Lionel Messi is gone from the Club World Cup after Inter Miami exceeded expectations, getting through the group stage undefeated and reaching Round of 16, where reality set in with a 4-0 loss to European champion Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester City, one of the tournament favorites, was also eliminated in the Round of 16 after Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal pulled off the event's biggest upset in a 4-3 thriller with two goals in extra time and the winner in the 112^th minute.

"We had to climb Everest with no oxygen," said Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi, who was hired just a few weeks before the Club World Cup began.

For months, long before the first ball was kicked at Hard Rock Stadium in mid-June, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been touting the new, expanded 32-team Club World Cup as a sign of "a new era of club football." The idea was to give exposure to clubs from all over the world and see, once and for all, if European teams really do reign supreme.

Well, we are down to the quarterfinals, and of the final eight teams, five are from Europe: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Chelsea.

The Brazilian league, which has invested big money of late, had two of its four entrants make the quarters: Fluminense and Palmeiras. And then there's Al-Hilal, which has spent an estimated $560 million in transfer fees over the past two years, including $47 million for forward Marcos Leonardo, who scored twice against Man City, including the game-winner.

Al-Hilal and Fluminense kick off the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. Friday in Orlando, ensuring that at least one semifinalist will be a non-European team. Palmeiras, which finished first in Group A ahead of Inter Miami, plays English Premier League's Chelsea in the 9 p.m. game Friday in Philadelphia.

Saturday's quarterfinal matchups feature traditional European powers. PSG plays Bayern Munich at noon in Atlanta, followed by Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund at 4 p.m. in New Jersey.

Here's a preview of the quarterfinal matches…

Fluminense vs. Al-Hilal (Friday, 3 p.m., TNT, truTV, DAZN.com):

Both teams got here by upsetting European favorites. Al-Hilal's win over Manchester City was more dramatic, but Fluminense knocked off Champions League finalist Inter Milan 2-0, which was also unexpected.

The Brazilians have relied on strong defense, with three clean sheets in four matches behind strong play by 40-year-old Thiago Silva and 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio.

Fluminense FC defender Juan Freytes (22) runs with the ball as Mamelodi Sundowns defender Divine Lunga (29) defends in the second half of their FIFA Club World Cup Group F third-round match at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Al-Hilal has proven to be an offensive threat with six goals over its past two games. The Saudi team was a surprise from the start of the tournament, holding Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in their opening match. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has been a big key, as have Leonardo, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Malcom, .

Palmeiras vs. Chelsea (Friday, 9 p.m., DAZN.com):

After finishing atop Group A, Palmeiras knocked off fellow Brazilian team Botafogo, 1-0, in a tense Round of 16 game that ended with Paulinho scoring the decisive goal in the 100th minute.

The Brazilian teams have displayed strong defense throughout the tournament, and that certainly has been the case for Palmeiras, which shut out Porto 0-0, Al Ahly 2-0 and Botafogo 1-0.

Inter Miami is the only team that scored against Palmeiras with goals by Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez. Miami held a 2-0 lead in that game until the 80^th minute, but Paulinho and Mauricio struck twice in the final 10 minutes to salvage a tie and secure first place in the group.

Chelsea arrives in the quarters after a 4-1 win over Benfica in a Round of 16 match that included a long rain delay and three extra time goals. The English club lost to Flamengo 3-1 in the group stage and wants to avoid a second loss to a Brazilian team.

A subplot to watch is Palmeiras' 18-year-old phenom Estêváo, who heads to Chelsea after the Club World Cup in deal that could reach $68 million with incentives. He will try to beat Chelsea before joining the club later this summer.

Palmeiras forward Estevao (41) fights for position as Inter Miami midfielder Federico Redondo (55) and defender Noah Allen (32) defend during the first half of their Group A third-round FIFA Club World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, June 23, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

PSG vs. Bayern Munich (Saturday, noon, TNT, DAZN.com):

In the highest profile match this weekend, Champions League winner PSG faces German giant Bayern Munich. Both clubs are steeped in tradition and have massive fan support all over the world.

PSG, under coach Luis Enrique, outclassed Inter Miami in the Round of 16 with its all-star roster, exquisite passing, high press and a pair of goals by Joao Neves. It probably could have been more lopsided, but Enrique's side held back a bit in the second half. As if the Parisian club wasn't dangerous enough, forward Ousmane Dembélé is back from injury.

Meanwhile, Bundesliga champion Bayern beat Brazilian power Flamengo 4-2 at Hard Rock Stadium in the Round of 16 as Harry Kane scored twice. Like PSG, Bayern, under coach Vincent Kompany, pressures opponents and pins them back. Kane and Michael Olise are in peak form.

Real Madrid vs. Dortmund (Saturday, 4 p.m., TNT, truTV, Univision, DAZN.com):

In the other all-European clash, Group H winner Real Madrid meets Group F winner Borussia Dortmund.

Madrid, getting acclimated to new coach Xabi Alonso, seems to be getting stronger as the tournament goes on. The Spanish club got past Juventus 1-0 in the Round of 16 with a goal by 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia, his third goal in four games.

French star Kylian Mbappe made his tournament debut for Madrid in the second half after missing the three group games with a stomach ailment. The question now is whether he will start against Dortmund or come off the bench.

Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) runs with the ball as Juventus forward Nicolas Gonazalez (11) defends in the second half of their round of 16 FIFA Club World Cup soccer match at Hard Rock Stadium on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Borussia Dortmund eliminated Mexican team Monterrey, 2-1, in the Round of 16. Serhou Guirassy had a first-half brace and is a player to watch.

The much anticipated showdown between siblings Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) and Jobe Bellingham (Dortmund) will not happen, as Jobe, the younger of the two, is suspended after picking up a second yellow card against Monterrey.

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