Paris Saint-Germain breezed into the Club World Cup quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, though coach Luis Enrique insisted the contest was tougher than it appeared.

Joao Neves opened the scoring early before PSG netted three more goals in a ruthless first-half burst. Messi impressed after the break, but Miami never threatened a comeback.

“It was harder than it may seem,” said Enrique, who hailed his treble-winning team’s form. “We aim to go far in this competition. The motivation to be competitive is there.”

PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and Lucas Beraldo spoke warmly of sharing the pitch with Messi and his fellow Barcelona alumni. “Leo is a unique person… it’s magnificent,” said Beraldo.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano praised his team despite the defeat. “I am very proud of my players. The gap is what it is, but I am very proud of them,” he said, adding that Messi “played a great game.”

Though PSG dominated, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium was packed with fans wearing Messi’s No.10 shirt, underlining his enduring star power even at 38.

PSG will face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.