one again with 10 minutes to go earlier than Mauricio struck an 87th minute equaliser.
That meant Palmeiras and Botafogo will meet in an all-Brazilian conflict whereas Miami have the unenviable job of assembly European champions PSG.
Spherical of 16. Dialed in. Vamos Miami 💗🖤
We’ll face @PSG_inside within the subsequent spherical of the @FIFACWC ✨ pic.twitter.com/0K55iC6pkD
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 24, 2025
Barcelona previous boys to reunite
Alba, together with Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Miami boss Javier Mascherano, all labored underneath Luis Enrique at Camp Nou and the left-back is trying ahead to Sunday’s reunion in Atlanta.
“For me, he’s the most effective,” Alba mentioned. “I believe not solely as a coach but in addition as a group supervisor. For me, they’re phenomenal. I’m additionally trying ahead to seeing Rafel Pol, Joaquín Valdés, all their workers, and the gamers who play with them at Barcelona.
“It’s 90 minutes, and properly, I believe we needs to be happy with how we’ve competed in these three video games. Now, let’s compete in opposition to PSG.”
Miami are the one MLS group to progress past the group stage however Alba accepts it will likely be troublesome to get previous a PSG aspect that hammered Inter Milan 5-0 within the Champions League remaining final month.
It is going to even be the primary time Messi can have confronted the Ligue 1 giants since he left the Parc des Princes in 2023.
“I’m happy with the group, and now we’re competing in opposition to a prime group like PSG,” Alba mentioned. “It’s nice. For me, they’re enjoying the most effective soccer in Europe, and properly, it’s clearly a really troublesome match, however we’re going to attempt to compete.
“Why not dream of beating the European champion? It is going to be very troublesome. We all know the standard of all of the gamers, and for me, Luis Enrique is the most effective coach on the earth. I do know him very properly.
“That is soccer, and it’s 90-something minutes, and properly, why not dream?
“They’re [PSG] those who play the most effective soccer right this moment. They’re very versatile, with excellent extensive gamers, and guys in midfield who’ve the ball. General, they’re probably the most full group, for me. We’ll see how far we will go and attempt to compete.”
Suarez needed Botafogo, not Barca
Alba could also be excited on the prospect of assembly PSG however Suarez was irritated that Miami had let slip the prospect to face Botafogo as an alternative.
The Uruguayan mentioned: “We had all of it there. For a second, we already noticed ourselves enjoying in opposition to Botafogo, however soccer is like this. You lose focus for 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and also you pay dearly for it.
“We all know it’s going to be very troublesome, very sophisticated, however now we have the instruments we have to compete.”
